Food Bulletin - June 2009

Funding Programs

NRC-IRAP: Small Project Accelerated Review Process (ARP)

The National Research Council of Canada, through its Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), is helping small and medium-sized enterprises grow by providing funding for business, technology and market-oriented support.

The Small Project Accelerated Review Process (ARP) provides grants of up to $50,000 to cover 75 per cent of consulting costs and 100 per cent of internal labour for projects that address technology, business and market-oriented needs.

Eligible firms must be incorporated and for-profit with 500 or less full-time employees; have a separate legal status and operate in Canada; and have the objective to grow and generate profits through the adoption, development and commercialization of innovative or technology-driven products, services or processes.

For more information, including a list of eligible projects, contact your local Industrial Technology Advisor or contact NRC-IRAP at 1-877-994-4727.

Canadian Dairy Commission Matching Investment Fund

Your idea for a new and innovative dairy product may be eligible for funding from the Canadian Dairy Commission's (CDC) new Matching Investment Fund (MIF).

The CDC has committed $6 million over three years to encourage growth and innovation in the manufacture and use of Canadian dairy products and ingredients. Funding is available for product development activities, such as consultations with experts, product analysis, trials and technology transfer, industrial scale tests, facility retrofitting, sample preparation and packaging techniques.

The maximum CDC contribution per project is $50,000 for consultations and $250,000 for product development. This funding must be matched in cash or in kind by the participating companies. Eligible applicants include dairy product manufacturers, processors and food technology centres.

For more information or 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 e-mailing 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.

Small Business Internship Program (SBIP)

The Small Business Internship Program provides small and medium-sized businesses (SME's) up to a total of $10,000 to hire a post secondary student intern to assist them in their adoption of information and communications technologies to increase their productivity and competitiveness.

The SME negotiates the salary of the intern, and the benefits they may receive. Once the 12-week internship is over, the Government of Canada will reimburse 75 percent of their eligible costs, up to a total of $10,000. The SME gets the information and communications technologies help they need to grow their business, and the student gets valuable on-the-job experience.

The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SME's by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.

To be eligible for this program, your firm must:

• be small or medium-sized enterprise with less than 500 employees;
• be incorporated;
• wish to enhance your e-business capability.
  

This program will put 20 interns in 12-week positions to help companies get online sales and marketing projects operating. The government pays 75% up to $10,000 for a 12-week position.

For more information or to apply, go to http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/home.

Reminder: AIME Initiative - Achieving Innovation & Manufacturing Excellence

Helping manufacturers become more competitive and innovative is the goal of the Achieving Innovation & Manufacturing Excellence (AIME) Initiative, a partnership of the Yves Landry Foundation and the Government of Ontario.

Grants of up to $50,000 are available for training projects that lead to advancements in innovation within the Ontario manufacturing sector.

Due to the popularity of this program, interested companies should submit an application as soon as possible.

More information and application forms are available on the Yves Landry Foundation website.

GFTC Sustainability Services

Sustainable business practices are not only good for the environment they're good for your bottom line. Greening your processes and products can help your organization use resources wisely, save money and build a stronger brand image.

The Guelph Food and Technology Centre (GFTC) is making it easy for the food and beverage industry to go green by offering sustainability services that include training; strategic management consulting; and energy, environment and packaging efficiency assessments.

OMAFRA's sponsorship provides the Ontario food and beverage industry with a 50 per cent discount on GFTC sustainability services and course registrations.

For more information, visit GFTC's website or contact Cher Brethour at cbrethour@gftc.ca or by phone at (519) 821-1246, Ext. 5062.