The application window for the Fertilizer Challenge has now closed as of November 4, 2022 and successful projects are underway.

Overview

The Ontario government is investing up to $2 million over two years in the Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge. This investment will support made-in-Ontario solutions to increase the availability of fertilizer options, alternatives and technology, ensuring farmers have the tools they need so that Ontarians can rely on a safe and stable food supply.

The Fertilizer Challenge provides funding to Ontario-based organizations to take your alternative fertilizer products and solutions to market.

The Fertilizer Challenge is delivered by Bioenterprise Canada, a national non-profit business accelerator.

About the Fertilizer Challenge

The Fertilizer Challenge is helping transition alternative fertilizers solutions from the research and validation phase to successful commercialization and market entry.

Commercialization and market entry is:

  • address the dependency of Ontario agriculture on imported fertilizers
  • provide alternatives to traditional fertilizers to ensure a continuous and cost-effective supply of fertilizer products to Canadian agriculture

Eligibility

Applicant eligibility

Eligible applicants must:

  • be located in Ontario
  • be a corporation, partnership, sole proprietor or unincorporated association, including an Indigenous community or band council
  • have an alternative fertilizer solution (for example, product, process, technology or system) at or beyond Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 at the start of the project

Project eligibility

Eligible projects will address the risks in the fertilizer supply chain and drive economic and environmental benefits back to the Ontario ecosystem.

Eligible projects include activities that will result in:

  • advancing alternative fertilizer product(s)/solution(s) to market
  • demonstrating efficacy, efficiency, and performance validation of new alternative fertilizer product(s)/solution(s)

All projects must advance the solution towards market readiness, and the solution must be at a minimum readiness level of TRL 7 at the start of the project.

We will give priority to projects that plan to advance solutions to market (TRL 9) by the end of spring 2023.

Projects advancing solutions to market by the end of fall 2023 are eligible and will be considered for funding, if available.

Contracted projects

Contracted projects are approved for funding and currently underway from the following organizations:

Project duration

The duration of your project can be up to 14 months. It must begin no earlier than September 8, 2022 and end no later than November 15, 2023.

Funding

You can get up to $200,000 in project-based matching funding. You can request up to 70% of the total eligible project budget.

Eligible costs

With some limitations, this challenge can support the cost of:

  • internal employee labour
  • consulting and professional service providers
  • equipment
  • consumables
  • essential travel expenses
  • legal costs
  • other direct/indirect project costs

All project activities must take place in Ontario with eligible costs incurred in Ontario.

Read the Project Guidelines for full details.

Contact us

For more information about the Ferilizer Challenge, reach out to Bioenterprise at submissions@bioenterprise.ca.