Federal agriculture funding programs and services in Alberta

Advance Payments Program

Overview

The Advance Payments Program is a federal loan guarantee program which provides agricultural producers with easy access to low-interest cash advances.

Under the program, producers can access up to $400,000 per program year in advances based on the value of their agricultural product, with the Government of Canada paying the interest on the first $100,000 advanced to a producer. Advances are repaid as the producer sells their agricultural product, with up to 18 months to fully repay the advance for most commodities (up to 24 months for cattle and bison).

For more information see NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Any farmer that is the age of majority and a Canadian citizen at the time of application.

Agri-Food Trade Service

Overview

The mandate of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is to support agricultural productivity and trade. The Agri-Food Trade Service (ATS) website is Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's response to a competitive industry's need for market information, covering issues from market opportunities and trade regulations to exporter assistance opportunities.

By gathering and disseminating valuable trade and market information, ATS provides exporters, buyers and investors with centralized access to pertinent information for clients at all stages of business. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also supports agricultural productivity and trade through regional offices, and through the Market information sector.

Additional service information, including contact information, is available on the service website.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Exporters and potential exporters of agri-food products.

Canadian Agricultural Loans Act program

Overview

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offers the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) program, which is designed to help beginning farmers (farming less than 6 years), existing farmers, and agricultural co-operatives with their financing needs.

Under the CALA, the federal government guarantees loans issued by financial institutions, which enables borrowers to benefit from advantageous interest rates, lower equity requirements, and flexible repayment terms.

The maximum amount a farmer may be eligible for is $500,000 for land and equipment combined. The total loan limit for real property (land and buildings) is up to $500,000, while the total loan limit for all other purposes, such as equipment, is up to $350,000.

To be considered for a CALA loan, a borrower has to contact a financial institution which will review the loan application and decide eligibility under the CALA program.

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Canadian farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives.

Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation

Service Overview

Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) is an award-winning partnership between the Government of Canada and Canadian industry. CIPEC promotes innovative energy management to help Canadian industry increase:

• profitability
• competitiveness
• sustainability

Members of CIPEC have access to:

• cost-shared assistance to perform ISO 50001 and other energy management projects, and process integration studies and computational fluid dynamics studies
• recognition through ENERGY STAR® for Industry certification and the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry
• industry networking opportunities with CIPEC sector task forces
• energy-management workshops, tools and technical information
• newsletters

Additional service information, including contact information, is available on the service website.

Agency

Natural Resources Canada

Eligibility

Manufacturers

Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Overview

The Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) program is intended to give companies operating from a Canadian base access to the unique knowledge, expertise and educational resources available at Canadian post-secondary institutions and to offer opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborations that result in industrial or economic benefits to Canada.

CRD grants support well-defined projects undertaken by university researchers and their private-sector partners. Direct project costs are shared by the industrial partner(s) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Eligibility

University researchers and their private-sector partners.

EcoAction Community Funding Program

Overview

Since 1995, Environment Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program has provided financial support to community-based, non-profit organizations for projects that have measurable, positive impacts on the environment.

The program encourages action-focused projects that will protect, rehabilitate or enhance the natural environment, and build the capacity of communities to sustain these activities into the future.

In keeping with Environment Canada's national environmental priorities, the Program supports projects that address the following four themes:

• Clean air: to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollutants
• Clean water: to divert and reduce substances that negatively affect water quality or to focus on water conservation and efficiency
• Climate change: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change or to deal with the impacts of climate change
• Nature: to reduce biodiversity loss, protect wildlife and plants, and protect and improve the habitat where they live

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Environment Canada

Eligibility

Non-profit groups

Farm Debt Mediation Service

Service Overview

The Farm Debt Mediation Service offers financial counselling and mediation services to farmers who may be having trouble repaying their debts. This free service helps bring producers and their creditor(s) together with a mediator in a neutral forum to reach a mutually acceptable repayment agreement.

The service is a private, confidential and economical alternative to the often costly, public and drawn-out process of resolving financial disputes in the courts. The majority of cases that have gone through the mediation process have resulted in a signed agreement between farmer and creditor(s).

Additional service information, including contact information, is available on the service website.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Insolvent individuals, corporations, partnerships, co-operatives or other associations of persons engaged in farming for commercial purposes.

Industrial Research Assistance Program

Overview

For nearly 70 years, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) has been stimulating wealth creation for Canada through technological innovation.

This is largely accomplished by providing technology assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), at all stages of the innovation process, to build their innovation capacity and successfully take their ideas to market. NRC-IRAP helps SMEs identify and understand technology issues and opportunities and provides linkages to the best business and R&D expertise in Canada.

For more information, see Industrial Research Assistance Program.

Agency

National Research Council

Eligibility

Incorporated, profit-oriented businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

Livestock Tax Deferral Program

Overview

The Livestock Tax Deferral provision allows farmers who sell part of their breeding herd due to drought or flooding in prescribed drought or flood regions to defer a portion of sale proceeds to the following year. When prescribed regions are identified, the list is announced publicly and posted on the Canada Revenue website.

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Owners of breeding livestock in designated areas.

Price Pooling Program

Overview

The Price Pooling Program provides a price guarantee that protects marketing agencies and producers against unanticipated declines in the market price of their products. Program participants use the price guarantee as security in obtaining credit from lending institutions. This credit allows the marketing agency to improve cash flow of producers through an initial payment for products delivered. It also provides equal returns to producers for products of like grades, varieties and types.

This program is designed to assist and encourage cooperative marketing of eligible agricultural products, including processed products.

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Eligibility

Associations of producers, processors or selling agents.

Scientific Research and Experimental Development Program

Overview

The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SRED) program is a federal tax incentive program to encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct research and development in Canada. The SRED program is the largest single source of federal government support for industrial research and development.

Claimants can apply for SRED investment tax credits for expenditures such as wages, materials, some overhead, and SRED contracts.

Work that qualifies for SRED tax credits includes:

• experimental development to achieve technological advancement to create new materials, devices, products, or processes, or improve existing ones
• applied research to advance scientific knowledge with a specific practical application in view
• basic research to advance scientific knowledge without a specific practical application in view
• support work in engineering, design, operations research, mathematical analysis, computer programming, data collection, testing, or psychological research, but only if the work is commensurate with, and directly supports, the eligible experimental development, or applied or basic research

Additional program information, including contact information, is available on the program website.

Agency

Canada Revenue Agency

Eligibility

Canadian businesses

Contact

To connect with the Ag-Info Centre:

Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 310-FARM (3276)
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]