Grant
Federal
Upcoming
Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food Terminal Fund)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Food Hub Program) and Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada (Food Terminal Fund)
Maximum Funding
Up to $25M (50% of costs)
Expressions of Interest open October 14, 2026 and close December 11, 2026 at ...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
New Program
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
60%
Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food Terminal Fund) provides up to Food Hub Program: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) may contribute up to $25 million per organization over the life of the program, normally a maximum of 50% of eligible costs. The share rises to a maximum of 60% when the majority of the organization is owned or led by Indigenous Peoples, youth (aged 35 or younger), women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities or 2SLGBTQI+ people. Contributions may be non-repayable when a project's benefits accrue broadly rather than primarily to the recipient, and may be repayable when the recipient is a for-profit business and the contribution is primarily intended to let it generate profits or increase the value of the organization. Repayable contributions carry no interest (except on late payments) and are normally repaid over up to 10 years, starting 1 year after the project is completed. Food Terminal Fund: $568 million in total for a select number of wholesale food terminals; no per-project amount is stated. A $1 billion, 10-year federal fund (2026-27 to 2036-37) for food distribution infrastructure, delivered as two programs behind a single Expression of Interest. The program covers up to 60% of eligible costs. Expressions of Interest open October 14, 2026 and close December 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. The intake may close sooner if funding is fully committed..
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
A $1 billion, 10-year federal fund (2026-27 to 2036-37) for food distribution infrastructure, delivered as two programs behind a single Expression of Interest. The Food Hub Program shares up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $25 million per organization over the life of the program, to establish, expand or modernize food hubs that aggregate, store, process and distribute locally grown or processed food. The Food Terminal Fund puts $568 million toward a select number of large wholesale food terminals. Contributions to for-profit businesses may be repayable.
Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit organization incorporated in Canada, including a partnership, corporation or co-operative (AAFC's examples: small and medium-sized processors or distributors, logistics firms and independent grocers)
- Not-for-profit organization, including an industry association, co-operative, or local community, charitable or voluntary organization (AAFC's examples: producer co-operatives and regional food hubs)
- Provincial, territorial or municipal governments and agencies with a commercial operating model and/or private sector partner(s)
- Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) organization: a community or government, a not-for-profit association or organization, or a for-profit organization
- Involved, or appropriately placed to become involved, in the aggregation, processing, storage and distribution of locally grown and/or processed foods
- A legal entity capable of entering into legally binding agreements
- Your own financial contributions must be secured before you submit an application
- Total government funding cannot exceed 85% of total project funding (100% of eligible costs for Indigenous applicants)
- Food Terminal Fund: large-scale wholesale food terminal projects; its page invites 'eligible organizations' to submit an expression of interest and does not list applicant types
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Food Hub Program: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) may contribute up to $25 million per organization over the life of the program, normally a maximum of 50% of eligible costs. The share rises to a maximum of 60% when the majority of the organization is owned or led by Indigenous Peoples, youth (aged 35 or younger), women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities or 2SLGBTQI+ people. Contributions may be non-repayable when a project's benefits accrue broadly rather than primarily to the recipient, and may be repayable when the recipient is a for-profit business and the contribution is primarily intended to let it generate profits or increase the value of the organization. Repayable contributions carry no interest (except on late payments) and are normally repaid over up to 10 years, starting 1 year after the project is completed. Food Terminal Fund: $568 million in total for a select number of wholesale food terminals; no per-project amount is stated.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 60% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Expressions of Interest open October 14, 2026 and close December 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. The intake may close sooner if funding is fully committed.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Dec 11, 2026
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
2/5
Difficult — significant preparation needed
Competition
4/5
High competition — many applicants
Difficulty
4/5
Complex — detailed documentation needed
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipOne Expression of Interest covers both programs: you do not choose between the Food Hub Program and the Food Terminal Fund, the departments route your file.
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Rejection Pitfalls 7
- Applicant is a financial institution, an academic or educational institution, or a foreign government or organization
+6 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 7 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food ...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 7 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 12-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
12 docs
Application Steps
1
Sign in to AAFC online services From October 14, 2026, use 'Access your program information', choose Grants and contributions, and start a new application process.
Required Documents 12
✓ Stage one: Food-Link Fund Expression of Interest form (project title, description, start and end dates, project information, requested federal funding, primary contact)
✓ Full application (by invitation): online Food Hub Program Application Form
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 11
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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The full guide for this program also covers:
- 4 more application steps
- 10 more required documents
- 8 eligible expenses
- 11 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food ... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food ...
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When can I apply to the Food-Link Fund?
Expressions of Interest are accepted from October 14, 2026 to December 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. The intake may close sooner if funding has been fully committed.
How much can a food hub project receive?
AAFC may contribute up to $25 million per organization over the life of the program, normally up to 50% of eligible costs, or up to 60% when the organization is majority owned or led by an underrepresented group.
Is Food Hub Program funding repayable?
It can be. Contributions may be repayable when the recipient is a for-profit business and the money is mainly intended to generate profits or increase the value of the organization. Repayable contributions carry no interest and are normally repaid over up to 10 years.
Who can apply to the Food Hub Program?
For-profit organizations incorporated in Canada, not-for-profit organizations including co-operatives and industry associations, certain government bodies with a commercial model or private partner, and Indigenous organizations. Financial institutions, academic institutions and foreign organizations cannot apply.
Do I choose between the Food Hub Program and the Food Terminal Fund?
No. You submit one Expression of Interest to the Food-Link Fund and the departments direct it to the program that best matches the project.
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Full Playbook: Food-Link Fund (Food Hub Program and Food ...
5 steps · 12 docs · reviewer insights