Protein Industries Canada — Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain Program
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Grants covering up to 75% of eligible costs for Canadian food processors reformulating products using domestically grown feedstocks (wheat, oats, peas, soy, fava, hemp). Projects strengthen food supply chain resilience against trade disruptions. Unlike PIC's main Technology Leadership stream, no consortium required — solo SME applications accepted.
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian-owned business (SMEs prioritized: <500 employees, <$50M revenue)
- Minimum $100,000 in sales in prior fiscal year
- Must use Canadian feedstocks/ingredients from Canadian field crops
- Single project per company per cohort
- Project costs $50K-$200K, completed within 12 months
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $37,500-$150,000 (75% of eligible $50K-$200K project costs)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Between intakes — third cohort closed Apr 30, 2026; fourth cohort expected late 2026
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win Protein Industries Canada — Strengthening ... — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Applying for Protein Industries Canada? 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) →
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipPIC's Supply Chain Program is the low-friction entry point — no consortium required, smaller budgets, faster turnaround than the main Technology Leadership stream, and no membership fee. Email [email protected] first to request the latest Program Guide; PIC staff are unusually hands-on and will tell you bluntly whether your idea fits before you spend application time. Lead your Eligibility Assessment Form with a SPECIFIC Canadian ingredient substitution story (e.g., 'replacing US soy with Saskatchewan fava beans in our oat milk line') rather than a generic supply-resilience pitch — projects with named substitution products and named Canadian suppliers move faster through review than abstract resilience framing.
Success Profile
Canadian food processor or ingredient manufacturer with $100K+ sales, reformulating products with Canadian-grown peas, soy, barley, etc. Prairie-based companies have natural feedstock alignment.
Evaluation Criteria
Reviewed by PIC's Project Selection Committee. Assessment focuses on: alignment with program mandate (Canadian ingredient sourcing, supply chain resilience), feasibility of reformulation or scale-up within 12 months, business viability and track record (minimum $100K revenue), use of Canadian-grown feedstocks, potential for market impact and domestic supply chain strengthening, and project management capability. No published scoring weights.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 6
- Costs for reformulating products using Canadian-grown ingredients
- Expenses for scaling up and commercializing domestically produced food products
- Procurement of Canadian feedstocks or ingredients from Canadian field crops
- Equipment and supplies for reformulation trials
- Lab testing and quality assurance for new formulations
- Packaging redesign for reformulated products
Ineligible Expenses 4
- Costs incurred before project approval
- Activities not related to Canadian ingredient sourcing or reformulation
- Projects using imported feedstocks as primary ingredients
- General operating expenses not tied to the specific project
Intake Periods
Cohort-based. Cohort 3 intake: January 29 - April 30, 2026 (closing at 11:59 PM Mountain Time). Approximately 2 cohorts per year.
Deadline Notes
Current intake: January 29 - April 30, 2026 (third cohort). Second cohort (September 2025) funded 9 companies for $2.4M total PIC contribution. Fourth cohort expected late 2026. Email [email protected] to confirm intake dates and request the latest Program Guide.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Non-Canadian-owned businesses
- Businesses that do not use Canadian crop feedstocks
- Companies with less than $100,000 in prior year sales
- Companies with projects already in progress before approval
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskHow Protein Industries Canada — Strengthening ... Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Protein Industries Canada — Strengthening ...