Innovation Saskatchewan launched a new funding program to help Saskatchewan startup agtech companies get their products to market faster.
The Agtech Commercialization Readiness program (ACRE) is designed to help companies do on-farm pilot projects with farmerss to test products, gather feedback, and make any adjustments before moving to the commercialization stage. For participating producers, it means gaining early access to new products and providing feedback before it goes to market.
ACRE is providing up to $30,000 in funding to start and it could be more depending on the application, said Warren Kaeding, Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan.
"The applications are based certainly on merit," he said. "We'll certainly look at the applications and if they look really promising perhaps we could go a little above that because of the value of the project that we see going forward."
ACRE replaces a similar program called the Made in Saskatchewan Technology program (MIST), which helped kick-start companies such as Luxsonic Technologies, SolusGuard, and Offstreet through pilot-projects.
"For many agtech companies, access to real-world testing can make the difference between a promising idea and a commercial success," Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said. "ACRE will help more Saskatchewan companies take that next step, while creating opportunities for producers and industry partners to evaluate and adopt innovative solutions. We are excited to see the new partnerships and technologies that emerge through the program."
The launch of ACRE comes following feedback from stakeholders, Kaeding said.
"Cattle producers are the original innovators, and producers are increasingly interested in using innovative tools with practical, on-farm applications that can address concerns such as animal identification, environmental sustainability, water quality, animal health, and forage productivity," Saskatchewan Cattle Association Research, Chair Christine Strube said. "The SCA is extremely pleased to see this type of investment in innovation that can be adopted on-farm to improve production efficiency."
Applications for ACRE are being accepted and companies can apply online at innovationsask.ca/programs/acre.
