Matching Investment Initiative (MII)

• Contacts
• A user's guide to MII
• MII successes

Collaborating to Expand Canada's R&D Potential

What is it?

The Matching Investment Initiative is a way to increases collaborative research activity between the private sector and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Under the Matching Investment Initiative, the Department can match up to one-for-one industry R&D contributions to collaborative research projects.

This helps stretch industry's research dollar and, at the same time, helps ensure that the Department's research priorities accurately reflect the sector's real needs. The initiative, by involving industry research investors directly, also helps speed up the process of transferring new technology to the private sector.

Why?

Investment in agri-food research is a proven winner. It stimulates economic activity, creates job opportunities, and strengthens the industry's competitive position in global markets.

How does it work?

Projects submitted under the plan are evaluated by the same approach used for all research studies undertaken by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Each research centre negotiates collaborative research projects directly with industry. The program's focus is on industry, but third-party participation and contributions from universities and other governments are welcome, provided industry still matches the federal contribution.

Each project can be designed with the best mix of resources and personnel form all participants. The main criterion is that the project has to match both industry's needs and the research business of the collaborating centres.

Government funding for the program is currently pegged at $30.2 million a year. Fully matched, these funds could potentially raise the level of agri-food R&D investment by over $60 million a year.

Other Players

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also participates as an important partner in the Matching Investment Initiative with the private sector.

For more information please contact the appropriate Research Centre:
Research Branch Research Centres

For more information on projects related to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency contact:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Dr. Primal Silva
Technology Development
Science Advisory and Management Division, Nepean
Tel.: (613) 228-6698 ext. 4910
Fax: (613) 228-6675

For general information contact:
Lorne Heslop
Fax: (613) 759-1478