SmartGrowth Program

The SmartGrowth Program provides SMEs in southern Ontario's food and agri-technology sectors access to acceleration financing to support scale-up and expansion projects.

We’re looking for the most innovative food and agri-tech companies in southern Ontario who are ready to scale-up and expand. If that’s your company, tell us about it.

What is SmartGrowth Program?

SmartGrowth invites food and agri-tech businesses with innovative technologies to lead impactful projects that will accelerate their business growth and profitability while strengthening the regional economy for southern Ontario and Canada’s agri-technology industries.

Project details

Project Duration: Sample duration of project.

Funding Available: Up to 100,000 in non-repayable funding

Project eligibility

Companies applying for the Bioenterprise SmartGrowth Program must be:

• For-profit SMEs with technologies at or beyond Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7+) stage of development
• Businesses that operate in the food and agri-tech sectors and provide a benefit (directly or indirectly) to local and provincial agriculture and/or the producer/processor community
• Businesses that have less than 500 employees
• Incorporated in Canada and headquartered in southern Ontario (regions are outlined in the Program Guide)
• Businesses that have raised a minimum of $200,000 in Working Capital in the 2021 calendar year*

* Working Capital includes:

• Sales revenues (minimum of $100,000) plus
• Non-Arm’s Length Equity Investments raised

Timeline

June 1, 2022
– Round 4 Program Launch

July 5, 2022 at 12pm
 EST – LOI Submission Deadline

July 18, 2022
- Short-listed Applicants Notified

August 4, 2022 – Full Application Deadline

September 1, 2022 – Successful Applicants Notified

Application process

Applications for funding under the SmartGrowth Program will be accepted in a two-phase process, consisting of an open call for Letters of Intent (LOIs) and an invitation-only Full Application.

All application templates, including the Program Guide and Applicant Guides, are available in the Application Toolkit.

If your enterprise meets all the eligibility criteria, you can apply to the SmartGrowth Program by following these steps:

• Complete the SmartGrowth R4: Letter of Intent (LOI) Written Proposal Template
• Complete the SmartGrowth R4: LOI Intake Form
• Attach the completed LOI Written Proposal along with a business plan and/or pitch deck and submit

Please reference Applicant Guide I for detailed instructions on how to submit an LOI. Upon submitting an LOI, a confirmation email will be provided. Only successful LOI Applicants will be invited to submit a Full Application.

Please note, Short-listed Applicants submitting a Full Application will be required to pay a one-time, non-refundable Application Fee of $200 + HST. Exceptions may apply to members of The Engine in good standing.

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