Homegrown Innovation Challenge

Homegrown Innovation Challenge

What is the Homegrown Innovation Challenge?

The Homegrown Innovation Challenge is a six-year, $33-million prize which aims to identify teams and support the development of tools and technologies that enable Canadian farmers and producers to sustainably and competitively grow berries out of season. It is funded and delivered by the Weston Family Foundation.

Why are we doing this?

In a climate-changing world, Canada’s high dependence on imported fresh fruits and vegetables makes it vulnerable to food systems disruption. By solving the interconnected challenges that currently prevent out-of-season production at scale, the Homegrown Innovation Challenge will catalyze a range of solutions relevant to a broad array of fruit and vegetable crops in Canada and around the world.

Challenge statement

“Create and deliver a market-ready system to reliably, sustainably and competitively produce berries out of season and at scale in Canada.”

We worked with the Weston Family Foundation on the design phase of this Challenge.

Learn more about the Challenge

The Homegrown Innovation Challenge is made up of three distinct stages

Watch this video to learn more about the Challenge

 

Timeline of the challenge

Challenge launch
8 Feb 2022 By solving the interconnected challenges that come with growing berries out of season, the Homegrown Innovation Challenge will catalyse a range of solutions relevant to a broad array of other crops in Canada – and around the world.
Applications to the Spark Phase close
2 May 2022 Applications to the Spark Phase are due at 1pm ET on May 3, 2022.
Assessment Phase 1
May-June 2022 The independent judging panel selects 15 innovation teams to receive Spark Awards.
Spark Phase
June-December 2022 Spark Awards of up to $50,000 can be used by innovators to support development of their concept, build-out of their innovation team and preparation of their full proposal (including technical plan) for the Shepherd Phase.
Applications to the Shepherd Phase close
20 December 2022 Applications to the Shepherd Phase are due by 12 pm ET on December 20, 2022.
Assessment Phase 2
Jan-March 2023 The independent judging panel selects 10 innovation teams for the Shepherd Phase.
Shepherd Phase
April 2023-Sept 2024 The 10 innovation teams selected are awarded up to $1 million each across 18 months to develop and demonstrate a small-scale proof of concept of their system, generating evidence and learning to be assessed for progression to the Scaling Phase.
Assessment Phase 3
Oct-Dec 2024 The independent judging panel selects 4 innovation teams for the Scaling Phase.
Scaling Phase
Jan 2025-Dec 2027 Each of the 4 innovation teams selected from the Shepherd Phase is awarded up to $5 million across 3 years to build and demonstrate its system at farm scale.
Assessment Phase 4
2028 The independent judging panel selects Challenge winners.
Winners announced
2028 The independent judging panel selects Challenge winners.
  • 2022
  • 2022
  • 2022
  • 2022
  • 2022
  • 2023
  • 2024
  • 2024
  • 2027
  • 2028
  • 2028

This challenge is funded and delivered by

  • Weston Family Foundation logo