Agri-Innovation Program

The contribution program is designed to speed up the identification, assessment, development and adoption of innovation-based products, thereby providing new market-oriented, commercialization opportunities for the agri-food sector.

Expected results of the program

The program will:

• draw on existing or develop new, agriculturally-related value chains which include producer involvement as well as the involvement of value-chains;
• identify and technologically assess the use of traditional and new commodities and their components for use in a wide range of new products and markets;
• enhance the rate of identification and adoption of new science-based innovations using agricultural inputs through transformational/proofing techniques and processes; and
• move producers and rural communities up the value chain thus increasing their share of agri-sector income.

Eligibility Criteria

Various organizations or entities are that represent or involve agriculture are eligible for consideration.

Examples:

• agri-businesses
• commodity groups
• cooperatives
• provincial or municipal governments
• universities or colleges

Deadline

2008-03-31

Summary

Agri-Innovation is a contribution program that accelerates innovation and commercialization in the agricultural sector by providing funding assistance towards:

• identifying key agri-innovation opportunities;
• undertaking applied scientific and pilot processing activities undertaken in facilities which include centers of innovation and incubators; and
• undertaking innovation acceleration associated with new business and market opportunity development.

Key areas are:

• Agri-food, value-chain innovation which improves collaboration along existing and new value chains to identify and proof opportunities and assess risks associated with new markets which utilize agricultural inputs. Projects will strengthen existing linkages, and/or create new relationships, as a means of accelerating the adoption of new innovations and improving producer and rural community value shares of agri-sector incomes.
  
  Projects will bring together key players along entire value chains and be a mechanism for cooperative effort among all parties, thereby identifying value-added innovation through improved coordination among research, production and marketing organizations.
  
  
• Agricultural bioproducts assessment and adoption through which the assessment and proofing of new transformational uses of agricultural products through an integrated approach across scientific and business disciplines. Projects will originate from national, provincial or regional bioproducts organizations or initiatives will target bioproducts industry development, through applied and adaptive research.
  
  Projects will be undertaken in a wide range of technological innovation centers, incubators, and applied or adaptive research facilities. Outputs from the supported processes will be used in enhanced foods (nutraceutical and functional ingredients of foods), animal feed products and used as components in a wide range of non-food, industrial uses, for example new sources of energy, lubricants, composites and environment products. Funding may be provided for development and start-up costs associated with activities undertaken in centers of innovation and incubators and for some business development activities.
  
  
• Innovation Acceleration which facilitates the downstream application of new innovations in business settings. Activities to be supported will allow the new economic opportunities to be assessed and confirmed for use in new areas. Funding can be provided to facilitate integration activities for bioproducts industry development (the provision of information required to obtain regulatory approval), the sharing of the outcomes of trials with industry professionals (outreach) communications, and facilities and systems of agricultural bioproducts research and application.

How to apply

You can apply by sending a Letter of Intent (two-page initial proposal) to the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) Science and Innovation Coordinator.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
Mr. Kevin McCully
Director
Crop Development Branch
Agriculture and Aquaculture
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, New Brunswick  E3B 5H1
Telephone: 506-453-3481
Fax: 506-453-7978

Paul Milburn
Research Manager
Potato Research Centre
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Room 365, 3rd Floor
850 Lincoln Road
P.O. Box 20280
Fredericton, New Brunswick  E3B 4Z7
Telephone: 506-452-4845
Fax: 506-452-3212
E-mail: milburnp@agr.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.agr.gc.ca/index_e.phtml

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National Contact(s):
Lorne Heslop
Director
APF Science and Innovation
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Sir John Carling Building
930 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0C5
Telephone: 613-759-7798
Fax: 613-759-7797
E-mail: heslopl@agr.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.agr.gc.ca/index_e.phtml