Growing Forward 2- New Application Intake for Ontario Agri-Processors

Growing Forward 2 (GF2) is a federal-provincial initiative that encourages strategic initiative investments by Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food industry by supporting innovation, competitiveness and market development. It provides cost-share funding for education, training, audits, assessments, planning, and capital purchases by contributing up to 50% of the project’s eligible costs, to a maximum of $350,000 over the five years of the program (April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2018).

Ontario agri-processors can apply for GF2 cost-share funding from March 4, 2016 until March 24, 2016 through the GF2 Client Portal, or by fax until 11:59pm on March 24.  GF2 is administered to Processors across Ontario by The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Your company may be eligible for funding if the project is focused on innovation and it:

• Will commence within 3 months of anticipated project approval
• Falls within one of six areas of focus:
  • Environment and climate change adaptation
  • Animal and plant health
  • Assurance systems (food safety, traceability, and animal welfare)
  • Market development
  • Labour productivity enhancements
  • Business and leadership development
• Helps the industry achieve the following priorities:
  • Use best business and leadership practices
  • Use energy, water and other inputs efficiently
  • Be better able to adapt to climate change
  • Maximize labour productivity
  • Access new and emerging markets
  • Retain and expand existing markets
  • Market products that meet buyer demand through adoption of food safety, traceability or animal welfare assurance systems
  • Respond quickly and effectively to risk
  • Reduce key risks