Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kinds of solutions might be supported under the Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative?
Improving mental wellbeing support for producers is essential to improve both their quality of life and for ensuring the long-term viability of Canadian agriculture. Given the complex nature and uniqueness of key stressors that can impact producers' mental wellbeing, there is no “one size fits all” solution to address farmer mental health challenges. Through this Initiative, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) is seeking collaborative solutions that employ novel strategies to promote mental wellbeing and/or address stressors contributing to mental health challenges among producers in Canada.
Solutions under the Initiative could include digital solutions for mental health support, on-farm support and peer networks, culturally relevant training and resources, business and succession planning programs, education and awareness campaigns, and more.
Solutions must be innovative with a strong potential for meaningful impact, foster producer community engagement, and focus on prevention and early intervention by considering the social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to producer mental health and wellbeing. The solutions will need to adhere to the assessment criteria and demonstrate how they aim to deliver the expected results within the time frame of the Initiative.
2. What are the benefits to participating in this Initiative?
Impacting Canadian producer wellbeing: The ability to support producer wellbeing or to advance positive mental health for producers is important for the Canadian agricultural sector. Being part of community-driven solutions that are tailored to the needs of producers, ranging from initiatives to combat stigma to mental wellbeing campaigns, will directly improve the lives of producers and their families.
Financial: Several financial prizes will be awarded to innovators who successfully participate in each stage of the Initiative. Based on the initial concept application, up to 20 semi-finalists will be selected to advance in the Initiative and receive up to $50,000 to support the development of their concept in Stage 2. Based on the developed concept, up to 10 finalists will be identified and awarded up to $100,000 to develop a proof of concept and generate evidence to demonstrate effectiveness of their solution during Stage 3. After successful implementation of their concept and demonstrating evidence of effectiveness, up to 2 prizes of up to $500,000 will be awarded to 2 winners.
Non-financial: Additional non-financial resources and supports will be provided to innovators at each stage of the Initiative to accelerate progress in helping promote producer mental wellbeing or addressing stressors contributing to producer mental health challenges. These could include but are not limited to tools and supports related to networking, business development, evaluation, and engagement.
Profile: Participation in this Initiative provides an opportunity to showcase innovators and their concepts, increasing visibility for their innovative approaches both within Canada and internationally. It also highlights the merit of having been evaluated by a diverse panel of subject matter experts.
3. How is this Initiative different than traditional federal government grant and contribution programming?
AAFC is constantly seeking new ways to fuel innovation using all available tools.
The Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative is an additional investment by the government that is complimentary to other Canadian Producer programs and services. The goal is to open the problem-solving process to a broad range of innovators to attract new talent and fresh ideas from a wide variety of backgrounds to help address the long-standing and complex topic of producer mental wellbeing. Innovators are rewarded for achieving and improving on outcomes at each stage of the Initiative with both prize money and non-financial support to accelerate progress towards problem-solving.
The Initiative utilizes a prize funding model, called a Challenge Prize, which is outcomes-based; this shifts the emphasis from paying for eligible costs of an approved project towards paying for results to solve problems. This flexibility creates the ability for innovators to pivot in response to information discovered during participation in the Initiative and helps to ensure that each participant will be able to achieve outcomes for producers.
It is useful to think of Challenge Prizes as an ‘innovation search engine’ with the competition and prizes acting as a catalyst to mobilize new talent from outside traditional communities and to surface new thinking, perspectives, and ideas. While the Initiative is inherently focused on identifying and supporting a cohort of innovators, the diversity of innovations and potential collaborations that emerge from the process allow for the establishment of a visible and better-connected network of innovators working to address producer mental wellbeing in Canada.
4. Who can apply?
Eligibility criteria is kept broad to open the problem-solving space to new players and create the conditions for non-traditional innovators to participate in promoting producer wellbeing and/or addressing stressors contributing to producer mental health challenges. Businesses, organizations, individuals, or teams that are incorporated in Canada or will incorporate in Canada as a business or not-for-profit, are eligible to apply. See the Applicant Guide for a full list of eligible applicants.
5. What language can I apply in?
Applications can be submitted either in French or English.
6. How do I submit an application?
Applications will be accepted through the online application form on the Impact Canada website. For guidance on filling out the applicant form, please refer to the Applicant Guide. The Guide is designed to explain the process, the terms and conditions, and include detailed instructions to complete the application form.
7. Can I submit more than one application?
Yes. A single applicant can have multiple concepts/ideas. However, only one concept per applicant may be selected to receive funding.
8. I have an idea, but I am not currently affiliated with a legally incorporated entity in Canada, am I eligible to apply?
Yes, individuals and groups are eligible to apply. However, if your idea is selected to advance to a prize, in order to receive funding, you will have to incorporate in Canada. For information on federal incorporation in Canada, please refer to the website of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/cs06939.html
9. Who will determine the winners at each stage of the Initiative?
The Applicant Guide contains descriptions of the assessment criteria used to assess an application, and the Initiative principles used to guide the outcomes sought for producers in Canada. AAFC will select all prize winners upon the recommendation of an independent and voluntary jury panel.
Working with citizens across Canada to assess and recommend solutions for funding is another feature that sets challenges apart from traditional funding programs. The jury is comprised of subject matter experts (e.g. representatives from private sector, stakeholder groups, etc.) in Canada who have a high degree of knowledge in the Initiative assessment criteria. Additional expertise from within AAFC and other government departments may be sought in the review process, based on application content.
AAFC will ensure that any real or perceived conflict of interest for jury members or others involved in the assessment process is disclosed and mitigated and will execute non-disclosure agreements for external reviewers to protect the confidential information of applicants.
You can see the other AAFC Challenge juries here:
10. Can innovators who receive funding from another government program apply to this Initiative?
Yes, provided requirements of both programs and the terms and conditions of the funding agreements are met. The concept detailed in the application must not replicate an already existing program for producers.
11. Can I get feedback on my application before the application deadline?
No. As a competitive process, and to ensure transparency and fairness, individual feedback on in-progress applications will not be provided. Applications will only be reviewed and selected after the deadline.
12. How will my intellectual property be protected?
Any intellectual property created by an Initiative participant will remain the property of the participant.
AAFC will not disclose information which the participant identifies and consistently treats as being confidential information except where required by law or with the participant’s consent. Should the information provided by the participant be subject to an access to information request, AAFC will treat the participant’s information (such as trade secrets, information of a financial, commercial, scientific or technical nature or information whose disclosure could prevent the securing, patenting or publishing of intellectual property) in accordance with the provisions of the Access to Information Act which namely includes provisions exempting the disclosure of confidential business information.
AAFC will enter into non-disclosure agreements with jury members or others involved in the assessment process to protect the applicants’ confidential business information.
13. Are research studies considered eligible concepts that can be submitted to the Initiative?
No. Primary research projects are not within the scope of the Initiative as the aim is not to duplicate funding provided by other federal departments/agencies. Targeted research studies are allowed to support innovators in the implementation of tangible actions and outcomes within their producer community/targeted group and in the measurement of the proposed impacts of their solution.