As part of the Government of Canada’s strengthened climate plan, the new Agricultural Clean Technology Program aims to create a supportive environment for the development and adoption of clean technologies that will promote sustainable growth in Canada’s agriculture sector, while helping to drive the changes required to achieve a low-carbon economy.
As part of the Government of Canada’s strengthened climate plan, the new Agricultural Clean Technology Program aims to create a supportive environment for the development and adoption of clean technologies that will promote sustainable growth in Canada’s agriculture sector, while helping to drive the changes required to achieve a low-carbon economy.
Program Priorities
The Agricultural Clean Technology Program will provide contributions that focus on three priority areas:
Green energy and energy efficiency, to support better management of energy intensive processes, and introduction of energy generation.
Precision agriculture, which uses a wide range of technologies to gather and process data for the purpose of guiding targeted actions that improve the sustainability, efficiency and productivity of agricultural operations.
The bioeconomy, which employs technologies that use agricultural waste and by-products for energy and bio-product generation.
The new program will allocate $50 million for the purchase and installation of more efficient grain dryers for farmers across Canada and $10 million over the next two years to power farms with clean energy and move off diesel.
Program Streams
The program includes two funding streams: the Research and Innovation Stream and the Adoption Stream.
Research and Innovation Stream
This stream will support pre-market innovation, including research, development, demonstration and commercialization activities that address the program’s three priorities. This stream will run from 2021 to 2028.
The Research and Innovation Stream includes non-repayable funding for research, development and demonstration activities, and repayable funding for commercialization and scale-up activities.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants for this stream are:
For-profit organizations, including agri-food processors
Not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives
Indigenous groups
Examples of eligible activities under this stream include, but are not limited to:
Research and development of zero-emissions on-farm equipment
Piloting and evaluating precision agriculture technologies that improve real time input use or nutrient management
Demonstration or commercialization of anaerobic digesters or agri-based bio-products
Adoption Stream
This stream will support the purchase and installation of proven clean technologies and solutions that address the three priority areas, respond to environmental sustainability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This stream will run from 2021 to 2026.
Funding under this stream is non-repayable for eligible projects.
Eligibility
The eligible applicants for this stream are:
For-profit organizations, incorporated in Canada, including farm businesses
Not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives
Individuals
Indigenous groups
Examples of eligible activities under this stream include, but are not limited to:
Energy efficiency improvements that enable better management of energy intensive agricultural processes, including the purchase and installation of energy efficiency improvements (e.g., grain dryers, barn heating, fuel switching, solar panels, heat pumps, etc.)
Precision agriculture (e.g., GPS auto-steer guidance systems, soil sensors, and remote imagery etc.)
Bioeconomy solutions (e.g., anaerobic digesters, bio-product boiler systems, implementing solutions using bioplastics etc.)
Application Process
For both streams, a Project Summary Form will be used to screen the applicant’s and project’s eligibility, fit and readiness to apply for funding. Applications that meet the program’s priorities and eligibility criteria may be invited to submit a full project application.
Project Summary Forms will be accepted starting later in June 2021 on the program website. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until funding has been fully committed or otherwise announced by the program.
Related products
News Release: Helping farmers and agri-businesses adopt clean technologies to reduce emissions and enhance competitiveness
Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Research and Innovation Stream
Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Adoption Stream
Oliver Anderson
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
oliver.anderson@canada.ca
613-462-4327