AgriScience Program — Clusters Component

Insider Tip

Contact AAFC's program office before the next intake opens — aafc. [email protected]. Indigenous applicants should also contact the Indigenous Services Liaison Office at [email protected] early in the process. Clusters must span Technology Readiness Levels 4-7 (applied research through early commercialization) — pure fundamental science or fully commercial activities are not eligible. Ensure at minimum 30% of costs address Climate Change & Environment, including at least 15% on GHG/carbon sequestration, to maximize AAFC cost-share (70% vs 50% for other themes).

Rejection Pitfalls 6

• For-profit organization — only not-for-profits (associations, corporations, cooperatives, Indigenous groups) are eligible
• Single-organization project without genuine multi-stakeholder cluster structure
• Research not aligned with AAFC priority themes (Climate Change, Economic Growth, or Sector Resilience)

Success Profile

Established national not-for-profit commodity association, industry group, or research cooperative with existing government and academic relationships — e.g. a national grain/oilseed association launching a climate-resilience research network, or a national livestock federation building a carbon sequestration measurement cluster. Requires multi-year consortium pre-formation before applying.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications assessed on: (1) alignment with AAFC priority themes — minimum 30% Climate Change & Environment (with 15% GHG/carbon), plus Economic Growth and Sector Resilience distribution; (2) cluster quality — breadth and depth of industry-government-academia partnerships, governance structure, and national scope; (3) scientific merit — research plan quality, TRL pathway (4-7), and likelihood of generating applicable innovation; (4) value for money — cost-share structure, budget reasonableness, and leverage of partner contributions; (5) benefits to Canadian agriculture — expected economic, environmental, and sector resilience outcomes.

Application Steps

Required Documents 6

Eligible Expenses 7

• Salaries and benefits for researchers and project staff directly conducting eligible research
• Subcontractor and academic researcher costs for specialized activities
• Materials, supplies, and lab consumables for research activities
• Equipment directly required for the research project
• Knowledge transfer and technology translation activities
• Project management and coordination costs
• In-kind contributions from partner organizations (up to 10% of AAFC share)

Ineligible Expenses 6

• Routine pest and disease monitoring programs (eligible only as supporting components, not standalone)
• Fully commercial (post-TRL 7) development activities
• Pure fundamental (pre-TRL 4) basic science without agricultural application pathway
• Costs incurred before the eligibility date confirmed in the contribution agreement
• Costs exceeding the approved cost-share ratio per activity category
• Total government contributions exceeding 85% of eligible project costs

Intake Periods

Infrequent — typically one intake per 2-3 year period under each Sustainable CAP framework. Most recent intake closed June 2024. Next intake anticipated within the 2023-2028 Sustainable CAP program period; no specific date announced as of May 2026.

Deadline Notes

Most recent intake closed June 17, 2024. No new intake announced as of May 2026. Program operates under Sustainable CAP (2023–2028) — at least one more intake round is expected before 2028. Monitor agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/agriscience-program-clusters for announcements. Contact AAFC at [email protected] to express interest ahead of the next intake.

Ineligible Organizations

• For-profit businesses (only not-for-profit organizations are eligible as lead applicants)
• Individuals (natural persons cannot be applicants)
• Unincorporated associations without legal entity status
• Organizations not focused on Canadian agriculture or agri-food sectors

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

Non-repayable contributions may be partially or fully recovered if: project milestones are not met, funds are used for ineligible activities, or the project is terminated early. AAFC retains audit rights for 6 years post-project. Mid-project scope changes require AAFC approval — unauthorized scope changes may affect payment.