The Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program (CBCAIP) is designed to help industry improve its capacity to be competitive and sustainable. Through the CBCAIP program, industry, academia, retailers and others in the agrifood industry will have access to funding to support the sector in accelerating the pace of innovation through late stage research and pilot projects that lead to the commercialization and/or adoption of innovative products, technologies and practices.

IAF delivers funding programs designed to assist the agriculture, agrifood and agri-products industry in British Columbia. Eligible participants must be appropriately registered, licensed, certified, etc. to do business in BC. For the CBCAIP, eligible participants are:

• BC agrifoods sector producers and processors
• Industry associations/organizations
• Retail and foodservice businesses
• Input, technology and support services providers
• Academic institutions and/or other organizations and private sector businesses
• Regional districts and local governments

Eligible participants must have the capacity to meet objectives and deliver the intended results.

Eligible Activities include industry-led initiatives to research, pilot, and/or adopt new products, processes, practices or technologies that:

• Promise (significant potential) to create a tangible benefit to the BC agricultural sector.
• Promise (significant potential) to enhance the sector’s competitiveness, productive capacity and sustainability.

Project length can range from a few months to a few years based on the type of project. Recommended timeframe for projects is to be discussed with Program Managers, projects must end December 31, 2022.

IAF receives many inquiries every week from individuals with interesting ideas that might benefit from third-party funding. Sometimes these ideas are not eligible for IAF funding. Here is a list of some of the requests that we receive that are not eligible for consideration by IAF:

• Business Risk Management-type activities
• Normal and on-going operating and maintenance costs incurred by the recipients unless otherwise specified
• Use of funding to subsidize purchase of common items that can be used for multiple purposes (eg., digital cameras, GPS, smartphones, measuring tapes)
• Activities that do not provide a direct benefit to agriculture, agrifood and/or the agri-based products industry
• Activities related to aquaponic food production, and to aquaculture, seaweed, fish and seafood production and processing
• Tax credits or rebates
• Development and enforcement of regulations
• Projects or proposals that are considered long standing practices in the Province of British Columbia
• Activities that are unlikely to result in an improvement of product attributes; and/or reduce production cost, increase productivity, or advance the sustainability of a commodity group or region
• Activities that cannot demonstrate a benefit to the regional economy or commodity group
• Activities considered a direct income support to a producer or processor
• Costs incurred for the delivery of services/activities to ineligible individuals and/or organizations
• Activities that do not comply with laws/regulations
• Buying, starting or expanding a farm or business
• Capital expenditures unless expressly approved for the project
• Basic research defined as experimental or theoretical work that is undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge without a commercial or specific application
• Lobbying or influencing any level of government

All projects submitted to IAF for funding must be for time-limited activities that will be completed within a specified period. IAF is unable to fund ongoing programs. 

The CBCAIP is a cost-shared program. Depending on the broad benefit to producers and processors or British Columbians, you may be required to contribute up to 50% of the cash costs of your project.

The CBCAIP does not have prescribed funding limits in terms of dollar value, rather the scope and the level of cost sharing for the project will be used to determine the funding that IAF provides. However, the more innovative and beneficial the project, the higher the funding ratio might be.

No land or building costs are eligible. A portion of innovative equipment costs may be eligible  the value of the capital during the life of the project as well as soft costs.  For example a $100,000 piece of equipment that has an expected useful life of 10 years would result in eligible expenses of $10,000 a year which could be cost shared.  Soft costs include installation, shipping, commissioning, testing and training costs.

Note: Where the capital portion of a project exceeds $50,000, the BC Ministry of Agriculture must sign off on the expenses.

The total value of the rental cost or lease is an eligible expense if the total lease or rental costs do not exceed 75% of the value of the equipment over the life of the project.

Applications to the CBCAIP are accepted at any time until all of the program funding has been exhausted. Eligible applications will be reviewed approximately every 6 weeks. All applicants will be notified as soon as funding decisions have been made.

IAF encourages all potential clients to contact one of our Program Managers before applying. You can reach us by email at funding(at)iafbc.ca or by telephone at 250.356.1662.