Open
Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership
Funding for collaborative projects on plant protein
Last Update: March 4, 2026
Funding available
Up to 45% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : June 20, 2024
Location
Canada
Overview
Get a grant to cover up to 45% of eligible expenses for a collaborative project focused on genetics, crops, ingredients and products. Collaborators must be Protein Industries Canada members, with annual membership fees of $500.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop a new product or service
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Access new markets
Eligible Funding
- Up to 45% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : June 20, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Startups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Research
- Environment
- Economic, Social and Community Development
- Diversity and Inclusion
Target groups
- Indigenous peoples
- Women & girls
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- National
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Germplasm development aimed at improving processing efficiency, quality, sensory characteristics, and the development of novel plant-based ingredients.
- Implementation of technologies to measure and enhance on-farm sustainability and facilitate information flow along the value chain.
- Development, scaling, and optimization of plant-based ingredients, including innovative manufacturing processes and co-products from Canadian crops.
- Conversion of Canadian-made ingredients and co-products into consumer-ready food products, value-added animal feed, and new industrial bio-products derived from the co-products of protein extraction and ingredient manufacturing.
- Proof of concept projects demonstrating feasibility at pilot scale for new technologies expected to be commercialized within three to five years.
- Projects enabling the first commercial deployment of a technology to assess technical, economic, and commercial feasibility.
- Projects facilitating the optimization and deployment of commercially viable technology for Canadian crops and agricultural conditions.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian companies involved in the plant-based food, feed, and ingredients value chain
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with 499 or fewer employees
- Multi-national corporations with significant business operations in Canada
- Academic or research institutions (membership encouraged but not mandatory)
- Non-Canadian entities (may participate with approval)
Who is not eligible
- Companies that are not compliant with economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced by the Government of Canada.
- Projects that are considered a “designated project” or a “project” under the applicable federal environmental and impact assessment legislation.
Eligible expenses
- Project expenses directly related to approved activities under Genetics, Crops, Ingredients, and Products areas.
- Costs associated with testing and scaling of ingredient manufacturing processes.
- Expenses for the development of new and novel plant-based ingredients and co-products.
- Costs for the creation and commercialization of consumer-ready food products, animal feed, and industrial bio-products derived from plant-based co-products.
- Expenditures related to the measurement, verification, and reporting of traceability, sustainability, and food safety of Canadian crops and ingredients.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Processing and Agreement
- EOIs are reviewed first, with one of three outcomes: invitation to a full proposal, request for more information, or decline.
- Project proposal reviews begin within six weeks of receipt and are evaluated by the Project Selection Committee, with possible input from technical experts.
- Successful applicants are notified by email and invited to a kick-off meeting by conference call.
- Approved projects move to a Master Project Agreement before eligible cost reimbursement can begin.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for this grant:
- Regular collaboration with Protein Industries Canada staff is encouraged throughout the proposal development process to ensure project success.
- All proposals must incorporate economic reconciliation measures with Indigenous communities.
- Projects should include a strategic plan for Intellectual Property and data governance.
- Once approved, a Master Project Agreement must be signed before eligible cost reimbursement can commence.
- Joint projects with Innovate UK must be completed by March 31, 2026.
- Innovate UK collaborators are required to obtain membership in Protein Industries Canada to participate.
- An economic and financial compliance audit by the Government of Canada is mandatory for all consortium members.
- Consortiums need to prepare a detailed budget with clearly broken down annual expenses for multi-year projects.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership Program
What is the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership?
Get a grant to cover up to 45% of eligible expenses for a collaborative project focused on genetics, crops, ingredients and products. Collaborators must be Protein Industries Canada members, with annual membership fees of $500.
How much funding can be received?
Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership Funds up to 45% of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership program?
To be eligible for the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership program, you must:
At least two consortium members
At least one SME member
Meaningful consortium contributions
What expenses are eligible under Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership?
Germplasm development aimed at improving processing efficiency, quality, sensory characteristics, and the development of novel plant-based ingredients.
Implementation of technologies to measure and enhance on-farm sustainability and facilitate information flow along the value chain.
Development, scaling, and optimization of plant-based ingredients, including innovative manufacturing processes and co-products from Canadian crops.
Conversion of Canadian-made ingredients and co-products into consumer-ready food products, value-added animal feed, and new industrial bio-products derived from the co-products of protein extraction and ingredient manufacturing.
Proof of concept projects demonstrating feasibility at pilot scale for new technologies expected to be commercialized within three to five years.
Projects enabling the first commercial deployment of a technology to assess technical, economic, and commercial feasibility.
Projects facilitating the optimization and deployment of commercially viable technology for Canadian crops and agricultural conditions.
Who can I contact for more information about the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership?
You can contact Protein Industries Canada (PIC) by email at projects@proteinsupercluster.ca.
Where is the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership available?
The Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership program is available across Canada.
Is the Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Protein Industries Canada — Technology Leadership is a Grant and Funding