Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI)

Applicants must:

• Be based in Ontario.
• Ensure project activities and spending occur in Ontario with local project/service partners.
• Operate within the agriculture, agri-food, or agri-based product sectors, including equipment or tech suppliers.
• Offer a product or technology that’s unique to Ontario and doesn’t displace existing local products.
• Address at least one of OMAFRA’s (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) research priority areas.

Eligible organizations may include:

• Postsecondary institutions
• Research institutions or foundations
• Industry associations or businesses
• Non-profit organizations
• Municipal or Indigenous governments/agencies

OMAFRA Priority Areas include topics such as: Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health, Soil and Water Quality, Sustainable and Competitive Production Systems, Product Innovation, Trade Market Development, and others.

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• Applied Research (TRL 1–5): Investigate solutions to specific problems through scientific research methods like lab experiments.
• ‍Pilot and Demonstration (TRL 5–6): Build and test prototypes or models of new technology.
• ‍Commercialization (TRL 7–9): Bring validated tech, products, or services to market by:
  • Type A: Researching market potential for new technologies (TRL 4–5).
  • Type B: Developing prototypes, conducting trials, and refining MVPs to meet market demand (TRL 6+).

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