Upcoming updates for the Enhanced Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program
As the province continues its path forward through COVID-19, the Government of Ontario is expanding the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program to help more agri-food businesses guard against the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and support worker/employee health and safety.
As of November 17, 2021, changes to the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program will include:
- An extended application deadline to February 1, 2022, or until funding is fully allocated.
- Under the Workplace COVID-19 Prevention category:
- An increased amount of cost-share funding for eligible expenses up to a total of $50,000 from the current $15,000 maximum. The cost-share will continue to be 60% of the eligible expenses.
- Expanded eligibility to include food and beverage processors with three or more employees, agri-food industry organizations/associations, and poultry catchers/vaccinators and professional barn cleaners.
- Under the Responsive COVID-19 Outbreak Management category:
- Expanded eligibility to include poultry catchers/vaccinators and professional barn cleaners.
- Expansion of eligible expenses to include extraordinary costs resulting from extended COVID-19 quarantine period beyond 14 days, accepted claims can date back to April 23, 2021.
Program categories
The program provides funding in the two following categories:
Workplace COVID-19 Prevention: eligible applicants can claim 60 percent funding of eligible expenses to help support the adoption of prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among agri-food workers/employees.
Funding is limited to $50,000 per business and per property.
Responsive COVID-19 Outbreak Management: eligible applicants who have been impacted by outbreaks of COVID-19 and faced with extraordinary costs related to employee wage supports and worker/employee isolation and extended quarantine period can claim up to 100 percent funding of eligible expenses.
How it works
Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements according to the program category.
Eligible businesses must complete and submit an application form in accordance with the instructions and using the software specified on the form, including all required supporting documentation.
Required supporting documentation includes a copy of the business’ written COVID-19 workplace safety plan that documents steps in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 throughout the operation. For more information about developing a COVID-19 workplace safety plan, you may wish to visit: Develop your COVID-19 workplace safety plan.
After receipt of the application, and a file number is assigned, businesses will be able to complete and submit a claim form with eligible expenses incurred to request reimbursement provided the intake is open to accept claim forms and funding is available.
Applications must be received no later than February 1, 2022, at 11:59 pm.
Applications will be assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available or until February 1, 2022 at 11:59 pm.
For more information visit our website or contact us at: AgRuralPrograms@ontario.ca.