B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program

• February 24, 2026: Application intake opens.
• April 6, 2026: Application intake closes. 
• June 1, 2026: Funding award decisions shared with applicants.
• March 20, 2027: All technologies/products must be delivered to the farm.

Applicants will be required to submit a funding application through the application portal during the call period, February 24 to April 6, 2026.

All applicants will be required to provide:    

• annual organization revenues from the previous two years, specifically from the production of (e.g., farm, grow, raise) primary B.C. agriculture commodities (e.g., fruit, vegetables, grains, livestock). Organization revenues related to other activities must not be included;  
• CRA Business Registration Number; 
• confirmation of quote(s) from the technology supplier for the purchase to substantiate the funding request amount and delivery timeline(s);
• confirmation of a proposed delivery date(s) for the items to be purchased, once an application is approved (note: approval decisions will be communicated to applicants in June; and the latest date for delivery is March 20, 2027);
• an estimate of the hours that the technology will save for your business operations;
• an estimate of the service life of the technology from the company; and
• an estimate of the anticipated payback period for the investment.

Eligible Applicants  

To be eligible, applicants must:  

• be based in B.C.;
• be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in B.C.;
• have a minimum of two years in operation; and
• made no less than $50,000 in annual revenue during the previous two years from the production (farm, grow, raise) of primary B.C. agriculture commodities (e.g., fruit, vegetables, grains, livestock).
  • the Ministry reserves the right to waive the minimum farm revenue requirement for Indigenous applicants.
  • for farmers who have experienced crop loss due to weather or other factors beyond their control that has impacted their revenues in the two years prior to applying, exceptions to these revenue requirements will be made if they can demonstrate they have reached the $50k threshold for two of the past five years. If so, the funding cap will be applied based on the revenue value prior to crop loss.  

The following applicant types are eligible for this Program: 

1. Agriculture producers (i.e., farmers, growers, or ranchers) of primary agriculture commodities (including ornamentals/tree farms), and;
2. Indigenous businesses or entrepreneurs that are majority-owned by Indigenous individuals or communities (at least 51%) and produce primary agricultural commodities or engage in traditional food production practices.  

Ineligible Applicants  

The following applicants are ineligible for this Program: 

• operations that produce or process health or nutrition supplements, or pet food;
• food and beverage processors, wholesalers, distributors, farm input suppliers, restaurants, and other food service establishments;
• unlicensed, unregistered, or uninspected facilities;
• food packing operations located off-farm;
• aquaculture and seafood production/processing businesses; and
• any other business that does not fall within the scope of eligible applicants in this Program Guide.

This program supports the adoption of commercially available, labour-saving technologies on farms. These technologies should be new to Canada, B.C., region, or a specific commodity sector. The goal is to enhance farm profitability, productivity, and/or efficiency. 

This program aims to support the ability of farming agriculture businesses to grow, raise, harvest, pack, or store crops and animals more profitably, productively and/or efficiently through labour-saving technologies.

Labour-saving technology for this Program means:  

• technology that reduces the hours spent on a particular task; and/or
  
• technology that increases the productivity per worker, e.g., implementing a new piece of equipment that has advanced capabilities to speed up the pace of the worker or increase the output from the worker by streamlining specific actions that the worker takes, such as how the autonomous picking platform works.
  

New technology could include, but is not limited to, a newly created technology that differs significantly from existing technologies in-use, an existing technology that is modified to meet different requirements, or an existing technology that is implemented in different situations. These technologies or equipment must be new to the applicant, viable and commercialized (TRL level 9). This would include technologies that are readily commercially available, and/or have been successfully tested and proven to work in its final form or iteration under real-life and operational conditions.

Ineligible Expenses 

Before you apply, check that the technology and costs you want reimbursed by the Program are not ineligible. The lists below are not exhaustive, and Applicants are encouraged to contact Program Management (bcoftap@innovatebc.ca) to confirm if a technology and/or expense is eligible.

Ineligible expenses are:

• leasing costs;
• maintenance and repair costs;
• fees for permits, approvals, or legal activities;
• costs of ongoing activities;
• financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees, and charges;
• extended warranties on equipment, electronics, or technology purchases;
• expenses related to aquaponic food production, or to aquaculture, seaweed, fish and seafood production and processing;
• purchases made before application is approved, or expenses after the project completion date unless consent is received from the Program; and
• GST on the technology purchase.

Ineligible Purchases

The Program does not cover the purchases mentioned below. However, please get in touch with Program Management to confirm if a particular purchase qualifies, especially if a detailed rationale can be provided on how the purchase is an innovative labour-saving solution that is also new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region. 

• Items that are commonly used for recreational or non-agricultural purposes (e.g., iPads, TVs, and recreational drones);
• activities related to aquaponic food production, or to aquaculture, seaweed, fish and seafood production and processing;
• new building construction including sheds, barns, or storages (for products or by-products);
• drones for spraying pesticides; 
• infrastructure such as closed environment structures, greenhouses and poly tunnels;
• lighting, aeroponics technology, or irrigation systems (e.g., piping);
• plant propagation and growing media; 
• subscriptions for management software or apps after the first year;
• used equipment; 
• Technologies that would be funded through the activities outlined in the Beneficial Management Practices Program*;
• technology that is non-compliant with all federal and provincial laws and regulations; 
• purchases made before application is approved (this includes deposits, signature of purchase orders, or any other initiation of the purchase), or expenses after the project completion date unless consent is received from the Program; and
• purchases of common technologies that are already widely used in the specific sector (unless they offer significantly novel features or functionalities that innovatively address repetitive and labour-intensive tasks, or present a labour-saving solution that is new to Canada, B.C., a specific commodity sector, or a region).

^**Proposals that include technologies mentioned above will still be considered if the technology requested: 

• has substantially novel features or functionalities that address repetitive and labour-intensive tasks in an innovative way; and 
• is an innovative labour-saving solution that is also new to Canada, B.C., a region, or a commodity.  

Please contact Program Management at bcoftap@innovatebc.ca if you have questions about the eligibility of a specific technology that meets the two requirements above.

Submitted applications will be received and reviewed by Innovate BC. All applications received will be evaluated based only on the information submitted and will not be considered if they do not meet application eligibility criteria or are incomplete. 
 
Fully completed applications submitted by April 6, 2026, will be reviewed to ensure they meet basic eligibility criteria and will be further assessed against criteria set out by the Ministry to allocate available cost share funding to projects best aligned with the Program objectives. 

Adjudication Criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed using a competitive review process and evaluated against a range of criteria, including, but not limited to, the criteria identified here (note that questions in the application will support you to provide this information for the assessment):

50% – Innovative Technology Adoption

Applications will be asses on the extent to which the proposed project supports the adoption of innovative technologies in farm operations. Considerations may include: 

• the novelty of the technology relative to current practices in British Columbia, Canada, the applicant's region, or commodity;
• the maturity and market readiness of the product or solution;
• the incorporation of emerging or advanced technologies (e.g., automation, robotics, sensors, data analytics, or decision-support tools), and;

• alignment with modern, efficient, and scalable agricultural practices.

40% - Impact on Labour Savings and Business Case

Applications will be evaluated based on their potential to meaningfully reduce labour demands and demonstrate a strong business rationale. Considerations may include:

• expected labour savings;
• existing labour requirements addressed by the project;
• anticipated return on investment, payback period, and service life of the technology, and;
• overall financial viability and value for money. 

10% - Project Management and Timelines

Applications will be assed on the likelihood that the proposed project can be successfully delivered within program timelines. Considerations may include:

• readiness to proceed and implementation planning;
• supplier availability and delivery timelines (delivery before March 20, 2027);
• applicant capacity to manage and complete the project, and;
• identification and mitigation of key risks. 

Funding Ratio

Per distinct business and production location per funding call: 

• Maximums:
  • Up to 65% of the cost of technology can be covered by the Program - up to $100,000, with at least 35% cash contribution from the Applicant; Applicants must not use other government funding sources to cover the minimum Applicant contribution amount.
  • Maximum funding amount is $100,000.
• Minimum funding amount is $1000.

Awards

All applicants will be notified via email of the outcome of their application within a target of 6-8 weeks after the application period ends (e.g., June 2026). Applicants may request additional feedback and will be provided further information upon request.

Funding Agreement

Applicants with an approved funding request will be invited to enter into a Funding Agreement with Innovate BC; no funding will be released without the successful execution of a Funding Agreement. After execution, amendments to a project, its corresponding activities, or budget are generally not possible. Innovate BC reserves the right to review Funding Agreements on a case-by-case basis in extenuating circumstances without obligation to agree to proceed with modifications or amendments.

Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis for eligible expenses incurred, subject to submission of expense claims including invoices and proof of payment for the technology purchase, and photographic confirmation the technology has been received on location.

For this funding call, confirmation of purchase and delivery of the technology will be required by no later than March 20, 2027.

Payments will be issued within three to four weeks following a complete project claim submission.  

Outcomes Reporting

Successful applicants will be required to complete both a progress and final outcomes survey. The progress survey is required six months after implementation of the funded technology. The final outcomes survey must be submitted no later than January 31, 2028, reporting on the first year of outcomes resulting from the adoption of the technology. These surveys will gather important information regarding technology performance, with specific interest around changes in productivity, efficiency, and/or profitability related to the technology as this will help inform the Ministry and the sector about how and what technologies support labour savings, efficiency, productivity, or profitability for farms in B.C.

Have questions? Email us at BCOFTAP@innovatebc.ca

Ready to apply? Apply now.