International Agri-Food Workers Welcoming Communities Initiative

Overview

The International Agri-Food Workers Welcoming Community Initiative (the Initiative) provides funding to not-for-profits and municipalities to:

• foster independence of international agri-food workers (IAWs)
• improve access to community services
• support an inclusive and welcoming environment for the attraction and retention of IAWs

Funding for the Initiative comes from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year (2023 to 2028) investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments. Up to $1.5 million has been allocated for the Initiative.

Important dates

Application intake will open October 8, 2024.

The deadline to apply is November 19, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Eligibility

Refer to the Initiative guidelines (PDF) for detailed requirements.

Applicants

Applicant must be one of the following:

• a not-for-profit organization
• a municipality

Collaborators are encouraged and can be for-profit businesses.

Projects

Projects must do at least one of the following:

• foster independence of IAWs
• improve access to community services
• support an inclusive and welcoming environment for the attraction and retention of IAWs

Funding

You could get 75% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $100,000 per project.

Projects with a demonstrated financial need, could get 85% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $100,000.

You can submit multiple applications for multiple projects under the Initiative, but projects must be completed within 24 months and by September 30, 2027. The maximum funding you can receive for all projects under the Initiative is $100,000.

Stacking

You may apply for and receive other government or third-party funding if the other programs allow stacking.

You may not submit an application for a project where you have already received funding for that project through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

If you have received funding for the project through other sources, the total assistance provided from all funding sources cannot be greater than 100% of the total eligible costs. All funding for a project, including from additional sources, must be listed on the application form.

How to apply

1. Download and read the Initiative guidelines (PDF).
2. Download and complete the application form (PDF).
3. Gather the required documents.
4. Submit the application and required documents to SustainableCAP2@ontario.ca

Required documents

In addition to your application form, supporting documents are encouraged but not required under the initiative, including:

• written quotes from third parties detailing the proposed eligible costs for the project
• documented community support
• additional documentation from collaborators or third-party quotes

After you apply

After you submit your application, we will send you an acknowledgement email within 5 business days.

If your application is missing any information, we will not assess it and you will be notified via email. You will be required to submit a new application that has complete information.

Complete applications will be assessed against eligibility and merit criteria.

Selection process

Ministry staff will review completed application forms to determine whether the applicant is eligible to participate in the Initiative.

Projects by eligible applicants will be evaluated based on the extent to which the following criteria are met:

• relevance to intended purpose of the Initiative
• inclusivity
• sustainability
• collaboration
• project work plan
• project budget
• project oversight

If you are not approved

We will email you about the decision.

If you are approved

We will email you about the decision. We will also email you an approval letter.

You will need to meet several obligations including:

• signing the approval letter
• registering with Transfer Payment Ontario
• registering with Supply Ontario to receive payments
• submitting a final claim and final report

Refer to Initiative guidelines (PDF) for detailed instructions.