The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) encourages growth and innovation in the manufacture and use of Canadian dairy products and ingredients.
In support of this objective, the CDC has developed the Matching Investment Fund (MIF) which provides non-repayable contributions to Canadian registered companies or Food Technology Centres for product development on a matching investment basis.
Some of the key features of the CDC MIF are:
Increased funding for consulting services and support needed for product development projects;
Increased flexibility for larger companies equipped to perform “in-plant” product development and analysis;
Eligibility of Food Technology Centres (FTCs) to submit projects which have a demonstrated potential for commercialization with a dairy processor or further processor partner;
Expanded scope of eligible activities;
A streamlined application process.
2.Financing available
The CDC has dedicated $2 million per year over a 3-year period to the MIF. Each project can receive up to $250,000. Projects that use milk protein concentrate or skim milk powder may qualify for higher levels of funding.
3.Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for funding assistance under this CDC MIF, a company or FTC must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the CDC that it can meet at least one of the following criteria:
Incorporate a Canadian dairy ingredient in a product formulation where no dairy ingredient(s) had been previously used.
Replace a substitute ingredient in a product formulation with a Canadian dairy ingredient, or significantly increase the dairy content in an existing product formulation.
Develop and market a new dairy product or a product pursuant to the Domestic Dairy Product Innovation Program (DDPIP).
Develop and market a new or innovative further processed product containing Canadian dairy ingredients.
Technology/knowledge transfer activities having a demonstrated benefit for a company or for the Canadian dairy industry as a whole.
The new/innovative dairy product formulation or further processed product must satisfy all of the following criteria:
A product not currently manufactured in Canada/a product to be reformulated with dairy
A product that will result in a net increase in the use of raw milk components (in the case of a dairy product manufacturer) or Canadian dairy ingredients;
Project involves a technical challenge associated with incorporating a Canadian dairy ingredient or developing an innovative dairy product;
Dairy ingredient(s) being used is/are made wholly or mainly from milk.
4. Authorized activities
Under the CDC MIF, eligible companies and FTCs can access financial support for:
Consultation: access to advice from specialists/experts in areas of product development: management and marketing, dairy and food science, and food processing.
Product development: product analysis, trials and technology transfer, which includes, but is not limited to, adoption of new or existing technologies, industrial scale tests, retrofitting of facilities, sample preparation costs, and packaging techniques.
