Introduction

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) 2024 – 2025 Open Competition will support collaborative activities that bridge the gap between the development of new innovations in agriculture and their adoption in the commercial space.

CAAIN is committing $6M CAD in funding to support collaborative activities that will bridge the gap between the development of new innovations in agriculture and their adoption in the commercial space.

CAAIN is seeking applications for research and innovation projects that:

  1. Advance the development, use, and value of automation and robotics in agri-food production and primary processing;
  2. Support the creation of data-based decision-making tools that can be applied to improve knowledge, reduce risk or optimize production; and/or
  3. Contribute to the implementation of a smart farm platform or smart farm networks to support technology adoption through fulsome integration of partners; creation of frameworks for validation, demonstration, and scaling; and training of a technologically proficient agricultural workforce.

Though our submission date of August 9, 2024, has passed, we are adding a rolling intake to this competition. Should we have any funding available after assessing those projects we received by our initial deadline, we will consider other submissions.

Deadlines and Timelines

CAAIN will not accept partial, incomplete, or late submissions. Applicants are encouraged to complete their submissions well in advance of the deadline.

CAAIN Program Managers are available to assist by answering applicant questions and can be reached by email at info@caain.ca .

The following timeline applies to this competition. Note that CAAIN, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to alter this schedule.

 

Application Stage Date
Initial Project Application Form (PAF) deadline August 9, 2024
(Open intake thereafter)
Invitation to submit Expression of Interest (EOI) 5 business days after PAF submission
Expression of Interest submission deadline 3 weeks after EOI invitation
Invitation to submit Full Project Proposal (FPP) 3 weeks after EOI submission
Full Project Proposal submission deadline 6 weeks after FPP invitation
Final decision on all submitted
FPPs
6-8 weeks after FPP submission
Deadline for completion of all funded projects September 30, 2025
(possible extension)

 

CAAIN 2024 – 2025 Open Competition Program Guide

CAAIN 2024 – 2025 Open Competition Project Application Form