CAAIN — 2024 Smart Farm Network Competition

Who is eligible?

• Canadian commercial farms
• Educational or research farms
• Agricultural facilities focused on recognized agri-food products or Canadian agricultural challenges (including Indigenous-focused agriculture, broad-acre crops, small-acre crops, greenhouse crops, horticultural crops, livestock and poultry, dairy, soil health, and regenerative agriculture)
• Organizations operating smart farms or forming smart farm networks
• Canadian small or medium enterprises (SMEs) incorporated in Canada

Who is not eligible

• International organizations without legal operations in Canada (only Canadian entities are eligible to receive funding).
• Networks that do not include at least two Canadian-incorporated small or medium enterprises (SMEs) as cash contributors.
• Organizations or project teams not in good standing with CAAIN (e.g., those with overdue reporting or outstanding payments owed to CAAIN).
• Companies or organizations seeking funding for routine business activities rather than incremental, innovation-focused projects.
• Entities intending to use CAAIN funds to match financial contributions provided directly by any government entity or for in-kind contributions.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries and wages for employees directly involved in project activities.
• Costs for subcontractors and consultants performing project-related work.
• Purchase of materials and supplies used specifically for the project.
• Acquisition or modification of equipment required for approved project activities, including shipping and installation costs.
• Travel expenses directly related to project execution, following national or organizational travel policies.
• Other direct, project-specific expenses such as eligible intellectual property costs.
• Reasonable indirect costs (overhead) associated with project coordination and management, within specified thresholds.

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations with operations in Canada

• All CAAIN funding recipients are required to provide a non-confidential summary of the project for public disclosure, including project value and expected outcomes.
• CAAIN will continue to monitor project performance for up to five years after project completion to evaluate long-term impacts.
• Reporting obligations include submitting quarterly and final reports detailing project progress, achievements, and deliverables.
• Recipients must participate in CAAIN promotional activities, including media events, as requested, and coordinate public announcements with CAAIN.