Innovation Support Fund

The Innovation Support Fund (ISF) is available to companies for developing new and re-formulated dairy and finished food products which have the potential to expand the market for milk.

Eligibility Criteria

• dairy product manufacturers
• further processors

To qualify for assistance under this fund in terms of specific technical consultations, a company must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) that it can meet at least one of the following criteria:

• incorporate a dairy ingredient in a finished product formulation where no dairy ingredient(s) had been previously used;
• replace a substitute ingredient in a product formulation with a dairy ingredient, or significantly increase the dairy content in an existing product formulation;
• develop and market an innovative dairy product;
• develop and market an innovative further processed product containing dairy ingredients.

Eligible Activities

• adopting existing/new technologies
• access to expert consultation
• pilot scale trials
• product analysis
• sensory testing
• packaging techniques
• review of labelling regulations/label re-design
• controlled focus group testing
• accessing market research data

Summary

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Manitoba Contact(s):
See National Contact.

National Contact(s):
Mark Lalonde
Chief of Marketing Programs
Canadian Dairy Commission
Building 55, NCC Driveway
Central Experimental Farm
960 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0Z2
Telephone: 613-792-2072
Fax: 613-792-2009
Toll-free (information): 1-866-366-0676
TTY (hearing impaired): 613-792-2082
E-mail: mlalonde@agr.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.cdc-ccl.gc.ca/cdc/index_en.asp?caid=85
 

The Innovation Support Fund provides financial support and expertise in the areas of product analysis, pilot scale trials and packaging techniques and various costs commonly associated with adopting new technologies/processes. Funding may be provided for some of the up-front costs for advice in investigating the feasibility of new projects.

The ISF will focus primarily on small and medium companies who typically lack the resources, time and expertise to resolve dairy product innovation and/or product re-formulation issues. However, the Fund is available to all dairy and food processors.

FUNDING

a) In the case where a company is seeking a preliminary consultation with a recognized food science and technology institution or expert for consultation purposes, the CDC may refund a certain amount of the costs associated with that consultation, up to a maximum of 7.5 hours. Please refer to the terms and conditions of the CDC’s Direct Access Fund.

b) If a project proposal is deemed eligible as per the specific criteria of the program, the amount of funding to be provided shall not exceed 75% of the eligible costs associated with the project, up to a limit of $25 000. The CDC reserves the right to determine the amount of funding to be allocated to a project based on its ability to contribute to growth and innovation in the manufacture/use of dairy products/components.

The Program Guide and Application Guide can be downloaded from the MILKingredients.ca Web site.