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True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact
Supports clean-technology food demonstration projects
Last Update: June 25, 2026
Funding available
$ 250,000 - $ 1,000,000
Timeline
- Open continuously
Location
Canada
Overview
The True North Sustainable Food Fund – Impact supports Canadian food technology SMEs advancing clean-technology demonstrations in food processing and distribution. It funds industrial demonstrations and eligible knowledge-sharing, testing, prototype development, and operational validation activities.
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Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Increase production or service capacity
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Minimum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Timeline
- Open continuously
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Manufacturing
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 50,000,000 maximum revenue
Organisation size
- 499-499 employees
Audience
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Industrial research and demonstration activities in the food sector
- Development and validation of technology
- Prototype development and demonstration
- System integration and operational demonstration
- Knowledge development and dissemination activities, including techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, performance benchmarking, and reproducible deployment guides
Documents Needed
- Supporting documentation
- Financial statements
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Developers and owners of the intellectual property to be demonstrated throughout the project
- Companies incorporated for at least one year at the time of application
- Small and medium-sized enterprises incorporated in Canada with fewer than 499 FTEs and $50M in annual sales
- Start-up companies still in the pre-revenue phase, provided they meet the incorporation and IP ownership requirements
Who is not eligible
- Applicants who are currently the principal applicant of an active RCIA project
- Other publicly funded non-profit organizations
- Federal Crown corporations
- Government departments or agencies
- Applicants who are not the developer and owner of the underlying technology IP
Eligible expenses
- Direct labour
- Subcontractors and consultants
- Direct materials
- Equipment
- Other direct costs, including shipping and eligible travel and outreach costs
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Interest and financing charges
- Legal, accounting, and consulting fees related to financial reorganization, securities, ordinary share issues, licensing, or litigation against RCIA or Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Income taxes, GST/HST, VAT, excess profits taxes, and surtaxes, except customs duties paid on importation
- Advertising, except reasonable industrial or institutional advertising in trade, technical, or professional publications for project knowledge-transfer activities
- Sales and marketing expenses linked to the products or services developed under the principal project agreement
- In-kind costs
Selection criteria
- Applications are evaluated on merit by a panel of internal and external reviewers.
- The Impact stream uses a two-stage process, with only the highest-scoring expressions of interest invited to submit a full application.
How to apply
- Become a member of the RCIA.
- Access the RCIA grant platform after registration is activated.
- Complete the application in the relevant stream: one-step Spark application or two-step Impact process beginning with an expression of interest.
- For Impact, complete the full application if invited after the expression of interest stage.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed by internal and external evaluators and then recommended by the RCIA Innovation Advisory Board.
- Successful applicants must conclude a principal project agreement with the RCIA within 30 working days of receiving it.
- The principal project agreement includes reporting requirements, timelines, intellectual property strategy, and other performance and compliance terms.
- Approved projects are subject to quarterly reporting and a final report at project completion.
- Financial reimbursement requests must be submitted through the RCIA secure online portal.
Additional information
- You must be a member of the RCIA to submit an application.
- The program is offered in two streams: Spark and Impact.
- Successful projects are subject to quarterly reporting and a final report at project completion.
- Approved projects must conclude a principal project agreement with the RCIA within 30 working days of receiving it.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact Program
What is the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact?
The True North Sustainable Food Fund – Impact supports Canadian food technology SMEs advancing clean-technology demonstrations in food processing and distribution. It funds industrial demonstrations and eligible knowledge-sharing, testing, prototype development, and operational validation activities.
How much funding can be received?
True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,000,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact program?
To be eligible for the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact program, you must:
Canadian incorporated food technology SME
Incorporated for at least 1 year
Project must focus on post-farm food processing or distribution
What expenses are eligible under True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact?
Industrial research and demonstration activities in the food sector
Development and validation of technology
Prototype development and demonstration
System integration and operational demonstration
Knowledge development and dissemination activities, including techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, performance benchmarking, and reproducible deployment guides
Who can I contact for more information about the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact?
You can contact Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) by email at innovation@cfin-rcia.ca.
Where is the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact available?
The True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact program is available across Canada.
Is the True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact a grant, loan, or tax credit?
True North Sustainable Food Fund - Impact is a Grant and Funding