Grow Ontario Market Initiative (GOM)

Who is eligible?

• Primary producers.
• Processors.
• Industry organizations made up of one or more Primary Producers, Processors, or other entities involved in the agri-food sector.

Who is not eligible

• Primary producers that are agricultural landowners or renters.
• Primary producers that are employers providing housing to international agricultural workers.
• Processors that are chemical fertilizer manufacturers, commissaries, or food/agricultural commodity/bioprocessor waste companies.

Eligible expenses

This grant focuses on aiding businesses in the agri-food sector to explore and capture new market opportunities domestically and internationally. The funding supports activities related to market analysis, new product development, and marketing efforts.

• Engaging third-party advisory services for completing market analysis and life cycle analysis or developing a marketing plan.
• Investigating regulatory or certification standards necessary to access new markets, including label information preparation for both domestic and international standards.
• Contracting third-party advisory services for the development of new products, including formulation developments, ingredient sourcing, and shelf-life determination.
• Labeling development for new products to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Execution of a business or marketing plan, including brand development, consumer studies, and product demonstrations.
• Creating new promotional materials such as advertisements, brochures, and social media content.
• Launching new product marketing campaigns aimed at expanding into domestic and international markets.
• Organizing sales, marketing, and promotional events such as trade missions and tradeshows.
• Developing specially produced product samples for tradeshows or specific promotional events.

Eligible geographic areas

Eligible geographical areas for the Grow Ontario Market Initiative have not been specified beyond its association with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. No explicit locations have been outlined, leaving the geographic eligibility ambiguous based on the provided information.

• New markets are accessed or existing markets are expanded as a result of the project.
• The rationale for the market opportunity, project need, and benefits is clearly and comprehensively demonstrated.
• Relevant business impacts are anticipated and quantified, such as job creation or retention, increased sales and revenue, and increased profitability.
• Resources, experience, and skills needed to oversee and carry out the project are identified.
• For Industry Organizations only, project activities support broader sector growth.

• Read the guidelines on the page.
• Download and complete the Ministry-approved Application Form.
• Email the completed application to SustainableCAP3@ontario.ca.

• The Ministry reviews completed Application Forms only and will notify applicants if they submit an incomplete application, with an opportunity to resubmit.
• Successful applicants receive an Approval Letter by email with the project description, approved funding, Eligible Costs, claim submission deadline, and final report submission information.
• The Ministry reviews claims and may request additional information to verify the validity of a claim.
• If claimed costs are Eligible Costs, an Initiative Payment will be issued; if they are Ineligible Costs, they will not be reimbursed.
• Recipients must submit claims through the Ministry’s Claim Portal after receiving the Approval Letter reply email.

• Applicants may submit a maximum of 2 applications/projects at any given time.
• Projects are recommended to be less than 2 years long.
• Completed Application Forms are accepted as of May 19, 2023 on an ongoing basis, subject to funding availability.
• The intake has no deadline, but it closes once funds are allocated.