Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI)
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Competitive grants of up to $200,000 per project for Ontario-based researchers, industry organizations, and businesses to conduct agri-food applied research, pilot/demonstration, and knowledge transfer projects. Jointly funded under the 5-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).
Eligibility Requirements
- Lead applicant must be located in Ontario
- Eligible applicants: universities, colleges, research organizations, industry organizations, for-profit businesses, NGOs, municipal or Indigenous governments
- Must demonstrate capacity to perform quality research or innovation
- Project must align with at least one published OMAFA research priority area
- Cannot have outstanding progress reports from prior OMAFA-funded projects
- Federal/provincial government researchers ineligible as lead (can collaborate)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $150,000 (Applied Research); up to $200,000 (Pilot & Demo)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 100% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub: continuous intake, open now. The applied research, pilot and demonstration, KTT and commercialization streams are closed.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win OAFRI
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipAlign your proposal with the published OMAFA research priority areas — proposals that don't clearly address a priority are screened out early.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 4
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Applying for OAFRI? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow OAFRI Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative... | Up to $150,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | Grow Ontario Accelerator... |
| NSERC Alliance Advantage Grants | $20,000-$1,000,000 | Moderate | Advance Payment | Ongoing — rolling intake... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... | Varies | Easy | Equity | Ongoing |
| Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing | Varies | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about OAFRI