Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative
The Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) provides funding for agri-food research and innovation projects in Ontario, which is a key pillar of the Grow Ontario Strategy. The OAFRI program strives to create an application process that adheres to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization. The goals of the initiative are to:
- fund demand-driven research and innovation activities in the agri-food sector
- support the sector’s resiliency and facilitate sustainable growth
- improve knowledge or technology to address business challenges
- expand market opportunities locally and globally
The initiative is jointly funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Funding streams and how to apply
OAFRI has 4 funding streams to support research and innovation projects aimed at providing solutions for Ontario’s agri-food sector (such as new knowledge, technologies, products or practices).
The 4 streams are categorized based on technology readiness levels (TRLs). Use the TRL as a reference to determine the appropriate OAFRI stream for your application. The 4 streams are:
- applied research
- pilot and demonstration
- commercialization
- knowledge translation and transfer (KTT)