Updated March 2026 · Verified against Government of New Brunswick - Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries guidelines
Reimbursement Est. 2023
Grant Provincial Active

Enabling Agricultural Research and Innovation (New Brunswick)

Government of New Brunswick - Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
Maximum Funding
For-profit agri-businesses: up to 50%...
Ongoing
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Co-Funding
100%
Enabling Agricultural Research and Innovation (New Brunswick) provides up to For-profit agri-businesses: up to 50% of costs, max $30,000/year. Indigenous/academic: up to 100%, max $90,000. funding for R&D, agricultural innovation, and technology demonstration within the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-science sectors in New Brunswick. The program covers up to 100% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. (As of March 2026, verified against Government of New Brunswick - Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries program guidelines)

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

Free

Program Description

Offers funding for R&D, agricultural innovation, and technology demonstration within the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-science sectors in New Brunswick.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be an Indigenous organization, agriculture producer, producer association, academic/research institution, or agri-business
  • Must be based in or operating within New Brunswick
  • Project must relate to agricultural R&D, innovation, or technology demonstration
  • Eligible sectors include agriculture, agri-food, and agri-science
  • For-profit agri-businesses: max $30,000/year at 50% cost coverage. Indigenous or academic applicants: up to 100% coverage, max $90,000
Provinces
New Brunswick
Industries
Agriculture Food Beverage
Business Stage
Startup Growth Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
Est. Hours
25h
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
For-profit agri-businesses: up to 50% of costs, max $30,000/year. Indigenous/academic: up to 100%, max $90,000.
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Co-Funding
Up to 100% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Hybrid
Competition
Moderate
Effort
~25 hours
Approval
Good
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%

See how this program compares on approval odds, difficulty, and competition — so you know if it’s worth your time. Unlock with Premium →

Know your real odds before investing 40+ hours
Approval likelihood, realistic amounts, competition level, and what winners look like
Try Free for 7 Days →
What You Need to Get Approved
Everything reviewers look for — so you apply with confidence, not guesswork

How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

Premium
Insider Tip

Projects are evaluated heavily on sector-wide benefit and climate change adaptation alignment. To access the 100% funding tier (up to $60,000/year with no matching requirement), frame the project as benefiting the entire NB agriculture sector — not just your operation. Involve a Professional Agrologist or academic partner: the program guide explicitly states preference for projects with this involvement. Contact DAAF before applying ([email protected]) to confirm the current intake window and discuss your project concept — departmental staff can signal fit before you invest in a full proposal.

See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it. Unlock with Premium →

Rejection Pitfalls 7

  • Insufficient scientific rigor or no Professional Agrologist involvement
  • Project benefits only one operation with no sector-wide spillover
  • Weak or missing climate change adaptation connection
+4 more pitfalls

See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours. Unlock with Premium →

Success Profile

Producer associations or industry groups running multi-farm or sector-wide trials; academic/research institutions (UNB, NBCC, Atlantic Agriculture Research) with qualified scientific staff; Indigenous organizations diversifying into agriculture; early adopter agri-businesses piloting climate-adaptive technologies with knowledge-transfer plans.

See what successful applicants for this program actually look like. Unlock with Premium →

Evaluation Criteria

Applications evaluated on: scientific rigor and experimental design quality; sector-wide benefit (projects must benefit the broader NB agriculture sector, not just a single operation); climate change adaptation relevance; applicant capacity (Professional Agrologist credentials strongly preferred); knowledge transfer plan; cost-benefit analysis; and avoidance of duplication with existing NB or federal research.

See exactly what reviewers score on — so you know where to focus. Unlock with Premium →

Don’t waste 25 hours on a preventable rejection
7 reasons applications get rejected, what winners look like, and exactly what reviewers score on
Try Free for 7 Days →

Application Steps

1 Pre-application contact Email [email protected] early in Q1 or Q3 to confirm current intake window is open and discuss your project concept. DAAF staff can signal fit before you invest in a full proposal.
2 Obtain application form Request the DAAF application form directly from department staff — it is not publicly available for download online.
3 Prepare full submission Prepare project description with experimental design, budget breakdown separating eligible/ineligible costs, timeline with milestones, cost-benefit analysis, team credentials (PA designation noted), and knowledge-transfer plan.
+4 more steps

Required Documents 11

Completed DAAF application form (obtain from DAAF staff)
Project description with experimental design and scientific rationale
Detailed project timeline (milestones/Gantt)
Budget breakdown with eligible and ineligible cost separation
Cost-benefit analysis and expected sector impact
Team credentials (Professional Agrologist credentials valued)
Communication and knowledge transfer plan
Environmental approvals or permits (if applicable)
Evidence of matching contributions (for individual/group benefit projects)
Business registration or organizational documents
Letters of support from collaborators (for partnership projects)

Eligible Expenses 8

  • Direct labour costs (research staff, Professional Agrologists)
  • Materials and supplies for experimental work
  • Equipment and machinery purchases directly tied to the research project
  • Third-party contractor and consultant fees (e.g., lab services, agronomists)
  • Knowledge transfer and communications (workshops, field days, publications)
  • Travel costs for field research and data collection within NB
  • Subcontracts to academic or research institutions
  • Permits and regulatory approval costs tied to the project

Ineligible Expenses 8

  • Costs incurred before project approval
  • Routine farm operating costs (seeds, fertilizers for normal production)
  • General administrative overhead
  • Capital assets not directly tied to the approved project
  • Retail food service or restaurant operations
  • Land acquisition or construction of permanent buildings
  • Costs duplicated under other federal or provincial programs on the same expense line
  • GST/HST (recoverable taxes)

Intake Periods

Q1 intake: April–June preferred; contact DAAF in April to confirm window is open Q3 intake: October–December; contact DAAF in October to confirm availability before incurring application preparation costs

Deadline Notes

Program runs April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2028. Applications accepted on a continuous basis but DAAF can impose intake cutoffs. Contact [email protected] early in Q1 or Q3 to confirm current intake window. Fiscal year pressure (March 31) may create de facto Q3 cutoffs.

Ineligible Organizations

  • Retail food service operators (restaurants, grocery stores, food retailers)
  • Non-agricultural businesses
  • Individuals without a connection to the agriculture, agri-food, or agri-science sector
  • Businesses located outside New Brunswick

Get the step-by-step application guide — documents, timeline, and what to prepare. Unlock with Premium →

Compatible Programs

AgriScience Program (federal SCAP SR&ED Tax Credit IRAP / NRC AgriInnovate Program (federal NB Strategic Initiative Fund ($1M/yr FCC
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

See which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get. Unlock with Premium →

See your total funding potential across 6 programs
Stacking amounts, clawback details, government stacking limits, and tax implications
Try Free for 7 Days →

How Enabling Agricultural Resea... Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

Free
Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Enabling Agricultural Research and In... For-profit agri-businesses: up to... Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
FCC AgriSpirit Fund $10,000 to $25,000 Easy Advance Payment Annual — April 15 to May...
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Annual intake window....
Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... Varies Easy Equity Ongoing
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing Varies Easy Loan Ongoing

Related Programs

Other programs you might be eligible for

Free