Building Sector Capacity, Growth and Competitiveness

• Applicant Information Form
• Application Worksheet
• Budget Worksheet
• Copy of the previous year’s balance sheet and income statement

Who is eligible?

• Agri-food processors
• Agri-product processors
• Primary producers who are or will be engaged in the transformation of agricultural commodities into value-added goods
• Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) groups, including government, community, Tribal Councils, associations, and organizations
• Current or former federal public office holders, as long as they follow conflict of interest policies and procedures

Who is not eligible

• Current and former Government of Canada employees
• Current Manitoba government employees who are the majority shareholder (50 per cent or higher) in a business or operation
• Current or former members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, current or former members of the Executive council, or current or former Manitoba government senior public servants

Eligible expenses

• Equipment, including equipment used for transforming, preparing, producing, or packaging products; equipment related to first implementation of in-house quality control or significant upgrades to existing quality control procedures; and capital assets directly attributable to developing or growing co-packing revenue streams.
• Ancillary components of eligible equipment, including stand-alone software, transportation, physical installation, professional installation, training directly related to operating new equipment, facility changes directly associated with installation, materials handling and conveyance systems, process-related storage vessels, temperature and humidity controlled walk-in storage, process-related food safety equipment, and rented equipment that contributes to project completion.
• Software for process integration, e-commerce integration, inventory purchasing and management, processing plant controls, operational integration, traceability management, order fulfillment, ERP deployments, and quality control processes and procedures, including subscription-based ERP software for up to three years from the project start date.
• Professional services for commissioning, calibration, demonstration, training for new equipment or software, feasibility, scoping and design, engineering consultation, environmental consultation, and development, implementation, and training for quality control procedures.
• Materials and supplies for installing eligible equipment or software or for delivering training related to the proper use of eligible equipment or software; subcontracted installation services; and overhead expenses required for successful project completion, up to 10 per cent of total approved eligible expenses.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Any expense paid before the start date or after the completion date listed in the funding agreement, any item purchased before April 1, 2026, and any expenses incurred for other projects.
• Any expense not required for the execution of the project, any expense eligible for a rebate, credit, or refund such as GST, in-kind contributions, normal operating expenses, extended warranties, lobbying expenses, spare parts not used as part of the project, financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees and charges, and any compensation to any government employee for organizing or delivering parts of the project.
• Purchase of land, buildings, and facilities; associated taxes and fees; additions or upgrades to new or existing buildings and facilities; office renovations; and sponsorship of seminars, conferences, workshops, events, or initiatives.
• Typical farm equipment and related accessories and attachments; normal, current, or ongoing maintenance expenses; expenses related to establishing a commercial operation; multi-use items not directly related to project activities; training not directly related to the acquisition of new equipment, technologies, or software; routine ERP upgrades; registration of intellectual property; consumable lab supplies or lab equipment not part of a first-time in-house quality control capacity implementation or significant upgrade project; flooring or flooring treatments, protective walls or wall coatings, and countertops.
• Equipment or software that is leased, rented, or subscription-based where ownership is not immediately transferred to the applicant; any project-related activity that generates revenue; activities or purchases that do not contribute to transformational value-added processing of agri-inputs or that cannot be related to Manitoba’s agri-processing sector; any expense funded under other Sustainable CAP programs; the trade-in value of an existing piece of equipment; invoices not issued in the applicant’s name or payment not made by the approved applicant; and any other expense deemed ineligible by the program administrator.

• Project description and project deliverables and outcomes.
• Alignment with Manitoba government objectives, including new jobs or increased payroll value; incremental increase in processing value and volume; increased use of Manitoba agri-inputs; increased exports; increased value or volume of production; and production of goods that displaces imports from outside Canada.
• Capital and financial capacity.
• Management capacity and market plan.
• Application clarity and completeness.

• Applicant Information Forms and Application Worksheets are available on the Manitoba Agriculture website.
• Complete the Applicant Information Form, Application Worksheet, Budget Worksheet, and all other required documentation.
• Submit the completed documents to the program administrator by email at agriculture@gov.mb.ca no later than the deadline.
• Acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions contained in the Applicant Information Form and Application Worksheet.
• Only the applicant may complete the Application Worksheet or other program documents, and in the case of corporations, partnerships, and other business organizations, a designated person with legal authorization must sign the application and other program documents.

• The Program Administrator will notify the applicant whether the project has been approved for funding, partially approved, or not approved.
• Successful applicants must enter into a Contribution or Funding Agreement with the Government of Manitoba.
• Funding is subject to appropriation of funds by the Government of Canada and the Manitoba government, and to the receipt and approval of required invoices, reports, financial statements, supporting documents, and other requested materials.
• If a start-up payment or advance is provided, the Project Recipient must submit an advance payment report within 90 days after the advance payment, and any amount not actually paid on eligible expenses or not supported by satisfactory proof becomes immediately repayable.
• The Project Recipient must submit all required reports and the Final Report by the project completion date, and Manitoba may audit the project, records, sites, facilities, and equipment; overpayments may be deducted from future payments or demanded back.

• The intake for this program is now closed.
• Program guidelines have changed since the previous intake and will be updated for any future intakes.
• Manitoba Agriculture will publish deadline dates through newsletter, website, and social media channels.
• Applicants can subscribe to the Growing Manitoba Ag newsletter and follow @MBGovAg on X for upcoming programming.