Innovation Scouting Fund

• Completed online application (including the budget and work plan tables in the portal)
• Two years of externally prepared financial statements for the lead applicant
• Alternative proof of financial capacity (if two years of financial statements cannot be provided): term sheet or bank statement (or similar) plus a letter confirming you have the remaining funds
• Optional supporting documents (e.g., letters of support, quotes, presentations, photos)

Who is eligible?

• Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing foodtech solutions
• Canadian food and beverage companies (manufacturers, distributors, foodservice, or grocery retail firms) acting as call sponsors/piloting partners
• Academic researchers at Canadian institutions (food innovation-related)

Who is not eligible

• Other publicly funded not-for-profit organizations.
• Federal Crown corporations.
• Government departments or agencies.
• Applicants proposing intellectual property (IP) that is licensed or internationally owned (non-Canadian IP is not eligible).

Eligible expenses

• Direct labour costs (gross wages/salaries) for employees performing approved project activities.
• Subcontractor and consultant fees for external third-party work/services required for approved project activities.
• Direct materials used up in completing approved project activities (raw materials), net of sales taxes and supplier discounts.
• Equipment costs purchased for approved project activities, including purchase, modification/modernization, getting equipment into working order, and shipping.
• Other direct costs that are directly attributable to approved project activities (including shipping).
• Travel and outreach costs directly related to approved project activities (claimed in line with CFIN’s Travel Policy).
• Legal costs associated with obtaining patents or other statutory protection for project intellectual property.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs incurred to develop or prepare the project application.
• Interest and financing charges (e.g., loan interest and the borrowing portion of lease costs).
• Entertainment and hospitality expenses (including catering and alcohol, and other non-travel entertainment).
• Selling, advertising, and marketing expenses related to the products/services being developed (except limited industrial/institutional ads in trade/technical/professional journals).
• In-kind costs.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada (Canadian SMEs incorporated in Canada; academic researchers at Canadian institutions).

• CFIN reviews submitted applications for completeness and basic eligibility; incomplete submissions are not accepted.
• If information is missing, CFIN contacts the applicant by email and provides 48 hours to make updates; otherwise the application is withdrawn.
• Eligible proposals are assessed by CFIN staff and external reviewers against the program’s assessment criteria.
• CFIN aims to communicate funding results within 60 business days of the intake deadline (and will notify applicants if delayed).
• If approved, the applicant must sign a Master Project Agreement with CFIN within 30 business days; final funding is confirmed upon signing.

• Projects must be completed within one year of approval, and the earliest possible start date is 60 days after the intake close date.
• CFIN aims to communicate funding results within 60 business days of the intake deadline.
• Approved projects have quarterly reporting requirements as well as a final report at project completion.
• Any intellectual property deriving from CFIN projects must remain in Canada for a minimum of five years after the end of the project funding agreement (unless otherwise approved in writing by the Minister on a case-by-case basis).