Just a reminder that the Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Grains Innovation Fund is open until this Friday, 28 October. If your business has an innovation project that utilizes Ontario-grown barley, corn, oats, soybeans or wheat and that could lead to increased utilization of those grains, you could be eligible for up to $50,000 in funding.
The program overview and application form can be found on our website here and the application form is also attached: Market Development - Grain Farmers of Ontario (gfo.ca)
Hi
This is a great initiative, however, I am not eligible due to the high quantity requirements. I am a small startup in Québec and my main goal was to collaborate with local and Canadian suppliers exclusively. I am still at the beginning stages and would love to have “Made with Ontario grown oats” on my packaging. Is there any funding available for small scale projects?
Hi Joanne,
Sorry for my delayed response! You’re quite right in that our fund is more structured for companies in the growth or maturity stages. We need to demonstrate value for money for our farmers as the funds are limited and they want to be confident that the Ontario grain sourcing pipeline associated with the project is going to be there. That said we are always interested in following the journey of innovative startups who want to embrace local grain sourcing. We are heartened to hear you have intentions to source and celebrate Ontario oat provenance in your future products. We might not have funding for you at this stage, but the fund is an annual one and we would encourage you to consider applying in future years as your product becomes established. And we are looking at programs that support brands to highlight local grain ingredients in their products to consumers so could be some opportunities for collaboration down the line. My team is always up for a chat so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions or ideas you’d like to share.