B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program

Eligible Applicants  

To be eligible, applicants must:  

• be based in B.C.; 

• be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in B.C.; 

• have a minimum of two years in operation; and 

• Made no less than $50,000 in annual revenue during the previous two years from the production (farm, grow, raise) of primary B.C. agriculture commodities (e.g., fruit, vegetables, grains, livestock, etcetera). The Ministry reserves the right to waive the minimum farm revenue requirement for underrepresented groups. 
  • For farmers who have experienced crop loss due to weather or other factors beyond their control that has impacted their revenues in the two years prior to applying, exceptions to these revenue requirements will be made if they can demonstrate they have reached the $50k threshold for two of the past five years. If so, the funding cap will be applied based on the revenue value prior to crop loss.  

The following applicant types are eligible for this Program: 

1. Agriculture producers (i.e., farmers, growers, or ranchers) of primary agriculture commodities; and 

1. Indigenous businesses or entrepreneurs that are majority-owned by Indigenous individuals or communities (at least 51%) and produce primary agricultural commodities or engage in traditional food production practices.  

Ineligible Applicants  

The following applicants are ineligible for this Program: 

• operations that grow, process or handle health or nutrition supplements, pet food or food not intended for human consumption, or cannabis; 

• food and beverage processors, wholesalers, distributors, farm input suppliers, restaurants, and other food service establishments; 

• unlicensed, unregistered, or uninspected facilities; 

• food packing operations located off-farm; 

• aquaculture and seafood production/processing businesses; and 

• any other business that does not fall within the scope of eligible applicants in this Program Guide.

Application Process  

Applicants will be required to submit a funding application through the application portal during the call period, August 20 to October 6, 2024.

All applicants will be required to provide:    

• Annual organization revenues from the previous two years, specifically from the production of (e.g., farm, grow, raise) primary B.C. agriculture commodities (e.g., fruit, vegetables, grains, livestock, etcetera). Organization revenues related to other activities must not be included;  

• CRA Business Registration Number;  

• Confirmation of quote(s) from the technology supplier for the purchase to substantiate the funding request amount and delivery timelines;  

• Confirmation of a proposed delivery date (required by March 20, 2025) for the items to be purchased, once an application is approved (note: approval decisions will be communicated to applicants in late October or early November);  

• An estimate of the hours that the technology will save for your business operations;  

• An estimate of the service life of the technology from the company; and  

• An estimate of the anticipated payback period for the investment.
  
  
  

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This program supports the adoption of commercially available, labour-saving technologies on farms. These technologies should be new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region. The goal is to enhance farm profitability, productivity, and efficiency. 

New technology could include, but is not limited to, a newly created technology that differs significantly from existing technologies in-use, an existing technology that is modified to meet different requirements, or an existing technology that is implemented in different situations. These technologies or equipment must be new to the applicant, viable and commercialized (TRL level 9). This would include technologies that are readily commercially available, and/or have been successfully tested and proven to work in its final form or iteration under real-life and operational conditions.

This competition aims to support the ability of farming agriculture businesses to grow, raise, harvest, pack, or store crops and animals more effectively, productively, or profitably through labour-saving technologies.

Labour-saving technology for this program means:  

• Technology that reduces the hours spent on a particular task;
  
• Technology that increases the productivity per worker, e.g., implementing a new piece of equipment that has advanced capabilities to speed up the pace of the worker or increase the output from the worker by streamlining specific actions that the worker takes, such as how the autonomous picking platform works; and/or 
  
• Technology that reduces workforce, e.g., from 4 staff to 3 staff by implementing a piece of automated equipment.

Ineligible Expenses 

The following costs are not eligible under the B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program. The list below is not an exhaustive list and Applicants are encouraged to reach out to Program Management to confirm if an expense is eligible: 

• Leasing costs; 

• Maintenance and repair costs; 

• Fees for permits, approvals, or legal activities; 

• Costs of ongoing activities; 

• Financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees, and charges; 

• Extended warranties on equipment, electronics, or technology purchases; 

• Expenses related to aquaponic food production, or to aquaculture, seaweed, fish and seafood production and processing; and 

• Purchases made before application is approved, or expenses after the project completion date unless consent is received from the Program. 

Ineligible Activities

The Program does not cover the activities mentioned below. However, please get in touch with Program Management to confirm if a particular activity qualifies, especially if a detailed rationale can be provided on how the activity is an innovative labour-saving solution that is also new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region. 

• Items that are commonly used for recreational or non-agricultural purposes (e.g., iPads, TVs, and recreational drones); 
• Activities related to aquaponic food production, or to aquaculture, seaweed, fish and seafood production and processing; 
• New building construction including sheds, barns, or storages (for products or by-products). 
• Purchase of closed environment structures for farming;  
• Drones; 
• Greenhouses and poly tunnels; 
• Indoor lighting, aeroponics technology, or irrigation systems (e.g., piping). 
• Plant propagation and growing media; 
• Subscriptions for management software or apps after the first year. 
• Used equipment; 
• Technology that is non-compliant with all federal and provincial laws and regulations; and
• Purchases of common technologies that are already widely used in the specific sector (unless they offer significantly novel features or functionalities that innovatively address repetitive and labour-intensive tasks, or present a labour-saving solution that is new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region).

^*Proposals that include technologies mentioned above will still be considered if the technology requested: 

• Has substantially novel features or functionalities that address repetitive and labour-intensive tasks in an innovative way; and 

• Is an innovative labour-saving solution that is also new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region.  

For example, an irrigation system (common) that can also apply diluted liquid manure (agricultural by products), that is autonomous and navigates an irregularly shaped field using RTK-GPS guidance, while unrolling an irrigation drag line, and then returns back across the field, rolling the drag line back onto the unit would still be eligible.  

Please contact Program Management at integratedmarkets@innovatebc.ca if you have questions about the eligibility of a specific technology that meets the two requirements above.

• Impact on labour savings, productivity, efficiency, and/or profitability;  
• The type of technology/innovation being purchased (with a higher emphasis on applications that will result in technologies/innovations being purchased and installed that are entirely new to B.C. and/or a specific commodity sector); and  
• The project budget and timeline.   

If an application is approved, the Applicant will be informed of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions via email within a target three to four week period post-call close (e.g. late October to early November 2024). The Applicant will then be invited to enter into a Funding Agreement with Innovate BC which outlines the obligations of each party for the approved project.

If an application is not approved, the Applicant will be notified of the decision by email and will be provided an opportunity for additional feedback should they wish to request it.   

*Applicants must not use other government funding sources to cover the minimum Applicant contribution amount. 

Have questions? Email us at integratedmarkets@innovatebc.ca

Ready to apply? Apply now.