Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF)

T he Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) program is a five-year, $243 million program aimed at positioning Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector at the leading edge to seize new opportunities. ACAAF was launched in April 2004 as a successor to the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Fund (CARD), and will continue CARD's innovative and cooperative approach to funding projects at the national, multi-regional and regional level.

Under the ACAAF program, projects are delivered using an innovative industry-led approach at both the national and regional levels.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible recipients must be legal entities, and may include individuals, non-profit* organizations and associations, universities, colleges, cooperatives, marketing boards, aboriginal groups, and for-profit companies.

Eligible Activities

Applications for National Funding

ACAAF now has an open application process so there is no specific application deadline. Proponents are advised to submit completed applications as soon as possible.

For projects to be considered national in scope, two criteria must be satisfied. Applicants must demonstrate that the project will:

1. involve the participation of, or is supported by groups or individuals representative of the targeted national sector; and
2. ultimately benefit the stakeholders of the targeted sector across Canada.

Applications for Regional Funding

For projects which are regional in scope, please contact the Industry Council in your province/territory for guidance on their application process. Contact information for each Industry Council can be found on the Industry Council Contacts page. 

Summary

Objectives

The objectives of the ACAAF program are to:

• expand the sector's capacity to respond to current and emerging issues;
• position the sector to capture market opportunities;
• actively and continuously engage the sector to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food policy directions; and
• integrate sector-led projects tested and piloted under ACAAF into future government or industry initiatives.

*Note: "non-profit" also known as nonprofit organizations, non profit organizations, not-for-profit organizations, voluntary organizations and volunteer organizations.

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Yukon Contact(s):
See National Contact.