Process & prizes
The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge will award up to twenty semi-finalists with up to $250,000 each. In the next stage, ten finalists will receive up to $500,000 each. In the end, two winners will receive up to $1 million each to grow and scale their solution. All semi-finalists and finalists will also benefit from non-financial support such as mentorship and training opportunities.
Note: The number of winners and the prize amounts may vary depending on the number of applications received.
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Stage 1 – Application Intake & Prototype Development
Call for applications: November 2023
Applicants with an innovative way to reduce enteric methane from cattle are invited to apply to the Challenge. For the purpose of this Challenge, the cattle sector is limited to the cow-calf, feedlot, and dairy sector.
The deadline to apply is February 7, 2024 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Stage 1 is divided into the following two sub-stages.
Stage 1A – Concept Application – Challenge launched on November 14, 2023 and the application intake runs for 3 months. Up to 20 semi-finalists with the most promising concept applications will receive up to $100,000 each in summer 2024.
Stage 1B – Prototype Development – In spring 2025, up to 20 prizes of $150,000 will be awarded to all semi-finalists that meet the Stage 1B requirements so they can build their solution and get it ready to test it in an operational environment.
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Stage 2 – Testing and measurement
In Spring 2026, up to 10 finalists will be selected to receive up to $500,000 each to further test and measure the impact of their solution in partnership with the end users of the solution, including by testing their solution on-farm.
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Stage 3 – Grow and scale
Up to 2 finalists with the most impressive results will each receive up to $1 million in Winter 2028 and become Challenge Prize winners for the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge.
Challenge details
Who can apply
- Businesses or other for-profit organizations incorporated in Canada;
- Not-for-profit organizations registered in Canada;
- Producers, producer organizations and associations within Canada;
- Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) individuals, organizations or groups of individuals located in Canada;
- Post-secondary/academic institutions located in Canada;
- Individuals or groups of individuals based in Canada;
- Collaborations between one or more of the above categories of applicants and international parties.
Prizes
- $250,000
Up to 20 semi-finalists will be selected to receive up to $250,000 each to support the development of a technology, practice or process to reduce enteric methane emissions. - $500,000
Up to 10 finalists with the top solutions will be selected to receive up to $500,000 each to test their solution in an operational environment in partnership with the solution’s end users. - $1,000,000
Up to 2 prizes of up to $1 million will be given to the innovators who best demonstrate the widespread applicability of their solutions.
Stage 1A key dates
- November 14, 2023
Call for applications - February 7, 2024
Application deadline - Summer 2024
Announcement of 20 semi-finalists
Important resources
AAFC is looking to advance innovative, scalable and economically viable practices, processes, and technologies that contribute to the net reduction of enteric methane emissions from the cattle sector.