How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 220000% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Who are the financial supporters of the Small Cidery Program?

Small Cidery Program is funded by Agricorp

What are Small Cidery Program's eligibility criterias?

Be a Licensed Cidery producing less than 3 million litres annually for sale in Ontario Be a legal entity (sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association) Comply with all relevant laws and program guidelines

Small Cidery Program

Last Update: June 22, 2025

ON, Canada

Supports Ontario small cideries to scale and boost competitiveness

Small Cidery Program at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $220,000

Timeline

Receipt of requests is now closed

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Manufacturing

Grant Providers

Agricorp

Status

Closed

Overview of the Small Cidery Program program

The Small Cidery Program provides grants of up to $220,000 to support the growth and competitiveness of eligible Ontario cideries, helping them scale their businesses and create jobs. Eligible activities include investments related to increasing production capacity and sales of alcoholic cider produced from Ontario apples or pears.

Financing terms and conditions

Grant funding of up to $0.74 per litre of eligible Alcoholic Cider sold per calendar year.
Maximum annual grant of $220,000 per recipient.
Grant payments are phased out for sales volumes above 1.5 million litres per calendar year and are not available for sales exceeding 3 million litres per year.
If total grant requests exceed the program budget, all payments are prorated downward proportionally among recipients.

Eligible projects & activities

Business growth and expansion for small cideries.
Scaling up operations to transition from small to medium or large cidery status.
Job creation within the Ontario cider production sector.
Investments aimed at enhancing competitiveness in the agri-food sector.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 18,000

Digital accessibility enhancements for community learning centre website

$ 49,000

Upgrade to high-efficiency HVAC system for manufacturing facility

$ 27,000

Development of an e-commerce platform for local artisan products

$ 40,000

Installation of energy-efficient lighting and smart controls in offices

$ 60,000

Launching a mobile food market with refrigerated delivery truck

$ 78,000

Procurement of vertical hydroponic system for urban greenhouse

Eligibility criteria of the Small Cidery Program program

The applicant must be a legal entity (sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association) and provide proof of legal name and status if requested.
The applicant must be a Licensed Cidery and produce Alcoholic Cider as defined by the program.
The applicant, including its affiliated cideries, must have produced less than 3 million litres of Alcoholic Cider and Other Alcoholic Cider Products annually available for sale in Ontario in the previous calendar year.
The applicant must have less than 4.5 million litres of Worldwide Alcoholic Cider Production in the previous calendar year, including production by affiliated licensed cideries and contract production (excluding contract bottling/canning).
The applicant must meet all legal and regulatory requirements, and submit a completed application form by the stated deadline.

Who is eligible?

Small cideries producing alcoholic cider in Ontario
Licensed cider manufacturers

Who is not eligible

Cideries that produce more than 3 million litres of alcoholic cider annually for sale in Ontario.
Companies that are not licensed cideries.
Cideries that do not meet the "Small Cidery" definition as specified in the program.
Multiple affiliated licensed cideries within the same group (only one may apply per year).

Eligible geographic areas

Ontario

How to apply to the Small Cidery Program program

Verify eligibility requirements

Review the program eligibility criteria for Small Cideries
Ensure your business meets all requirements, including production thresholds and licensing

Obtain application form

Wait to receive the application form from Agricorp during the week of May 20, 2024
Contact Agricorp if you are a potentially eligible cidery but have not received the form

Complete application form

Complete all required sections of the application form
Prepare all necessary supporting documentation, including production volumes, legal name, and licensing information
Affirm that your cider meets the definition of Alcoholic Cider

Submit your application

Sign and attest to the accuracy of all information provided in the application
Submit the completed application and supporting documents to cidery.distillery@agricorp.com by June 11, 2024, before 11:59 p.m.

Await assessment and feedback

Wait while Agricorp reviews your application for completeness and eligibility
Be prepared to provide any further information requested by Agricorp

Additional information

Only one Affiliated Licensed Cidery in a group may apply to the Program in a Program Year.
If the Program Cap is exceeded, grant payments to all eligible recipients are prorated proportionally.
Grant recipients may be required to complete a survey at the end of the Program Year as a condition for future funding.
Recipients must retain all information supporting their eligibility for seven years after the end of the Program Year.