$35,000 Grants: Circular Food Innovators Fund Application
Circular Food Innovators Fund applications now open to support reducing waste in Toronto
The City of Toronto is accepting applications for the Circular Food Innovators Fund (CFIF), offering grants starting from $5,000 and up to a maximum of $35,000 to support small business implement or expand big ideas and initiatives that find new ways to eliminate single-use and takeaway items.
Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, February 27, and the successful grant recipients will be announced in May 2024.
Eligible local small and not-for-profit food businesses are encouraged to submit project plans for reuse systems that incorporate the use of reusable foodservice ware, such as reusable takeout containers and invest in systems that support their ongoing use.
The City recognizes that shifting to circular business models requires resources that may be out of reach for some businesses in Toronto’s food service sector. The intent of the CFIF is to incentivize business innovation to enable a circular food system that can deliver public benefit to Toronto and help consumers reduce their environmental footprint.
Eligible applicants include businesses, Business Improvement Areas, and academic institutions that are working with a business that provides at least one of the following services:
• food and beverage products for takeaway consumption including food distributed by vendors at public markets and events
• food and beverage products for delivery including catering services
• reuse system infrastructure for food businesses
The final number of successful grant recipients will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the merits of each application and the approved total funding available, among other considerations. The City encourages submissions from businesses owned by women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples and people with disabilities.
More information about the CFIF and the eligibility criteria is available on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/grants-incentives-rebates/circular-food-innovators-fund
