2023-2028 OSCIA Grants

What is the purpose of OSCIA Grants?

OSCIA is providing funding exclusively to OSCIA local and regional associations to support key communication activities and on-farm applied research. The grants presented demonstrate further value to membership.

Success of the grants is achieved when strategic outcomes are realized:

  • Focused activities that align with stated OSCIA research priorities, or otherwise have the strong support of multiple counties/districts or regions;
  • Defendable applied research results that benefit the broader membership;
  • Capture the interests of members, encourage grassroots innovation, educate and build awareness;
  • Wherever possible, support projects that build on unique OSCIA interests, and its role in Ontario agriculture.

The OSCIA grants are available to local and regional associations to support events and activities that provide opportunities to transfer knowledge and share experience with new technologies, production practices and sustainability. OSCIA grants are currently being offered for projects completed between April 1, 2023, and February 15, 2028.

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2023-2028 OSCIA Grant Guidelines

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is providing funding from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to OSCIA to help support key knowledge transfer activities and on-farm applied research. The funding is supporting Collaborative Activities, Communication and Outreach, and Grassroots Research grants. Financial contributions have also been committed by OSCIA.

The grants presented are available exclusively to OSCIA local and regional associations and demonstrate further value to membership.

View Grant Guidelines

Collaborative Activities Grants

The Collaborative Activities Grants (formerly Tier One Grants) are available to support events such as: Educational Activities, Field Days, Guest Speakers, Bus Tours, In-Field Trials, or Demonstrations of New Equipment or Management Techniques.

These grants are available to support OSCIA county/district or regional activities. Applications are submitted by the local/regional OSCIA association. Please contact your local association to discuss ideas or suggestions for submitting an application. You can find their contact information here.

OSCIA supports Collaborative Activities Grants and stipulates the purpose of the funding is to evaluate, demonstrate, and communicate new crop production technology to Ontario stakeholders. This is to be achieved from the perspectives of production, innovation, economic and environment, with the overall objective to improve the sustainability of crop production in Ontario and to extend the information and experiences to Ontario stakeholders.

It is essential that the intended purpose closely aligns with the Grant Guidelines for these projects. Up to $2,500 for each county/district or region will be available annually for activities between April 1, 2023 – February 15, 2028 to support eligible activities across the Province

Collaborative Activities Grant Guidelines

  • Educational activities such as field days, guest speakers at events, and bus tours or in-field trials or demonstrations designed to provide guidance on new equipment or management techniques;
  • Available to an individual OSCIA county/district or regions;
  • The application form and a detailed communication plan (if applicable) must be submitted to the provincial OSCIA office for full approval before the event/activity occurs. 
  • Records must be kept for seven years from the conclusion of the funding program so that the actual costs and expenses are available for audit purposes if requested.
  • Local/regional associations may pool Collaborative Activities funding towards the same activity/project. In such a case only one application is required per project, however all participating parties must be clearly listed with contact people. To trigger payment, each participating SCIA must submit a claim form with proof of payment.  Proof of payment requirements are detailed in the Grant Guidelines;
  • Pre-approval is required and is quickly completed by OSCIA staff;
  • 100% cost-share up to $2,500 per local/regional association;
  • Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Local/regional associations must submit a detailed application to trigger a grant allocation recorded in the provincial OSCIA office. This guarantees the funds will be available if the project is completed and the claim is submitted on time;
  • One or more projects may be claimed over the year, up to the maximum of $2,500 available per county/district or region;
  • Project findings are to be communicated through appropriate meetings, newsletters/flyers, and social media;
  • Approved Collaborative Activities project funding cannot be rolled from one project year to the next.
  • Soil conservation/health
  • New technology developments
  • New crop production and development
  • Climate change mitigation practices
  • Environmental protection
  • In-field trial guidelines:
    • Collaboration with an OMAFRA Specialist and/or a researcher is recommended;
    • All applications must provide the following details for all-field trials:
      • Objective
      • Background
      • Locations
      • Communication and outreach project type and timelines
      • Linkages with other organizations
      • Responsible person(s)
  • Recognition of OSCIA and other funding partners must be included in all communication activities. A Communication Strategy must be submitted and include an on-site field day for at least one of the project sites;
  • A communication strategy should be developed for each project, including tours, press releases and final reports at local and regional OSCIA meetings;
  • Purchases of services and supplies to support knowledge transfer and applied research activities.
  • New technology attachments and modifications to existing field machinery for field scale demonstration. The proposal must include a documented plan on how the purchased item is to be disposed of/used at the end of the project.
  • Rental of equipment necessary to carry out knowledge transfer and applied research activities (e.g.,field equipment to establish plots or hold demonstrations, audio-visual equipment, scientific monitoring equipment.
  • Purchase of goods to support knowledge transfer and applied research activities.
  • Labor over and above normal farm practices.
  • Inputs and services that are over and above normal farm practices.
  • Coordination or planning of new, approved knowledge transfer event(s) (e.g., soil health meeting or field trip).
  • Postage, nutrition breaks, food, refreshments.
  • Donations to other organizations.
  • Door prizes
  • Projects that are not fully accountable to the funding requirements set by OMAFRA.
  • Support for existing or on-going events (such as hall rental for annual meetings) or Secretary stipend/fees. Funds spent prior to grant approval may not be eligible for reimbursement.
  • Equipment maintenance, routine association business or normal farm activities (e.g., tile drainage, reforestation, land clearing, crop variety trials).
  • Compensation for lost yield as a result of field trials.
  • The Collaborative Activities grant cannot be used in combination with  Communication and Outreach or Grassroots Research grants. 
  • Approved Collaborative Activities project funding cannot be rolled from one project year to the next.
  • Costs incurred prior to April 1 in the year the project was approved for funding.

Collaborative Activities Grant Application and Claim Form

Click on the application and claim form images to download the fillable PDF forms for your local/regional SCIA.


Application Form

Application Form
 
Claim Form

 

Claim Form

Collaborative Activities Grants Frequently Asked Questions

The previous grant structure that many of you have been familiar with has been replaced with a new structure, effective April 1, 2023. Please take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the new grant structure, available on our website here. Should you have further questions/concerns please do not hesitate to contact us  at:

grassrootsgrants@ontariosoilcrop.org 

OR

519-826-5405.

 

Grant applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as of April 1 of each government fiscal year up to the maximum eligible for each local/regional association (i.e. $2,500). Allocations will be granted to pre-approved projects up to the total amount of funding available for that year. Projects that proceed without pre-approval from the Guelph office will risk forfeiting the grant. Claim forms for all Collaborative Activities must be completed and received in the Guelph office by the date listed for each year in the Grant Guidelines.

The Collaborative Activities grant has been designed as 100% cost-share up to a maximum of $2,500 per county/district/region annually.

Yes, Pre-approval is required to keep track of budget and manage expectations. We wish to avoid any disappointment resulting in an association going ahead with a project only to find out the funds have already been fully allocated.

Each county/district or region can apply for up to $2,500 in cost-share per year. This can be made up of one or multiple projects.

Yes. Each Collaborative Activities grant must standalone and be complete by the end of the fiscal year. A project may be enhanced with additional features in the second year, or repeated if beneficial and appropriate.

Yes, local/regional associations may pool Collaborative Activities funding towards the same project/activity. If local/regional associations choose to pool resources for a project only one application is required per project, however all participating parties must be clearly listed with contact people. To trigger payment, each participating SCIA must submit a claim form with proof of payment. 

Collaborative Activities applications require that the applicants list all associated costs. These are specific costs the association expects to incur during the project time frame, in part or in whole. At claim time OSCIA will ask for all project costs to be listed on the claim form, as well as contributions that have been made from other sources (cash and in-kind). These contributions listed on the claim form provides a positive report to the Ministry on how their funds leveraged additional contributions towards approved projects from the farm community.

 

Ian MacDonald, an Crop Innovations Specialist with OMAFRA, has created a helpful guide on how to best optimize on-farm field trials. The guide can be found here 

Communication and Outreach Grants

The Communications and Outreach grant  will support Regional Communication Coordinators (part-time service contractors hired by each regional board) in OSCIA’s eleven regions to ongoing communications and facilitation of activities to encourage communication and knowledge sharing among OSCIA members and event attendees.

The available funding totals  $6,000 per year per region. Access and conditions to receiving the Regional Communication and Outreach Grant will be coordinated through the provincial OSCIA office, through the Service Contract agreement. Funds allocated but not used within each fiscal year of the stated timeframe will be forfeited by that regional association. 

The overarching purpose of the funding is to evaluate, demonstrate, and communicate new crop production technology to Ontario stakeholders. This is to be achieved from the perspectives of production, innovation, economic and environment, with the overall objective to improve the sustainability of crop production in Ontario and to extend the information and experiences to Ontario stakeholders. 

These activities are expected to support successful and sustainable agri-food and agri-product businesses as well as goals to increase competitiveness of the sector through innovation. An objective of the funding is also to increase membership engagement in local associations. 

It is recognized that additional funds are often generated at the regional level to combine with the Communication and Outreach Grant to support communication activities. The decision on how the additional communication dollars are invested is solely up to the Region. 

All claims  MUST be received  in the Provincial office at least bi-annually  (September and March). 

Please Note:

To enable OSCIA to meet stringent reporting deadlines set by the Ministry, project claim submission dates must be adhered to.
All claims for projects approved between April 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 must be submitted to the provincial office by March 1, 2022.
All claims for projects approved between April 1, 2022 and February 1, 2023, must be submitted to the provincial office by February 8, 2023.

Communication and Outreach Grant Guidelines

  • Questions about the Communication and Outreach Grant Guidelines  should be directed to grassrootsgrants@ontariosoilcrop.org.
  • Regional associations are also encouraged to leverage funds through sponsorships and advertising from outside sources.
  • All public-facing communication materials must be approved by OSCIA before release. If appropriate, the OSCIA logo should be placed on all public-facing communication materials. Allow a minimum of two weeks for the approval process. Please contact grassrootsgrants@ontariosoilcrop.org at OSCIA for further information, including electronic files for the logo and details on placement.
  • The claim form must be completed and signed to trigger a claim through the Guelph office. Acceptable proof of payment must be included with the claim; proof of payment requirements are detailed in the Grant Guidelines.
  • An electronic report on RCC activities is required annually and must be sent to the provincial OSCIA office before January 15 of the following year. Please refer to previous Annual Conference reports for any needed guidance on format.
  • Records must be kept for seven years from the conclusion of the funding program so that the actual costs and expenses are available for audit purposes if requested.
  • RCC time for planning, organizing, promoting and assisting at regional and local events, including events that increase youth engagement in local Associations;
  • RCC support attendance at OSCIA knowledge transfer events to write articles and provide opportunities for increased communication and outreach through knowledge transfer activities;
  • RCC time spent developing new or updating an existing Regional Landing Page and/or a Regional Website, featuring and sharing leading technology transfer produced for local members. This includes posting upcoming events, local contact information and membership/support information;
  • Activities such as podcasts, videos, and webinars to evaluate, demonstrate, and communicate new crop production technology and sustainability practices to members and other stakeholders. These should include aspects of production, innovation, economic and environment, with the overall objective to improve the sustainability of crop production in Ontario and to extend the information and experiences to Ontario farmers;
  • Costs associated with printing The Innovator newsletter or membership materials;
  • Labour, mileage, and services and supplies. Mileage rates must comply with the allowances set by the Province and included in the transfer payment agreement. Contact grassrootsgrants@ontariosoilcrop.org for details.
  • Postage;
  • Refreshments, nutrition breaks or food items;
  • Donations to other organizations;
  • Costs incurred prior to April 1 of the fiscal year of the grant claim;
  • Printing or mailing of local landing page material or Regional updates mailed out to members;
  • Communication and Outreach grant cannot be used in combination with Collaborative Activities or Grassroots Research Grants.

Communication and Outreach Grant Claim Form

Download the Communication and Outreach Grant Claim form


Claim Form

Claim Form

Grassroots Research Grants

The Grassroots Research Grants support large-scale, three-year projects throughout the province, encouraging innovation and collaboration. The projects span across five major themes: soil health, sustainable crop production, economic and agronomics, emission reduction (greenhouse gases and carbon in cropping systems), or innovative cropping practice.

Funding is available exclusively to OSCIA regional associations. If you have an idea for a project, please contact your regional SCIA to discuss your idea. 

For regional SCIA boards looking for more information about Grassroots Research Grants, please contact research@ontariosoilcrop.org.

Videos highlighting Tier Two projects

These videos were filmed during the 2020 OSCIA annual conference and highlight the second year findings of these projects.

Making Relay Cropping Pay

Maximixing Cereal Rye Cover Crop Management

#RootsNotIron – Phase 2

AgTiv Mycorrhizal Inoculant Trial

Soil health as it related to Yield

Research Do’s and Don’ts

These videos were filmed during the 2019 OSCIA annual conference and highlight the first year results from three of our seven Tier Two projects.

Compaction Recovery with Cover Crops

Maximizing Cereal Rye Cover Crop Management for Multiple Benefits

#RootsNotIron – Phase 2

Funding Statement

This project is funded in part from the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative

The views expressed in the reports are the views of OSCIA and do not necessarily reflect those of the Province or Canada.

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