Wine Sector Support Program
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
A per-litre volume-based non-repayable grant for licensed Canadian wineries responding to trade challenges. AAFC calculates a per-litre payment rate by dividing the annual grant allocation by total eligible litres submitted by all applicants, up to a maximum of $25 million per recipient per fiscal year. Applications accepted annually by May 29 for the prior production year.
Eligibility Requirements
- Holds a valid federal wine licence from the Canada Revenue Agency (section 14, Excise Act, 2001), current through March 31, 2027 or later
- For-profit organization, not-for-profit academic institution, cooperative, trust, sole proprietorship, or partnership that produces wine in Canada for commercial sale
- Produced eligible bulk wine fermented in Canada from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026
- Owned the primary agricultural products used to produce the wine (grown, produced, or purchased)
- Minimum $50,000 in total gross sales of all wine packaged in Canada during the previous calendar or fiscal year
- Legal entity capable of entering into legally binding agreements
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Variable per-litre rate; maximum $25,000,000 per recipient per fiscal year
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- May 29, 2026 (annual — for 2025-26 production year)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win Wine Sector Support Program — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 2-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Applying for Wine Sector Support Program? 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 TipThis is an entitlement-style program — all eligible wineries who submit before May 29 receive payment. The per-litre rate is determined only after AAFC receives all applications, so you cannot calculate your exact payment in advance. Track your production volumes precisely throughout the April 2025–March 2026 period; any litres not verified by production records are ineligible. Pomace, piquette, and 100% Canadian apple or honey wines are ineligible — confirm your product categories before applying.
Rejection Pitfalls 6
- No valid federal wine licence from CRA (provincial liquor licence is not sufficient)
- Wine produced entirely from 100% Canadian apples or honey (standalone — specific exemption applies)
- Gross packaged wine sales below $50,000 in prior year
Success Profile
Canadian winery holding a valid federal CRA wine licence, producing grape wine, fruit wine, sake, or other primary-agricultural-product wine fermented in Canada, with at least $50,000 in prior-year packaged wine sales. Both small boutique wineries and large commercial producers are eligible — scale drives payout amount.
Evaluation Criteria
Not a competitive assessment — this is an entitlement-style volume payment. AAFC verifies: (1) valid federal wine licence; (2) minimum $50,000 in prior-year packaged wine sales; (3) production records confirming eligible litres, fermentation dates, and product ownership; (4) application submitted before deadline. No scoring, ranking, or competitive evaluation.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 2
- No expense-based eligibility — payment is calculated on eligible wine volume produced, not on specific expense categories
- Eligible wine: grape wine, fruit wine (excluding 100% Canadian apple/honey as standalone), sake, and wines from other primary agricultural products fermented in Canada
Ineligible Expenses 6
- Wine produced entirely from 100% Canadian apples (standalone exclusion)
- Wine produced entirely from honey (standalone exclusion)
- Pomace products
- Piquette products
- Wine from purchased processed inputs where the applicant did not own the source agricultural product
- Packaged (bottled) wine not produced by the applicant
Intake Periods
Annual intake — one application window per year. 2025-26 production year intake: open through May 29, 2026. Future intakes for the 2026-27 production year expected to open in spring 2027 (monitor agriculture.canada.ca).
Deadline Notes
Application deadline is May 29, 2026 for wine produced between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. A new application must be submitted each year during the annual intake period — prior year approvals do not carry forward. The program runs to March 31, 2027; future intake periods will be announced by AAFC. Monitor agriculture.canada.ca for 2026-27 production year intake details.
Ineligible Organizations
- Businesses without a valid federal wine licence from CRA
- Businesses with less than $50,000 in prior-year packaged wine sales
- Producers of non-wine fermented products (beer, spirits, cider from 100% Canadian apples)
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskNo clawback provisions documented — payment is based on verified production records at time of application. AAFC may recover payments if audit reveals inaccurate production records or fraudulent submissions.
How Wine Sector Support Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine Sector Support Program | Variable per-litre rate | Easy | Lump Sum | May 29, 2026 (annual —... |
| Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... | Varies | Easy | Equity | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing | Varies | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Par... | $5,000–$15,000,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Varies by sub-program —... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Wine Sector Support Program