Ontario opens new food-safety grants for small agri-food businesses

The second intake of Ontario’s Food Safety and Growth Initiative will provide $2 million to help small agri-food businesses improve food safety and grow.

• Funding: Up to $75,000 per project.
• Eligible projects: Food safety equipment and technology, food traceability systems, and process improvements.
• Eligibility: Businesses producing, processing or servicing certain products, with fewer than 100 employees at the project location.
• Applications: Open October 19, 2026, through March 1, 2027, or until available funding is committed.

The first intake supported 90 projects and helped create more than 70 full- and part-time jobs. Eligibility requirements for this intake may differ from the first.