Clean Agtech Validation and Integration Program

Introduction

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has been awarded funding under Agriculture and Agr-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Clean Technology Program – Research and Innovation Stream-Accelerator to help Canadian SMEs, farmers, and ranchers move clean agricultural technologies to commercialization—speeding the path from prototype to on-farm adoption and delivering measurable environmental benefits alongside productivity gains. “Green agricultural technology” can mean many things to many people. In this instance, AAFC is focused on the reduction of GHGs–greenhouse gases. A unique feature of this initiative is the focus on validation and demonstration of technologies approaching commercialization. If your agtech has what it takes to help our nation’s farmers and ranchers address difficult challenges while also benefiting the environment, then this competition may be for you.

CAAIN will invest $3.8M to support the Clean Agtech Validation and Integration Program. Successful applications must include at least one of the following environmental benefits:

• Livestock methane reduction: Technologies aimed at decreasing methane emissions and improving agricultural waste management
• Agricultural waste reduction and reuse: Projects focused on efficient production, supply chain optimization (especially transportation), carbon footprint reduction, nutrient recovery, etc.
• Emissions quantification: Projects that enable direct measurement and verification of agricultural production inputs and outputs, including carbon, nitrogen, and methane, to facilitate producer monetization
• Reduced emissions from fertilizer use (e.g. application technologies)
• Reduced input use (e.g., reduced pesticide use)
• Other environmental benefits (e.g. soil health, biodiversity, pesticide pollution reduction, water and adaptation/resilience)

To be considered for CAAIN funding, all proposals must be developing a digital technology or operating a Canadian smart farm focused on the GHG emission and growth of the Canadian agricultural sector. This may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Indigenous-focused agriculture
• Broad-acre crops
• Small-acre crops
• Greenhouse or controlled environment agriculture crops
• Horticultural crops
• Livestock and poultry
• Dairy
• Soil health
• Regenerative agriculture

Eligibility

The following criteria are the minimum requirements for CAAIN funding:

1. Project teams/networks must be comprised of organizations with operations in Canada. Teams/networks involving multiple stakeholders are encouraged. This may include academic/research institutions, not-for-profit organizations, for-profit entities (SMEs, MNEs), etc. International collaborations are encouraged; however, CAAIN funding can flow only to Canadian entities.
2. Projects must include cash contributions from at least two small or medium enterprises (SME) incorporated in Canada. SMEs are defined by Statistics Canada as those with 499 or fewer employees. They may be for-profit or not-for-profit entities.
3. All project partners must be in good standing with CAAIN. This includes having no overdue reporting or monies owed to CAAIN.
4. Proposal objectives must be consistent with those of CAAIN and of the AAFC Clean Technology Program – Research and Innovation Stream-Accelerator: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/accelerator.
5. The initiative must be incremental to the regular business of project team member organizations, meaning that:
   1. Financial commitments are distinct from investments that would otherwise occur.
   2. The project is new or would not be undertaken at the same scope or scale without CAAIN funding.
6. Project teams/networks commit to sharing widely the results of all technology assessments supported by CAAIN and uploading research and evaluation results onto a CAAIN-led or CAAIN-managed software platform.
7. Project teams/networks commit to promoting the CAAIN brand in association with the smart farm or smart farm network.
8. Former and current funding recipients of CAAIN are welcome to apply

Scope of Funding

Successful applicants will be pre-approved up to $1 Million CAD for project execution.

Technology Readiness Levels

A key focus of this program is integrating smart farms for the validation, demonstration, and adoption of clean agtech at TRL 7 or above and progressing to TRL 8 or 9. Smart farms will serve as crucial testing grounds, bridging the gap between technology development and on-farm implementation.

Deadlines and Timeline

CAAIN will not accept partial, incomplete, or late submissions. Applicants are encouraged to complete their submissions well in advance of the deadline. Project Application Forms will be accepted on a continuous basis while the competition is open.

The following timelines are anticipated for the stages of this competition. Note that CAAIN, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to alter this schedule.

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* Pending availability of funds

To submit an application, join our free online community at https://network.caain.ca. Once you’re in, click “Funding Competitions” on the main menu, then select Clean Agtech Validation and Integration Program.