Alberta Value-Added Program: Funding Available for Food and Bio-Industrial Processors

SCAP Alberta’s Value-Added Program is designed to support diversification, innovation, growth, and prosperity in Alberta’s value-added food and bio-industrial sectors. The program provides funding for eligible projects that help processors increase company sales, expand production capacity, create jobs, and pursue new market opportunities in Alberta.

Funding applications will be accepted until program funding has been fully allocated for this intake period, making it important for eligible applicants to assess their projects early.

Program Overview

Delivered through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership in Alberta, the Value-Added Program supports food processors and bio-industrial processors that are changing agricultural products into value-added products.

The program is intended to help eligible Alberta businesses invest in projects that support growth, innovation, competitiveness, and market expansion across the province’s agri-food and bio-industrial sectors.

Funding Information

The Value-Added Program includes two funding streams based on applicant sales and project funding requirements.

Stream A

Eligible applicants may request up to $50,000 in grant funding.

To qualify under Stream A, applicants must have annual sales between $25,000 and $10 million.

Stream B

Eligible applicants may request between $50,001 and $250,000 in grant funding.

To qualify under Stream B, applicants must have annual sales of at least $1 million.

Cost-Share Information

Eligible costs are shared between the applicant and the program based on the type of expense.

For non-capital expenses, costs are shared at a 50% applicant / 50% program cost-share rate, with a maximum grant amount of $50,000 for non-capital expenses.

For capital expenses, costs are shared at a 75% applicant / 25% program cost-share rate.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include food processors and bio-industrial processors that are in the business of changing an agricultural product into a value-added product.

Applicants must also be an individual, corporation, partnership, or co-operative registered in Alberta at the time of application.

Eligible Activities

Applicants may apply for activities under one or more of the following categories:

Processing Capacity Expansion

Eligible activities may include:

• Processing equipment, including third-party installation
• Food safety equipment that supports Process Control and/or Critical Control Point implementation
• Software systems

Food Safety Improvement

Eligible activities may include:

• Development and implementation of a food safety system
• Third-party training costs associated with adopting new technologies, equipment, and food safety processes
• Equipment and processes related to food safety improvements

New Product and Process Development

Eligible activities may include:

• Sensory and shelf-life testing
• Validation and regulatory studies
• Process improvement
• Scale-up trials

Market Development and Access

Eligible activities may include:

• Feasibility studies
• Market readiness assessments
• Tradeshow and conference registration fees
• Marketing and export plan development for local, domestic, and international markets

Market development and access activities must be targeted at a new marketing channel in a domestic and/or international marketplace.

Why This Program Matters

For Alberta food and bio-industrial processors, the Value-Added Program offers an opportunity to move forward with projects that may otherwise be delayed due to capital costs, equipment expenses, product development requirements, or market entry costs.

Whether an organization is looking to expand production capacity, implement new food safety systems, validate a new product, or access new markets, this program can help reduce the cost of strategic growth projects while supporting broader economic development across Alberta.

How GrantMatch Can Help

GrantMatch helps organizations identify, assess, and secure government funding for growth-focused projects. Our team can support applicants by reviewing project eligibility, aligning project activities with program requirements, and preparing a strong funding application.

With funding available until the program allocation is fully committed, eligible Alberta processors should begin assessing their projects as soon as possible.