CAAIN — 2024 – 2025 Open Competition

• Project Application Form (PAF)
• Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Full Project Proposal (FPP)
• Full financial workbook
• Supporting documentation

Who is eligible?

• Canadian organizations with operations in agriculture, technology development, or primary processing.
• SMEs, academic and research institutions, and not-for-profit organizations.
• Projects involving collaborations among multiple stakeholders.
• Current and former CAAIN funding recipients.

Who is not eligible

This grant does not explicitly exclude any specific types of companies or industries. However, eligibility is primarily centered around certain requirements such as Canadian operations and SME definition by Statistics Canada, and project compatibility with CAAIN objectives.

Eligible expenses

• Direct labour for eligible project activities.
• Subcontractor and consultant fees.
• Project materials and supplies.
• Equipment costs directly tied to the project.
• Travel, outreach, and other direct project costs.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada

• Technical merit and scientific soundness.
• Breadth and expertise of the team or network.
• Economic and social benefits to Canadian agtech and agriculture.
• Training opportunities and experiential learning.
• Reasonable and well-justified expenditures.

• Step 1: Project Application Form (PAF)
  • Complete and submit the PAF.
  • Outline project objectives and expected outcomes.
  • Submit by the deadline or through the rolling intake.
• Step 2: Invitation to Expression of Interest (EOI)
  • Wait for CAAIN’s invitation after PAF submission.
• Step 3: Submit Expression of Interest (EOI)
  • Provide a detailed outline of the proposed activities.
  • Submit within the required deadline after invitation.
• Step 4: Invitation to Full Project Proposal (FPP)
  • Wait for the invitation to submit the FPP.
• Step 5: Submit Full Project Proposal (FPP)
  • Prepare the full proposal, financial workbook, and supporting documentation.
  • Incorporate feedback from the EOI stage.
• Step 6: Funding Decision
  • Wait for the final decision from CAAIN’s Board of Directors.

• Applications are reviewed in three stages: PAF, EOI, and FPP.
• EOI and FPP stages are invitation only.
• Final funding decisions are made by CAAIN’s Board of Directors.
• Successful applicants must sign a Project Funding Agreement before work can start.
• Quarterly and final reporting are required, and reimbursement depends on approved reporting.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• CAAIN funding is complementary to cash contributions from at least two Canadian SMEs, excluding governmental sources.
• Project outcomes must include widespread sharing of results via CAAIN-managed platforms, reinforcing open collaboration.
• Proposals need to showcase intent to enhance specific Canadian agricultural sectors through digital technologies or smart farms.
• All projects must utilize CAAIN's data management platform, ensuring standardized data reporting and sharing.
• A 5% administration fee applies to all funded initiatives, as stipulated by CAAIN.
• The scope of funding is up to $3 Million CAD, with reimbursement up to 40% of eligible expenses.
• Resultant intellectual property and data must remain in Canada for a minimum of 5 years post-project.
• Broad collaborations leveraging expertise and addressing technological challenges are strongly encouraged.
• Eligible smart farms and networks should include evaluations of emerging technologies under Canadian conditions.