Alberta — Value-Added Program

The Alberta Value-Added Program provides financial support for projects that enhance value-added processing in the agriculture sector in Alberta. The financing modalities are structured to encourage investment and growth by sharing the cost of eligible expenses.

• Stream A provides a maximum grant of $50,000, assessed based on eligibility criteria and merit scoring.
• Stream B offers grants over $50,000 up to a maximum of $250,000, also based on eligibility criteria and merit scoring.
• Eligible capital expenses are cost-shared at 25% grant and 75% applicant.
• Eligible non-capital expenses are cost-shared at 50% grant and 50% applicant, with a maximum total amount of $50,000, which includes a $5,000 cap for travel expenses.
• Applicants can only apply once per program fiscal year, choosing either Stream A or Stream B at the time of application.

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

• The applicant must be a bio-industrial processor or a food processor involved in adding value to agricultural products.
• The applicant must be an individual or a corporation registered in Alberta at the time of application.
• For Stream B applicants, the applicant must have global annual gross sales of $100,000 or greater at the time of application.

Who is eligible?

Eligible expenses

Under the Value-Added Program, eligible projects focus on expanding processing capacity, improving food safety, and developing new products. These activities aim to support market expansion and increase production capacity within Alberta's value-added food and bio-industrial sectors.

• Processing capacity expansion.
• Food safety improvement.
• New product and process development.
• Market development and access.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to companies registered in Alberta, ensuring that the benefits of the program are directed towards enhancing the local economy. Eligible businesses need to be situated within this province to apply for funding.

• Businesses registered in Alberta, Canada.

The evaluation and selection of projects for the Value-Added Program grant are based on specific criteria focused on ensuring alignment with the objectives of increasing production capacity, market opportunities, and job creation in Alberta’s value-added sectors.

• Merit scoring of project proposals.
• Assessment of eligibility criteria per stream selected (Stream A or Stream B).

Here is some miscellaneous information about the grant:

• Processing times aim to complete in up to 23 weeks from the program closing date to notify applicants of project support decisions.