Canadian Dairy Commission's - Matching Investment Fund (MIF)

What is it?

The Canadian Dairy Commission's Matching Investment Fund (MIF) is a three year, $6 million fund designed to encourage growth and innovation in the manufacture and use of Canadian dairy products and ingredients. The fund provides for assistance with a range of product development activities, on a first-come, first-served basis.

How will my company benefit?

Your project could receive $50,000 for consultations and $250,000 for product development from the MIF. This funding must be matched in cash or in kind by your business.
Projects that use milk protein concentrate or skim milk powder may qualify for higher levels of funding.
If you are a small business (less than 25 employees) with a consultation project not exceeding $5,000 in costs, you are exempt from the matching investment requirement. In this case, up to 100 per cent of eligible costs may qualify for reimbursement.

Who qualifies?

Registered Canadian companies or recognized food technology centres (FTCs) that develop, manufacture and/or use Canadian dairy products and ingredients are eligible.

To qualify for funding assistance, a company or FTC must either:

• incorporate a Canadian dairy ingredient in a product formulation where no dairy ingredient(s) had been previously used
• replace a substitute ingredient in a product formulation with a Canadian dairy ingredient, or significantly increase the dairy content in an existing product formulation
• develop/market a new dairy product pursuant to the Domestic Dairy Product Innovation Program
• develop and market an innovative further-processed product containing Canadian dairy ingredients, or
• conduct technology/knowledge transfer activities with a demonstrated benefit for a company or for the Canadian dairy industry as a whole.

What qualifies?

Financial support is available to eligible companies and FTCs for:

• product development consultation in areas such as management and marketing, dairy and food science, and food processing
• product development activities related to product analysis, trials and technology transfer, such as adoption of new or existing technologies, industrial scale tests, retrofitting of facilities, sample preparation costs, and packaging techniques

Your project must:

• result in a product not currently manufactured in Canada;
• must increase the use of raw milk components (in the case of a dairy product manufacturer) or Canadian dairy ingredients;
• involve a technical challenge associated with incorporating or developing a Canadian dairy ingredient; and
• use dairy ingredient(s) made wholly or mainly from milk.

How do I apply?

To apply, download the MIF Program Guide, which includes a Project Summary Form for initial application, from www.MILKingredients.ca. The program guide is also available by calling 1-866-366-0676, or emailing the program administrator at ingredients@agr.gc.ca.

MIF applications will be accepted from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2012, subject to available funds.

Where can I find more information?

More information is available online at www.MILKingredients.ca. CDC marketing officer Shana Allen is also available to discuss funding proposals at (613) 792-2035 or by email at shanaallen@agr.gc.ca.

We're here to help

To find out how the Business Development Branch at OMAFRA can provide you with knowledge, connections and resources to help grow your business, call us toll-free at 1-888-466-2372, extension 63486 or email us at foodinvest@ontario.ca. For information about this program and others, as well as our branch, visit www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/.