Winning At Funding Applications

Friday, February 21, 2025

Turning Paperwork into Progress

By Emily Mckinlay

Funding programs are an opportunity for farmers to improve their land and equipment, while encouraging growth and advances in the agricultural industry.

Some producers have found it challenging to stay up to date and navigate these program applications, leading to a hesitancy to apply.

Is there a way to reduce the stress associated with these programs?

Lloyd Holbrook is a recently retired pork and crop producer from Bruce County who now focuses on a few animals, market gardening and logging. He says that he once had success with cost-share funding and grants, but lately, he has become discouraged.

“I used grants to purchase a no-till drill and reduced tillage equipment, and for putting up a wash bay for hog trailers,” recalls Holbrook.

In more recent years he has found the paperwork has increased, it is harder to reach the necessary people, and it seems like the money was allocated within hours of the intake period opening.

“All the time, effort, and planning were wasted. I tried that for a couple of years, and it was all a waste of time,” Holbrook shares.

“I worked 70 or more hours per week, and I have children, so my time is very valuable. I will never apply to that kind of program again.”

Others have expressed similar sentiments, but these programs are provided to help farmers.

How can they find more success and see the intended benefits of the programs?

Finding programs

Cost-share and grant programs are available for a variety of projects across many commodities and farm sizes. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) acts as the administrator for many of these opportunities.

Sara Lin Barron, director of programs at OSCIA, says that as the delivery agent for these programs, they want to see farmers be successful.

“We recognize the benefits that cost-share funding has for farmers and that every application is tied back to a farm and farm business,” says Barron.

“We want to see farmers be successful in their applications. We are here to provide that necessary information and support farmers through this process.”

OSCIA works on behalf of several of its funding partners, including OMAFA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Information about all the programs delivered by OSCIA is listed on their website.

With so many options, it may be difficult to know when each program opens, and for how long. Joining an email list could be beneficial for producers with a project in mind.

Jonathan Giret, president and CEO of Elite Agri Solutions, says that their company provides many consulting services to improve farms. This includes environmental management, nutrient management, farm safety, business planning, energy auditing, and grant support and management. They also offer a subscription service which helps producers stay up to date on changes in funding programs.

“Many programs are active on social media and emails, so if you subscribe to all the email lists, and are conscious of social media, you can follow them that way. Many programs are also highlighted in the farm publications,” says Giret.

“To simplify this, Elite Agri Solutions also offers a subscription service that highlights all the programs we are following in one email, which is launched as we find programs. We call it the grants newsletter, and it’s available on our website.”

Barron also recommends subscribing to the OSCIA programs email list and keeping in touch with their field representatives.

“We have field representative staff who are located across the whole province,” says Barron.

“Our field staff attend trade shows, speaking engagements, and local Soil and Crop Association meetings. They are a resource for inquiries on which programs are open and the opportunities that may be upcoming.”

Once producers have identified a funding program that matches their farm project, they may still find some challenges in the application process.

Application challenges

When applying for cost-share funding and grants, some producers find it difficult to identify which projects are eligible.

Barron states that the best place to start is to read the program guide.

“Program guides are on the OSCIA website,” says Barron.

“The guides detail when an application intake period opens and closes, who is eligible to apply, what is eligible in each project category, and what is not eligible. The program guide details the amount of funding available, the documentation required with the application, and how to submit the application.”

Holbrook says that the one struggle he has encountered is the accessibility of the wording.

“The literature is written in government, income-tax-style bafflegab designed to cover themselves and have the program, but by wording it difficultly, they are hiding all that it would cover,” says Holbrook.

“It was only by a chance contact with certain OMAFA or OSCIA people that I was made aware of what was available. The grants were nothing like what was advertised in the literature. You have to know an insider who will tell you how to apply for the project. Those people are too busy and are not widely available for all programs.”

He explains this frustration was compounded when additional courses, interviews, or contacts were required, and he felt that often the grant money was not available past a few hours into the application period.

To some producers, this feels exclusionary and like additional work is added while they are consistently busy throughout the year.

Giret says that he sees available time as a challenge to these applications.

“The biggest issue I think farmers have following programs is they don’t have enough time to stay up to date on programs. It’s a challenge to manage the details of the growing season or the daily routines of raising livestock, or growing specialty crops,” says Giret.

“Sometimes these funding programs launch and close quickly, and if a farmer is in the middle of planting or harvest or a big project, by the time they circle back to research it, the program has likely closed.”

Not at all these challenges have been addressed to increase accessibility, but there a few strategies that can save some producers some stress.

More successful applications

As some applications grow to include more requirements and documentation, there is more work to do. Producers should start early to increase their chances of success.

“One of the greatest challenges we see are farmers waiting until intake is almost closed to submit their application, says Barron.

“Often, the folks who are not successful are those who wait until the day before intakes close and find they don’t have the necessary documentation. Some of the for example, may require a quote, or a certificate of completion for the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP).”

To increase their chances of success, she recommends setting aside the time necessary to be prepared.

“The No. 1 step before starting an application is to carefully and thoroughly read the information in the online program guide,” says Barron.

“Key factors that increase success are that the application is complete, that the required information has been provided, and the proposed project is eligible. When an application is submitted, it is initially assessed for completeness. Those eligible applications have the best chance of being successful.”

Giret agrees that the planning for these applications should start early.

“The biggest thing a farmer can do to prepare for programs is to have their capital expenses and on-farm investments planned out as far in advance as possible,” says Giret.

“That helps them leverage the programs as they come out. If you’re trying to find funding for a project you’re about to start, you’re too late.”

He adds, “The program guides are critical; many farmers read the first few sentences of a grant and start putting together an application only to find out later that the project wasn’t eligible, and that can be frustrating.”

Barron notes that there are two types of programs: Continuous intake or merit-based.

“In a continuous intake program, the application is submitted and reviewed on a continuous basis and will remain open until the budget is fully allocated,” she explains.

Application timing for these programs may be more critical.

“For merit-based programs, there is usually a defined intake period. Timing that the application is submitted isn’t a factor. All applications that are submitted are reviewed for completeness, eligibility, and merit.”

She says there is no wordsmithing necessary to succeed with these applications. Barron recommends writing clearly and concisely to accurately describe the eligible project that the farm hopes to complete.

As a farmer, Holbrook would still like to see improvements to the descriptions and wording of the program guides. For current applications, he recommends talking to someone at the delivery agency to ensure their project is eligible and the program details are well understood.

Barron says, “Ultimately, it’s the understanding of what is eligible and including a clear summary of the project which notes the equipment and materials, and making sure they align with the program guide that will give farmers the best chance of success.

“Reach out to us and we can help work through any challenges and questions.” BF