AgriScience Program — Projects Component
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on how novel the work is. Only 10 lead with that.
- Publishes the score sheet reviewers actually use. Only 30 do.
- States real length limits, about 2,585 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
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Who actually receives this funding
8 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 126 awards since 2018. Typical award: $579K. Half of all awards fall between $168.9K and $1.35M. The advertised maximum is $5M — most awards land closer to $579K. Top sectors among classified recipients: Oilseed and grain farming, Hog and pig farming, Poultry and egg production. Top provinces: Ontario 37% · Quebec 21% · British Columbia 16%. Covers: AAFC AgriScience Program — Projects Component contributions (industry-led research and innovation projects). Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.
The typical AgriScience Program award is $579K — the median of 126 awards since 2018, even though the program advertises up to $5M. In 2025, 8 organizations were funded.
Named recipients
Recent recipients include Ontario Genomics Institute (Toronto, ON, 2026), Apeiron Resources Ltd (Calgary, AB, 2026) and Anodyne Chemistries Inc (Burnaby, BC, 2026).
- 2026Premier Tech Agriculture; Premier Tech Agricultural; Autres
- 2026Ontario Genomics Institute
- 2026Association des jardiniers-maraîchers du Québec et Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec
- 2026Apeiron Resources Ltd
- 2026Anodyne Chemistries Inc
- 2026Amphoraxe Life Sciences Inc.
- 2026Céréla Inc.
- 2025MMSK Design Inc.
- 2025A.U.G. Signals Ltd.
- 2025Centre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault
Show 27 more recipients
- 2025Vive Crop Protection Inc.
- 2025Renaissance BioScience Corp.
- 2025Mushrooms Canada
- 2025PreFer Industries Ltd.
- 2025Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance
- 2024Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance
- 2024OPISystems Inc.
- 2024Centre de développement du porc du Québec
- 2024McCain Foods Limited
- 2024Vivid Machines Inc.
- 2024Progest 2001 Inc.
- 2024NovoBind Livestock Therapeutics
- 2024The British Columbia Honey Producers' Association
- 2024Canadian Aberdeen Angus Association
- 2024QuantoTech Solutions Ltd
- 2024Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation
- 2024Agrivita Canada Inc.
- 2024Centre de recherche sur les grains Inc.
- 2024Super GeoAI Technology Inc
- 2023Canadian Cattle Association, and Peace River Forage Association of British Columbia
- 2023Cereals Canada
- 2023Atlantic Grains Council
- 2023Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance
- 2022The Resilience Institute
- 2022SomaDetect Inc.
- 2022Natures Crops International Limited
- 2021Biolargo Water, Inc
Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
The AgriScience Program Projects Component provides non-repayable contributions of up to $5,000,000 per project for industry-led, pre-commercial applied research and innovation in Canadian agriculture. Delivered under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (2023–2028), the program co-funds research addressing climate change, economic growth, and sector resilience. AAFC contributes up to 50% of eligible costs (up to 70% for GHG-related work by non-profits; Indigenous applicants may qualify for higher ratios). Total government support cannot exceed 85% of project costs. You can also ask AAFC scientists to carry out the research through a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA), where your cost-share is paid to AAFC rather than spent directly by your organization, or combine a CRDA with a non-repayable contribution.
Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit or not-for-profit organizations that are legal entities capable of entering binding agreements
- Your organization and/or your partner organization must have the capacity to conduct scientific research and development (partnering with academia or a science provider is optional, not required)
- Projects must address one of three priority themes: climate change and environment; economic growth and development; sector resilience and societal challenges
- Research must be pre-commercial applied science or R&D (not basic research)
- Must consent to share proposal summary with federal, provincial, and territorial governments
- Maximum $10M per applicant over the full program duration (2023–2028)
- Indigenous applicants eligible for higher cost-share ratios and flexible terms
- Project must be novel — the research has not already been conducted and the proposed technology does not already exist
- Project must be unique from other AAFC-funded projects
- Project does not focus only on data collection
- Project does not dedicate a significant portion of the budget to the purchase of capital assets
- Project does not involve testing for regulatory compliance or industry standards, commercialization, marketing or business management
- Typically funds projects at Technology Readiness Levels 4 to 7 (proof of concept to prototype)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $5,000,000 per project
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Difficult — significant preparation needed
High competition — many applicants
Complex — detailed documentation needed
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipAAFC strongly encourages pre-application consultations before submitting — these are effectively required for large projects and help align your research focus with current AAFC priorities.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on agriculture.canada.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-11.
6 of the sources
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 1. What this program offers
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 2. Eligibility
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 3. Before you apply
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 4. How to apply
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 5. Complete the application and apply
- AgriScience Program – Projects: 6. After you apply
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What Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada favours
Novel research or technology that doesn't already exist◦
“Your project is novel, meaning that the research has not already been conducted or the proposed technology does not already exist”
The form
Stage 1 · Project Summary Form
- 1Stage 1 · Applicant Informationselectionno limit
- 2Stage 1 · Primary Contact Informationshort answer · 14 characters
- 3Stage 1 · Project location and datesselectionno limit
- 4Stage 1 · Project Priority Areaselectionno limit
- 5Stage 1 · Project Objectivewritten answer · 500 characters
Project Objective Briefly explain the overall intent of your project. (maximum 500 characters)
- 6Stage 1 · Project Descriptionwritten answer · 15,000 characters
Project Description:Briefly outline the issue(s)/gap(s)/opportunity(ies) your project aims to address in relation to the relevant priority areas, the proposed research activities and your research approach and methodology in plain language. (maximum 15,000 characters)
- 7Stage 1 · Principal Investigator identified?selectionno limit
- 8Stage 1 · Financial information (total cost, AAFC ask, high-level budget)short answerno limit
- 9Stage 1 · Industry funding identified?selectionno limit
- 10Stage 1 · Financial statements for 2 years?selectionno limit
- 11Stage 1 · Consent to Share Informationshort answerno limit
Tab 1 · Organization and capacity
- 12Tab 1 · Organization typeselectionno limit
- 13Tab 1 · Identification, contacts and addressesshort answerno limit
- 14Tab 1 · Number of employeesshort answerno limit
- 15Tab 1 · Describe your organizationwritten answerno limit
- 16Tab 1 · AAFC funding in the last 6 yearsyes/no + writtenno limit
- 17Tab 1 · Capacity to deliver this projectwritten answerno limit
- 18Tab 1 · Diversity data questions (not scored)checkboxesno limit
Tab 2 · Project information
- 19Tab 2 · Project titleshort answerno limit
- 20Tab 2 · Project objective (publishable summary)written answerno limit
- 21Tab 2 · Environmental considerations (Impact Assessment Act)selectionno limit
- 22Tab 2 · Project data collection (NAICS, beneficiaries, official languages)checkboxesno limit
Tab 3 · Attachments
- 23Attachment · Executive summarywritten answerno limit
- 24Tab 3 · Attachments (documents)listno limit
Tab 4 · Work plan
- 25Tab 4 · Work plan: support activities (science coordination, KTT)written answerno limit
- 26Tab 4 · Work plan per activity: name, dates, performer, priority area, NAICStableno limit
- 27Tab 4 · Work plan per activity: objective, methodology, riskswritten answerno limit
- 28Tab 4 · Work plan per activity: outcomes and impacts, milestonestableno limit
Tab 5 · Expected results
- 29Tab 5 · Expected results: benefits, results and sector impactswritten answerno limit
- 30Tab 5 · Intellectual propertywritten answerno limit
- 31Tab 5 · Intended beneficiaries and uptakewritten answerno limit
- 32Tab 5 · Performance measures tables (PMT A and PMT B)tableno limit
Tabs 6-8 · Budget
- 33Tabs 6-8 · Project costs, sources of funding, budget summaryspreadsheetno limit
Tab 9 · Declarations
- 34Tab 9 · Declarationscheckboxno limit
Submit
- 35Submitshort answerno limit
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada publishes its score sheet. in Premium
- 1
Is the science rigorous, novel and substantial?
Show them State what has not been done before, the methodology you will use, and the risks with the mitigations you will apply.◦
In the funder’s words · 2
- Science methodology
- Novelty
- 2
Will this deliver real sector impact?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Can this team deliver it on time and on budget?
What to show, and the funder’s 4 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Will results reach the sector and be measured?
What to show, and the funder’s 4 criteria behind it in Premium
2 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“Missing or incorrect information could result in a processing delay or your application being ineligible.”
“Service standards for assessments only begin once the application is deemed to be complete.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 18 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
14 more rules that can reject you · 10 more criteria · 33 more prompts
Do you pass?
18 can rule you out; 2 are preferences. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Within the $5M project cap
Under the Projects Component, funding is available up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028).
Your organisation
Two years of audited statements
You can provide a copy of at least 2 years of audited financial statements
Letters of financial support
You can provide letters of financial support from financial contributors (confirmed or conditional)
The project
Project is novel
Your project is novel, meaning that the research has not already been conducted or the proposed technology does not already exist
2 things this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Maximum per projectup to $5 million per project
Under the Projects Component, funding is available up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028).
AAFC maximum share50%
AAFC — a maximum of 50%
Your minimum shareMinimum 50%
You — a minimum of 50%
GHG not-for-profit shareup to 70%
Eligible not-for-profit organizations with a project focused on greenhouse gas emissions reduction or carbon sequestration may apply for funding of up to 70%.
In-kind limit10% of total project cost
In-kind contributions are limited to 10% of the total cost of a project in the case of non-repayable contributions and 10% of the applicant's contribution in the case of collaborative research and development support.
Contracted overhead cap15% of eligible costs invoiced
Overhead costs for contracted services cannot exceed 15% of total eligible costs invoiced
Mileage rateup to $0.575 per km
For ground transportation by car, a rate of up to $0.575 per kilometer (km) will be accepted.
Benefits capup to 25%
Benefits will be considered up to 25% only
Your share50% AAFC max, 50% you min
For-profit organizations: maximum of 50% AAFC and a minimum of 50% applicant for all priority areas
StackingGovernment funding cannot exceed 85% total
Total government funding (federal departments including AAFC, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments) cannot exceed 85% of total project funding (stacking limit).
Costs before approvalCosts from April 1, 2023 eligible
If your application is approved, AAFC may consider costs incurred during the review period to be eligible as long as they were incurred on or after April 1, 2023 and after an application package has been deemed complete by AAFC.
Fees10% science service charge
AAFC has streamlined the rates it charges for CRDA projects to a single 10% science service charge.
What it pays for · 10
- be included in the approved application budget
- be related to the approved work plan
- fall within the approved work plan timeframe
- Administrative costs will be calculated automatically at a flat rate of 10% based on the total Vote 10 (CA) activity costs in the budget, excluding all capital expenditures.
- Salaries and benefits of employees directly related to completing the activities of the work plan (other than those covered under administrative costs), including science co-ordination
- Overhead costs for contracted services cannot exceed 15% of total eligible costs invoiced
- For ground transportation by car, a rate of up to $0.575 per kilometer (km) will be accepted.
- Only economy airfare is eligible
- Material and supplies
- Knowledge transfer associated costs
What it does not pay for · 11
- Performance pay (such as a bonus), severance pay and retiree settlements
- Training for employees and staff
- Hospitality
- The purchase of land or buildings
- Any government related fees such as visas, patents, etc.
- normal costs of establishing a commercial operation
- costs related to marketing activities and business promotion
- costs for activities intended to directly influence/lobby governments
- costs to prepare the CA or related schedules
- depreciation charges for capital assets
- Annual general meetings (considered to be a part of normal business practice)
From application to money
- Talk to a program officerDiscuss project with program officer
- Email Stage 1 summaryEmail Project Summary Form
- Officer contacts youProgram officer contacts you
- Submit the 9-tab formFull application submitted on acknowledgement
- Decision on your applicationDecision within 100 business days
- Finish by March 31, 2028March 31, 2028Projects completed by March 31, 2028
In the funder’s words · 6
- Talk to a program officer
- This stage will also begin a discussion between you and an AAFC program officer about your project.
- Email Stage 1 summary
- Email the completed Project Summary Form PDF, with a high-level budget in a separate document, to the program inbox. (Apply now. Applications will be accepted until funding has been fully committed or until otherwise announced here.)
- Officer contacts you
- After you submit your project summary form, a program officer will contact you.
- Submit the 9-tab form
- Your full application is considered submitted once you receive the acknowledgement notice for Stage 2.
- Decision on your application
- AAFC assesses your application and sends you an approval or a rejection notification letter. (within 100 business days of receiving a complete application package)
- Finish by March 31, 2028
- The program ends March 31, 2028. Projects must be completed by this date.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win AgriScience Program — Projects Component
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 15-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 6-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 15
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 9
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow AgriScience Program — Projects Component Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about AgriScience Program — Projects Component