Farm businesses that file farm business taxes in Ontario as demonstrated by:
• A valid farm business registration number (FBRN)For information on registering a farm business and/or a religious exemption, visit Overview (agricorp.com). .
  
  OR
  
• A Religious Exemption Letter provided by the OMAFRA Appeal Tribunal (provide with application submission).
  
  OR
  
• A Cultural Exemption Letter provided by the First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario (FNAFO), formerly known as the Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario to First Nations farmers, verifying the farm business operates in a First Nations community (provide with application submission).
  
  OR
  
• An income exemption from the Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program (i.e., Start-up farm businesses, Business structure change, Not a normal production year, Age/Illness/Death of a spouse) (provide with application submission).
Applicants must:
• Have a verified, 4^th Edition Environmental Farm Plan; and,
• Be in compliance with all requirements of the law and must remain in compliance for the duration of the project.

• Erosion control structures designed in accordance with OMAFRA Publication 832:
  • Grassed waterways;
  • Drop structures;
  • Grade control structures (e.g., rock chutes);
  • Water and Sediment Control Basins (WaSCoBs);
  • Contour terraces/ field terraces.
• Tile inlet upgrades or modifications to reduce sediment or phosphorus loss or enhance (increase) temporary ponding time.
• Decommissioning of inlets that are no longer functional or necessary.
• Improved surface inlets, including blind inlets incorporating phosphorus sorbing materials.
• Tile outlet upgrades or modifications to reduce erosion – all structures must include rigid outlet pipe, rodent gate, proper rock protection with filter cloth underneath.
• Ditch bank stabilization, bank shaping, revetment, gabions, riprap, crib walls, re-vegetation, erosion control blankets, bioengineering) for the purpose of reducing bank erosion.
• In-stream / In-channel control structures to reduce velocity and erosive force of water, and provide fish habitat (e.g., pools and riffles, natural channel design).
• Vegetative strips of perennial cover planted on the contour within annual crops.
• Constructed wetlands.
• Saturated buffers, woodchip biofilters to treat tile water for nitrogen and phosphorus
• Infrastructure and development costs.
• Earthwork, seedbed preparation and seed required with eligible erosion control structure.
• Consulting and engineering fees.
• Labour costs.

• Activities and expenditures as detailed in the section Other Ineligible Costs and Activities.
• Erosion control structures and outlets not designed in accordance with OMAFRA Publication 832.
• Tile inlet upgrades for the purpose of increasing capacity for rapid flow.
• Drop inlets installation for drainage of ponded surface water not associated with an erosion control structure (e.g., berm).
• Tile outlet structures associated with new tile drainage installations that are not directly related to the eligible erosion control project.
• Tile, including header systems, systematic tile and other subsurface drainage systems that are not an integral part of an erosion control structure.
• Costs of tile and installation that exceed 30 metres for riparian drop inlet structure projects.
• Converting open channels to closed drainage systems.
• Construction of new drainage channels or routine repair or maintenance of existing drainage systems (e.g., drainage ditch clean-outs, rehabilitating or cleaning out of existing sediment-filled blind inlets).
• Levelling of land or fields.
• Soil Remediation (retrieving topsoil from areas of deposition and transporting it upslope to eroded hillsides).
• Control components for tile drainage systems for water quantity and quality control
• Costs and activities not associated with soil erosion control.
• Projects initiated through the Drainage Act.
• Ongoing maintenance costs.
• Payments for land taken out of production.
• Enhanced funding rates based on a Pilot Farmland Health Check-Up
• In-kind contributions.

40% cost-share funding up to a maximum of $20,000 per project application

50% cost-share funding up to a maximum of $30,000 per project application with an eligible, completed Farmland Health Check-Up and proposed project located within the Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair watersheds

A Farm Business may submit up to two (2) applications per intake. Applications will be reviewed once the intake closes.

The Agricultural Stewardship Initiative is a merit-based program. Complete applications that meet eligibility criteria are assessed using Merit Assessment Criteria, which are specific to each Project Category. A merit-based application review process is used to allocate cost-share funds to projects.

The Merit Assessment Criteria for Erosion Control Structures projects are:
• Project addresses risk identified in EFP Action Plan.
• Level of existing environmental risk to water quality or soil health.
• Degree of risk reduction estimated to be achieved through project / risk associated with the proposed site (e.g., potential for erosion based on soil type, slope, etc.).
• For applicants who propose a project in the Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair watersheds and provide a completed Farmland Health Check-Up, the application will be assessed to confirm if the project addresses a fair or poor rating for a farmland health challenge.

Applications are evaluated based only on the information submitted and will not be considered if they do not meet the eligibility criteria or if they are incomplete.

Be sure to carefully review the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative program guide details in entirety. Before you can apply, you will need to visit osciaportal.org and create a user account. Once you have created a user account, if the intake is open, you will be able to enrol and submit an application.

You must include all of the information listed under Documentation Required With the Application with your application submission. If documentation is not received with the submission, the application may be considered incomplete and will not be assessed.

• Certificate of completion for a 4th Edition Environmental Farm Plan
• If requesting the increased cost-share level, a copy of an eligible, complete Farmland Health Check-Up must have been submitted by the participating Certified Crop Advisor or Professional Agrologist.
• Detailed site map based on a satellite image (e.g., using Google Maps or AgMaps) of the project location. The site map must show the precise location (address or GPS coordinates) and dimensions of the project, including:
  • Location of erosion control structure(s);
  • Size of the erosion control structure(s);
  • Location of the outlet of the erosion control structure(s);
  • Catchment size (area of land) draining into the erosion control structure(s).
• Design plans with the details of the erosion control structure(s) and contributing areas may be requested before receiving final approval.
• Design plans to be prepared by a Certified Erosion Control Contractor or a Professional Engineer and designed in accordance with OMAFRA Publication 832.
  • Where applicable, for new construction of common agricultural erosion control structures such as grassed waterways, contour terraces, WaSCoBs, rock chutes or other grade control structures, must be designed in accordance with OMAFRA Publication 832.
  • For more complex measures and those outside of the design scope of OMAFRA Publication 832, an engineered design may be required.
• Pictures of cropland showing erosion issues that could be addressed by the proposed project OR pictures of the bank, tile inlet or tile outlet impacted by the proposed project may be provided to demonstrate the need for the project and support the review and merit determination.

Applications are only accepted during the application intakes dates noted above.

The Enrolment and Application Form, and all required documentation can be submitted electronically through the OSCIA Portal:

If the intake is not currently accepting applications, you may still visit osciaportal.org to create a user account and be ready for upcoming opportunities.

• The eligible start date for your project is the date specified on the approval or partial approval letter issued by OSCIA for each successful application. Projects cannot be started before that date. Eligible costs can only be incurred, invoiced, and/or paid by the applicant on or after the date specified on the approval or partial approval notification.
• Deposits that are fully refundable, made by the applicant before the eligible start date to secure goods or services needed to complete the project, with the balance payable after the eligible project start date, may be eligible. The claimed invoice must be dated within the eligible timelines indicated in the approval or partial approval notification and must not indicate the deposit as non-refundable. If the invoice does not clearly indicate the payment as a deposit, or if the deposit is non-refundable, the amount is ineligible for cost-share. Any deposit or payment made prior to April 1, 2023, is not eligible under the Sustainable CAP program.
• OSCIA issues payments after projects have been completed and required claim documentation is received. The project must be paid for in full by the approved applicant prior to cost-share being issued.
• All invoices for the approved project must comply with the eligible invoice dates as outlined in the notification of approval issued by OSCIA for the proposed project. OSCIA cannot issue cost-share payments for incomplete or partially complete projects.
• Applicants are responsible for securing all necessary approvals and permits for the proposed project before starting and complying with all applicable municipal bylaws and provincial or federal regulations. OSCIA may require copies of permits obtained for some projects before issuing cost-share payments.
• OSCIA reserves the right to require additional documentation and ultimately accept or reject submitted project invoices and proof of payment for cost-share consideration.
• Stacking of Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) cost-share funding from one or more business and/or one or more sources of Sustainable CAP funding, towards the same project is not permitted. Stacking with other programs outside of Sustainable CAP up to 100% of the project cost, is permitted if the other program allows stacking and at least 15% of the project costs come from non-government sources. All funding for a project from additional off-farm sources, excluding financing, must be listed on the claim form for an approved project.
• A cost-share allocation is based on the eligible project costs outlined on the approved Application Form. Accurate estimates to the best of the applicant’s ability must be reflected in the total project cost submitted on the Application Form. Quotes are strongly encouraged to support all proposed project costs. If final project costs exceed the original estimate or the scope of the project changes, there is no obligation by OSCIA to extend cost-share beyond the original allocation and/or project scope.
• All goods and services must be purchased from an entity that is at arm’s length from the farm business. An entity is considered arm’s length if they are not related, not affiliated persons or otherwise controlled by another member or members. Parent/child and siblings, through blood or marriage, or businesses owned by the same individual(s) are not considered arm’s length. Refer to Section 251 of the Income Tax Act (Canada) for the additional detail on determining arm’s length relationships.
• Projects that have received cost-share funding are routinely inspected. The decision to inspect may be based on project type, project value, or any other criteria selected by OSCIA. Projects may also be inspected randomly. Inspections are carried out before the claim is paid. Biosecurity protocols are followed by all representatives of OSCIA.
• Information presented is the best available at the current time. In the event of a conflict between anything set out in this program guide and/or any other program material and the Minister’s Order, the Minister’s Order will prevail. Errors and Omissions Excepted. Check with OSCIA for applicable updates. Material is subject to change without notice as the cost-share program evolves.

• Normal operating costs associated with conducting or expanding a business’s current operations, including annual service fees of any type
• Any cost that is eligible for a rebate, credit, or refund (e.g., a refundable portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax).
• Gifts and incentives.
• Costs of travel, hospitality, meals, and/or accommodations.
• Permits and approvals.
• Purchase, lease, construction or sale of land, buildings or facilities, and associated taxes or fees (e.g., land transfer tax).
• Extended warranties, taxes, legal fees, financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees.
• Materials or products produced by the applicant’s farm business.
• Invoices and/or payments not issued in the approved applicant’s name.
• Materials or services purchased outside of the eligible invoice dates indicated in the application approval letter.
• Any cost purchased from a supplier who is not at arm’s length from the applicant (i.e., businesses owned the same individual(s), or by siblings or parents, through blood or marriage).

• Any costs from the application that were deemed ineligible
• Eligible invoice dates and project completion and claim submission deadlines
• Information required with the claim submission
• Links to the necessary documents (e.g., Claim Form, Electronic Funds Transfer Form, Claim Questionnaire, etc.)
• Information on how to submit the claim

• Copy of front and back of cancelled cheque
• Cash register receipt showing itemized purchase and payment received.
• Electronic image of processed cheque
• Statement from banking institution indicating to whom the processed cheque was written, or electronic payment made, and for what amount.
• Third-party confirmation (e.g., email confirmation) of an e-transfer/electronic payment that shows who paid, who was paid, how much was paid and the date the payment the transfer was successfully completed.
• Credit card or debit card receipt clearly identifying amount and to whom the payment was made. Credit card or debit card numbers and other information, including costs that are unrelated to the project, should be blacked out.

Cash payments for project costs are strongly discouraged, as they may not meet requirements for proof of payment. If proof of payment by the applicant is not provided, OSCIA cannot support the cost.

OSCIA may request any additional information from the applicant that OSCIA deems necessary (e.g., copies of any audit reports, plans or permits obtained by the applicant in conducting the project) to support their claim.

Cost-share payments are made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) in the name of the legal business. All cost-share funding is considered income to the business for tax purposes. OSCIA will issue a tax form (AGR-1) and report the amount paid to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); this is why an applicant’s Social Insurance Number (SIN) is collected if the applicant does not have a CRA Business Number. Only one claim can be submitted per project per program year, and only one payment will be made per claim.

If you have any questions about project timelines, claim submission dates, or submitting a multi-year application, contact OSCIA at:
s-cap@ontariosoilcrop.org.