CFIN – Unpuzzling: Greening Your Food Manufacturing Operation

Amount of Funding

The CFIN – Unpuzzling: Greening Your Food Manufacturing Operation program provides non-repayable funding covering up to 70% of eligible project costs, to a maximum contribution of $25,000 per project.

The program is designed to help Atlantic Canadian food and beverage manufacturers access specialized expertise to assess their operations and identify opportunities to improve environmental sustainability. Funding supports the engagement of third-party consultants who can provide technical analysis, recommendations, and implementation strategies for sustainability initiatives.

The funding helps businesses reduce the financial barriers associated with conducting environmental assessments and developing practical plans to improve operational performance.

Funding levels are based on:

• Total eligible consulting and project costs

• Scope of the sustainability assessment

• Complexity of the proposed initiative

• Alignment with program objectives

• Availability of program funding

Applicants are responsible for contributing the remaining project costs not covered by the program.

Eligible Applicants

The program supports food and beverage manufacturers located in Atlantic Canada that are seeking to improve the sustainability of their operations.

To qualify, applicants must generally:

• Operate as a food or beverage manufacturing business

• Have been in operation for a minimum of two years

• Be located in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces:

  • New Brunswick

  • Nova Scotia

  • Prince Edward Island

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

• Be prepared to engage an external consultant or service provider

• Obtain and provide a quote from the selected vendor as part of the application process

Eligible businesses should have a clear interest in evaluating opportunities related to environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, or resource conservation.

The program is particularly well-suited for manufacturers looking to develop a roadmap for future sustainability investments and operational improvements.

Eligible Activities

The CFIN Unpuzzling program supports projects that involve engaging third-party experts to assess and improve the environmental sustainability of food and beverage manufacturing operations.

Eligible projects may focus on areas such as:

• Waste reduction and diversion

• Energy efficiency improvements

• Packaging sustainability

• Resource optimization

• Emissions reduction

• Water conservation

• Circular economy initiatives

• Environmental performance assessments

Funding supports professional services required to conduct assessments, analysis, and strategy development, including:

• Consulting fees

• Subcontractor fees

• Travel costs incurred by consultants or contractors

Examples of eligible activities include:

• Sustainability audits and operational assessments

• Energy consumption analysis

• Waste stream evaluations

• Packaging optimization studies

• Environmental benchmarking exercises

• Development of sustainability implementation roadmaps

• Identification of technology or process improvement opportunities

Projects should result in actionable recommendations that help businesses improve sustainability performance while supporting operational efficiency and long-term growth.

Program Deadline

Speak with a member of our team to find the latest intake period info for this program.