Introduction
Innovation programs equip the agriculture and agri-food sector with new bio-based products and processes, knowledge-based production systems, and strategies to capture opportunities.
Activities have been established under three categories:
- Sustainable Production Systems— provides the foundation for commodity production capacity in the face of ever changing pest, disease and other threats, and unpredictable weather patterns. It is exploring new opportunities for innovative systems in the areas of:
- cultivar development and crop genetic enhancement
- grains and oilseed production
- field crops
- high-value crops
- livestock production systems
- animal behaviour and welfare.
- Bio-products and Bio-processes— explores new opportunities provided by science and innovation such as those provided by genomics. It is exploring innovative systems in the areas of:
- bio-based products and processes;
- genomics, bio-informatics and bio-information
- Science and Innovation Programming— will create new opportunities for agriculture. Strategic Development for Science and Innovation will accelerate the adoption of science and technology to create new value-added opportunities for processors, producers and rural communities, and new life sciences products for consumers. This initiative will fund the creation of 10–15 new value chains to create new industries based on value-added processing of commodities and bio-products, such as biofuels (e.g.ethanol, bio-diesel), bio-materials (e.g.plastics, fibreboard), green chemicals, pharmaceuticals, functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Agri-Innovation Program
This program will provide funding for projects that accelerate adoption of innovation and commercialization in the agri-food sector, such as for start-up help e.g. centres of innovation, incubators, business mentoring, pilot processing; agricultural bioproducts integration, and realignment incentives for research.
Key areas include:
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Agri-food value chain innovation will improve collaboration along existing and proposed value chains to identify risks, opportunities and new markets.
Projects designed to strengthen existing linkages, and/or create new relationships, as a means to accelerate adoption of new innovations and improve producer and rural community value shares of agri-sector incomes.
Projects will bring together key players along entire value chains. Projects will be a mechanism for cooperative effort among all parties to increase value innovation through improved coordination among research, production and marketing entities. Workplans for each project will include determining an optimal strategy, identifying potential new markets,and developing recommendations and communications plans.
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Intellectual property management (Innovation Acceleration) will provide funding for development and start-up costs for innovation and business mentoring.
The program provides support for the adoption of new economic opportunities. Funding will be provided for development and start-up costs such as centres of innovation, incubators and business mentoring programs.
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Agricultural bioproducts integration will facilitate integration across science disciplines; project initiatives; provincial or regional bioproducts organizations or initiatives; targeting bioproducts industry development, business planning,industry creation,or research.
Funding will also be provided to facilitate integration activities for bioproducts industry development, outreach communications, market intelligence, and facilities and systems of agricultural bioproducts research and application.
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Facilitating realignment will provide funding to accelerate realignment into priority areas.
Funding will be provided to accelerate realignment of science and innovation resources into priority areas, such as agricultural bioproducts research. Funding, for example, may be provided for information and database systems that help benchmark and direct realignment. Realignment could also be accelerated by providing seed funding for special initiatives, e.g. for new hires in priority areas.
Who should apply for the program?
Various organizations or entities (e.g. cooperatives, commodity groups, agri-businesses, provincial or municipal governments, universities or colleges) that represent or involve agriculture are eligible for consideration and can apply by sending a Letter of Intent (two-page initial proposal) to the APF Science and Innovation Coordinator.
Who will deliver the service?
Created or existing broker organizations, industry associations and alliances, companies, technical marketing support organizations, universities and colleges, cooperatives, individuals and provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
Contact:
L. Heslop
Director APF Science and Innovation
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C5
Tel: (613) 759-7798
Fax: (613) 759-7797
E-mail
Broker Program
This program will create and/or provide funding support for a number of “broker” organizations working between industry, government and universities to accelerate the adoption of innovation. It is a contribution program that supports a limited number of broker organizations in various sectors and regions to engage in specific activities modeled on the Ontario Soy 20/20 organization.
The organizations would build links and accelerate innovation across the value chain in areas of commercial and scientific promise for Canada. More concretely, they would seek new lines of business for higher value, agri-based products and processes.
The organizations would engage in two key activities:
- building links along existing value chains and promising new ones among primary producers, processors large and small and public and private funders of research, development and commercialization, e.g., by analyzing potential new traditional and non-traditional markets and by encouraging research; and
- promoting the development of an investment forum for promising value chains by identifying and facilitating access to public and private funding sources. This would include brokering proposals for programs like the agri-innovation program by identifying suppliers of innovation input, negotiating arrangements among them and preparing applications.
Who should apply for the program?
Various organizations or entities (e.g. cooperatives, commodity groups, agri-businesses, provincial or municipal governments, universities or colleges) which represent or involve agriculture are eligible for consideration and can apply by sending a Letter of Intent (two-page initial proposal) to the Director, Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) Science and Innovation, listed below.
What funding is available?
The maximum contribution will not exceed $2 million per year. Total funding in the program is $6 million over 5 years.
Who will deliver the service?
Created or established broker organizations.
Contact:
L. Heslop
Director APF Science and Innovation
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa,ON K1A 0C5
Tel: (613) 759-7798
Fax: (613) 759-7797
E-mail
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