Bioenterprise Canada Corporation is launching the third round of an open call for proposals for its Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream that will target innovative Ontario-based agri-food and agri-tech organizations who are ready to transform their ideas into market-ready products and services.
The Commercialization Stream is designed to provide Ontario’s agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sectors, including technology or equipment suppliers, access to funding to support commercialization projects with a focus on Market Validation and Product Development activities.
Eligible Projects
Project Type A: Market Validation Grants
Conduct market research to determine the size and quality of the market opportunity for a new and promising technology, product, or service with the goal of determining if there is any market potential before more research funds are spent on the technology.
Funding Available: up to $30,000 per project
Project Type B: Product Development Grants
Create prototypes, perform field trials, remove any barriers to a market launch or private sector adoption and optimize a minimum viable product that best meets the needs of customers.
Funding Available: $50,000-$150,000 per project.
Eligibility
Applicant organizations to OAFRI may include, but are not limited to, for-profit and not-for-profit entities, government (except federal and provincial) and non-government organizations, universities and colleges, and research institutions based in Ontario.
Eligible organizations must:
- be located in Ontario
- have project activities and costs that take place in Ontario
- develop projects that address OMAFA’s key research priority areas and initiative objectives
- be operating in the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector
- have a product/technology/service that is unique to Ontario.
Timeline
The intake for OAFRI formally opens Thursday, September 4th, 2025.
