Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs eligibility for farms and organizations

If you’re a farmer or agri-food organization working on climate-smart practices, the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program can be confusing at first glance. It doesn’t fund single-farm projects in the usual way. Instead, it supports collaborative, on-farm research networks that test and adopt climate solutions under real conditions. Understanding who is eligible—and in what role—is the first step to getting involved.

The Living Labs program is delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and is open across Canada.

Who is eligible under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs Program?

The Living Labs model is built around partnerships. Most applications are led by an organization, with farms participating as active collaborators rather than standalone applicants.

Eligible lead applicants (organizations)

To apply as a project lead, you must be an organization with the capacity to manage a multi-year, multi-partner project. Eligible leads typically include:

Not-for-profit organizations, including producer associations and industry groups
Indigenous organizations and communities
Research and academic institutions, such as universities and colleges
Non-federal government entities, including provincial agencies

These organizations are responsible for:

Submitting the application
Managing contribution agreements with AAFC
Coordinating farmers, researchers, and technical partners

For-profit businesses are generally not lead applicants, but they may participate as partners.

Eligible farms and producers

Individual farms usually participate as project partners, not as the main applicant. Farms must be real, operating agricultural operations in Canada and are expected to:

Host on-farm trials or demonstration sites
Test climate-beneficial practices in real production conditions
Share data and results with the Living Labs network

Eligible participants include:

Primary producers (crop and livestock)
Farms of different sizes and production types
Farms across multiple provinces, depending on the project scope

There is no single minimum or maximum farm size defined at the program level. Selection is based on how well the farm fits the project’s research goals.

Other eligible partners

Living Labs projects often include additional partners such as:

Environmental and conservation organizations
Technology providers and agri-service firms
Knowledge transfer and extension organizations

These partners support research, monitoring, or adoption but usually do not receive funding directly unless specified in the contribution agreement.

What types of activities must eligible participants support?

To be eligible, farms and organizations must work on practices aligned with the program’s climate goals. Funded projects focus on:

Climate change mitigation, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Climate adaptation, including resilience to extreme weather
Soil health improvements, like cover cropping or reduced tillage
Nature-based solutions that improve biodiversity and water quality

Projects must use a co-development approach, meaning farmers, scientists, and other partners design and test solutions together.

Funding is provided as non-repayable contributions, not loans.

How eligibility works in practice

If you’re a farmer, you usually don’t apply alone. Instead, you:

Join a Living Labs project led by an eligible organization
Commit land, time, and operational support to on-farm trials
Share results and lessons learned with the project network

If you’re an organization, you must show that you:

Have strong producer participation
Can manage public funds and reporting requirements
Are able to deliver measurable climate and environmental outcomes

Tools like GrantHub’s eligibility matcher can help you filter federal agriculture programs by role—lead applicant versus partner—in seconds.

Common mistakes to avoid

Applying as a single farm
Living Labs is not designed for solo farm projects. Farms need to be part of a broader collaboration.
Weak farmer involvement
Projects without meaningful producer participation are unlikely to be approved.
Focusing only on research, not adoption
Living Labs emphasizes practical, on-farm testing and uptake, not lab-only research.
Assuming funding amounts are fixed
Funding levels vary by intake and project scope. There is no universal per-farm amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can an individual farmer apply directly to the Living Labs Program?
No. Farmers usually participate as partners in a project led by an eligible organization. The organization submits the application to AAFC.

Q: Is Living Labs funding repayable?
No. Funding is provided as non-repayable contributions, provided project terms are met.

Q: Are projects limited to certain provinces?
No. The program is federal and supports projects across multiple regions of Canada.

Q: How much funding can a project receive?
Funding amounts vary by project scope and intake. AAFC defines limits in each call for proposals rather than setting a single standard amount.

Q: Is Living Labs funding considered taxable income?
In most cases, government contributions are taxable. You should confirm treatment with your accountant.

After the FAQ, it helps to know that GrantHub tracks hundreds of active grant programs across Canada, including federal agriculture and climate initiatives—so you can quickly see where Living Labs fits alongside other options.

Next steps

If you’re a farm, start by identifying producer groups or research organizations already involved in Living Labs projects. If you’re an organization, focus on building a strong, producer-led consortium before applying.

To go further, explore related guides like Loans vs Grants for Women in Agriculture: Key Differences Explained and How to stack grants and loans without violating funding rules. GrantHub can help you see which agriculture and climate programs align with your role, location, and project goals—before you invest time in an application.

Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs eligibility for farms and organizations