Kosher and Halal Investment Program

Amount: up to $2 million per project(s) in the form of non-repayable contributions.

The Kosher and Halal Investment Program is a $25-million contribution funding program over 2 fiscal years (2025-26 to 2026-27).

The program objectives are:

• Help the Canadian red meat (beef and veal) sector mitigate the challenges inherent in slaughter in accordance with Judaic or Islamic law
• Help Canadian red meat (beef and veal) slaughter establishments increase their processing and production efficiency of kosher and/or halal red meat.

The program has 2 priorities:

• Hiring a consultant or efficiency expert to undertake an efficiency/productivity analysis of the slaughter establishment operations and recommend improvements to the on-site kosher and/or halal production
• Investments to undertake initiatives for reducing operating costs, notably through the adoption of cost-reducing/productivity enhancing technologies and equipment, including enhanced plant automation and adoption of innovation to meet future business conditions and consumer expectations through the adoption of new or improved practices that would support on-site kosher and/or halal production.

Eligibility Requirements

Businesses must meet all the following criteria to be eligible:

• be one of the following federally licensed for-profit organization types incorporated in Canada
  • organizations that actively engage in red meat slaughter processing and production for kosher and/or halal
  • organizations that have demonstratable plans to enter the kosher and/or halal red meat processing industry
• Demonstrate or provide efficiency and/or productivity plans to increase production of kosher and/or halal production that are recommended or will be recommended by either:
  • a credible person within their own organization that has signed off to the validity of the plans (such as, an industry expert or Professional Engineer)
  • an external resource that can provide credible analysis or validation of existing plans
• Identify if their facility currently engages in kosher and/or halal red meat production and if the project will be increasing productivity and/or efficiency in or has demonstratable plans to begin production in:
  • Kosher
  • Halal
  • Both
• be a legal entity capable of entering into a legally binding agreement

Eligibility activities

Eligible expenditures will be limited to the following nature and type:

• Acquire expertise for efficiency and productivity evaluations
• Purchase, delivery, install and implement equipment including
  • cattle-handling equipment
  • stunning apparatus
  • slaughtering devices and lines including conveyors, elevators and winches
  • meat dismembering lines and processing including deboning
  • scales
  • cutting tools
  • blades
• Purchase, delivery, install and implement improvement technologies including:
  • consciousness assessment tools
  • production line improvements
• Purchase and/or upgrade equipment and storage systems including:
  • cooler upgrades
  • building expansions/modifications

Funding

The total maximum Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) contribution for your project(s) will typically not exceed $2 million, and funding will typically not be more than $2 million for each applicant. Funding is available in the form of non-repayable contributions.

Contributions toward eligible costs will be shared between AAFC and you as follows:

• AAFC — a maximum of 50%
• You — a minimum of 50%

Timeline

The intake is open until September 1, 2026. The intake period may close sooner if funding has been fully committed or if otherwise announced.