2023 Open Call: Automation, Digital Technologies, and Demonstration in Agri-Food Production

This grant aims to promote technological advancements in agri-food production through a $5 million allocation, supporting various eligible projects aligned with identified priority areas. However, specific financing modalities for potential recipients have not been disclosed in the available information.

The eligibility criteria for this grant are defined by the types of projects and species that qualify for consideration.

• Projects must focus on automation, digital technologies, and demonstration in agri-food production.
• Eligible project topics include agricultural production and efficiency, food safety, technology for carbon capture, reduction in GHG emissions, and impacts on land, soil health, water, and air quality.
• Crops eligible for this competition are cereal and grain crops, forage crops, fruit crops, oil seed crops (excluding hemp), and vegetable crops.
• Animal species eligible include bovine (beef and dairy cattle, bison), porcine, poultry, ovine, caprine, bees, and alternate livestock species (elk, deer, moose), and production of their primary products.
• Secondary food products, packaging, sensory science, genomics, traditional breeding methods, CRISPR, and aquaculture projects are not eligible.

Who is eligible?

There are specific types of companies eligible for the CAAIN 2023 Open Call grant:

• Canadian agri-food producers
• Agricultural technology companies
• Research institutions focusing on agri-food production
• Agri-food innovation startups

Who is not eligible

This grant does not explicitly exclude any industries or company statuses based on the provided context. However, certain project topics are deemed ineligible for funding.

• Projects focused on secondary food products.
• Projects involved in packaging.
• Research or innovations in sensory science.
• Projects using traditional breeding methods.
• CRISPR technology projects.
• Projects related to aquaculture.

Eligible expenses

This grant supports projects that aim to advance automation and digital technologies in agri-food production, emphasizing environmental sustainability and efficiency. Eligible activities prioritize innovative solutions that enhance production processes and improve ecological outcomes.

• Research in environmental sustainability, focusing on ESG factors and carbon capture in agriculture.
• Innovation in technologies aimed at increasing production efficiency and traceability.
• Development of solutions for food safety and quality enhancement.
• Advancements in primary processing of agri-food commodities.
• Implementation of cybersecurity solutions tailored to agriculture and agri-food sectors.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• CAAIN will not accept partial, incomplete, or late submissions, emphasizing the importance of timely and complete application submissions.
• Applicants are encouraged to complete their submissions well in advance of deadlines to avoid last-minute issues.
• Program Managers are available to assist with questions via email, providing support and guidance to applicants throughout the application process.
• The competition timeline is subject to change at CAAIN's discretion, highlighting the need for applicants to stay updated on potential schedule changes.