CFIN NextGen Food Innovators

Q: How much funding can be received?

CFIN NextGen Food Innovators Funds up to 100% of admissible expenses, capped at $10000 per project.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Q: Is the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators a grant, loan, or tax credit?

CFIN NextGen Food Innovators is a Grant and Funding

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators?

CFIN NextGen Food Innovators is funded by Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN)

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators?

You can contact Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) by email at innovation@cfin-rcia.ca.

Q: Where is the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators available?

The CFIN NextGen Food Innovators program is available across Canada.

Q: Are youth (under 40) eligible for the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators program?

Yes, youth under 40 are eligible to apply for the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators program.

Last Update: July 22, 2025

Canada

Funds student ventures in food technology innovation development

At a glance

Eligible Funding

From $5,000 to $10,000
Up to 100% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : October 1, 2024
Closing date : November 30, 2024

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Accommodation and food services

Funds Providers

Unspecified

Program status

Closed

Overview

The NextGen Food Innovators Program offers up to $10,000 to students for developing and validating innovative technologies in the food processing, service, or grocery retail sectors. Projects must focus on post-farmgate food production supply chain and involve developing novel intellectual property with commercial applications.

Financing terms and conditions

The CFIN NextGen Food Innovators Program provides full funding for eligible project costs to support the development of innovative solutions in the food sector by students enrolled in Canadian accredited institutions.

Full funding for total eligible project costs up to $10,000 for each approved project.
Funding covers 100% of eligible costs, without the need for any cost-sharing by recipients.
Reimbursement-based funding approach, with applicants required to justify their funding requests and report expenses.
Funding is provided for projects that qualify under the eligible cost categories such as service providers, direct materials, and equipment.
Eligible costs must be directly attributable to achieving the project objectives and must be incurred after the signing of the Master Project Agreement.

Activities funded

This grant supports activities that accelerate the development and validation of novel IP-driven solutions in the food processing, food service, or grocery retail sectors in Canada. Eligible activities must focus on leveraging intellectual property and meet specific project and development goals.

Development and validation of innovative food processing technologies.
Creating cutting-edge solutions for food service efficiency and safety.
Innovative approaches in grocery retail to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
Research and development projects at Technology Readiness Levels 1 to 7.
Implementing new knowledge, science, or processes in post-farmgate food production supply chain areas.

Eligibility

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's profile and proposed activities.

The applicant must be an individual enrolled in a full-time program at a Canadian accredited college or university.
Students at private institutions, junior colleges, and CEGEP programs are not eligible to apply.
Applicants must provide a letter of endorsement or recommendation from their institution’s entrepreneurship office, a professor, or a mentor.
Projects must address an area of the post-farmgate food production supply chain such as food processing, distribution, food service, or grocery retail.
Projects must involve the development and validation of novel intellectual property with a defined commercial application goal or outcome.
Projects must conduct research and development at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 to 7. Projects including TRL 8 and 9 components are only eligible if they also include TRL 1 to 7.
Projects must be completed by December 31, 2025.
Applicants must register for a free CFIN membership.

Who is eligible?

The NextGen Food Innovators Program is specifically designed for students currently enrolled in full-time programs at Canadian accredited colleges or universities who aspire to become entrepreneurs, focusing on food processing, food service, or grocery retail innovations.

Applicants must be individual students enrolled in a full-time diploma, advanced diploma, degree, graduate certificate, master's, or PhD program at a Canadian accredited college or university.
Students must propose a project that is IP-driven and involves the pre-competitive development of technology into a new venture, focusing on food processing, food service, or grocery retail sectors.
Applicants need a letter of endorsement or recommendation from their institution’s entrepreneurship office, or a professor or mentor.
Eligible project costs should be between $5,000 to $10,000, with a maximum funding level from CFIN covering 100% of total eligible project costs, not exceeding $10,000.
Projects must aim to further develop and validate novel intellectual property with a defined commercial application goal.
Research and development must be conducted at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 to 7, with TRL 8 and 9 considered only as parts of projects including TRL 1 to 7 components.

Who is not eligible

This program restricts certain types of educational enrollments from applying for the grant, with a specific focus on the institutional status of the applicants. These restrictions are intended to ensure funds are allocated to targeted educational pathways and institutions.

Students enrolled in private institutions.
Applicants from junior colleges.
Participants in CEGEP programs.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses for the grant include specific costs necessary to carry out the approved project activities.

Service Providers: Costs for subcontractors or consultants for services related to the project.
Direct Materials: Costs for materials explicitly used for the project activities.
Equipment: Capital costs of equipment purchased for project activities.
Other Direct Costs: Direct costs related to the project activities, not covered under other categories.

Eligible geographic areas

This program offers grants to students situated in specific Canadian regions. Each region has one award available to help form a new venture.

Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador
Quebec
Ontario
Prairies: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
West: British Columbia, Yukon

Selection criteria

The evaluation and selection of projects for the NextGen Food Innovators Program are based on specific criteria with allocated point scores to ensure alignment with the program’s objectives.

The applicant has accurately described a business challenge or opportunity faced by CFIN’s membership (food processing, food service, distribution, or retail). - 10 points
The applicant has provided a compelling value proposition to CFIN’s membership. - 10 points
The applicant has outlined how the venture will generate revenue. - 10 points
The product or service proposed has a clearly identified science or technology component. - 10 points
The applicant has outlined a development plan for the commercial venture. - 10 points
What is the vision for your venture? - 5 points
What is your innovation, and what is the value proposition for CFIN members (food processing, food service, distribution, and grocery retail)? - 15 points
Please summarize any actions you have taken to date to validate your product-market fit. - 10 points
Describe your current plans for revenue generation and how your venture will make money. - 10 points
Describe the team working on the venture, including any partners you intend to engage as part of the project. - 20 points
Describe the technical innovation underlying your product or service. - 20 points
What do you want funding for and how does it fit into your development plan for this innovation and your venture? - 20 points

How to apply

Register as a CFIN Member

Visit the CFIN website at .
Sign up for a free membership.

Access Application Portal

Navigate to the CFIN Application Portal at .
Log in using your CFIN membership credentials.

Complete Organization Profile

Upon first login, complete your Organization Profile with necessary contact details.

Create a New Application

Select "FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES" to view open programs.
Start a new application for the NextGen Food Innovators Program.

Phase 1 - Video Submission

Prepare a video up to 7 minutes long addressing the outlined criteria.
Upload the video to a sharing service and submit the video link in the portal.

Phase 2 - Written Application (for selected applicants)

Complete detailed questions in the application template.
Describe the project vision, innovation, market fit, team, and technical innovation.
Attach supporting documents such as budget, work plan, and letters of recommendation.

Submit Application

Ensure all information is accurate and complete on the portal.
Submit the application before the deadline.

Confirmation of Submission

Receive a confirmation email with your submission details.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

The program will cover 100% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $10,000.
Applications will be reviewed based on a merit-based approach, and not all applications fulfilling basic requirements will be guaranteed approval.
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a Master Project Agreement with CFIN within 30 business days from receipt of the agreement.
Projects must maintain financial records for at least 7 years after completion for auditing and reporting purposes.
Intellectual Property generated through the project should remain in Canada for a minimum of five years after the project ends, unless specific written approval is granted otherwise.

Contacts

innovation@cfin-rcia.ca

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.

What is the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators?

How much funding can be received?

What is the deadline to apply?

Is the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators a grant, loan, or tax credit?

Who are the financial supporters of the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators?

Who is eligible for the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators program?

To be eligible for the CFIN NextGen Food Innovators program, you must: Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a program at a Canadian accredited college or university in a diploma, advanced diploma, degree, graduate certificate, master's, or PhD program. A letter of endorsement or recommendation from their institution's entrepreneurship office, a professor, or mentor is required. Projects must be focused on the post-farmgate food production supply chain—food processing, distribution, food service, or grocery retail.