How to access incentives from Canola 4R Advantage
Year two applications opening soon
A new digital portal for year two applications is expected to open in June 2023. Year two of Canola 4R Advantage will cover expenses paid by the grower between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. Learn about year two enhancements.
Year one claims now being processed
If your application was approved for funding, you should have received information on next steps to submit your claim. Be sure to meet the deadlines to submit your claim.
If you have submitted a year one claim, we will reach out to you if more information is needed, or once a decision has been made on your claim. We appreciate your patience as we work through all of the claims received.
Steps in the process
1. Before you apply
Review program guidelines. Be sure to read the Program Guidelines and the Applicant Declaration to ensure you understand the program requirements and are eligible to receive funding.
Prepare your 4R Nutrient Stewardship Plan. If you don’t yet have a 4R Nutrient Stewardship Plan, work with a 4R designated agronomist (CCA or P.Ag.) to complete this requirement. While you don’t need to have a 4R plan when you apply, one must be completed and verified within six weeks of applying, and the application must identify the 4R designated agronomist that you will work with to complete the 4R plan. If you have questions about the 4R program or 4R designation, please email: 4rdesignated@fertilizercanada.ca
2. Application
An application may be initiated either directly by a grower, or by a 4R designated agronomist on behalf of the grower, however both will be required to complete certain sections. After one party starts an application, the other party will be emailed a request to complete their part of the application. All mandatory information fields and attestations must be completed before an application can be submitted.
Mandatory information fields for whoever initiates the application
Grower contact information:
- Name (owner/operator)
- Phone number
- Mailing address
BMP selection:
- Field information for each BMP:
- Legal land description of field(s)
- Total acres in each field
- Number of acres covered by the BMP within each field
- Amount of funding being requested (up to $20,000 per BMP)
- Source(s) and amount(s) of any additional funding being received for the activities
Agronomist contact information:
- Name
4R Plan development
- Is a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan already in place covering the selected BMP(s), fields and acres, or will it be within the next six weeks?
- Amount of funding being requested for agronomist consulting fees to develop your 4R Plan (up to $5,000)
Additional mandatory information fields for growers
Farm business information:
- Legal name of farm business
- Operating name of farm business (if different from legal name)
- Structure of farm business (sole proprietorship or unincorporated, corporation, cooperative or partnership)
- CRA business number (for corporations, cooperatives and partnerships)
Additional mandatory information fields for 4R designated agronomists
- CCA or P.Ag. certification number
- Company
- Address
- Phone number
- Fertilizer Canada 4R Designation date of issue
Attestations required from growers
When applying, the grower must attest that:
- The grower has a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan covering the selected BMP(s), fields and acres (or will within the next six weeks).
- If you attest that your 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan will be prepared within six weeks of application, you will be reminded periodically to update your attestation. If within six weeks, the attestations haven’t been updated by both the grower and the agronomist to confirm that a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan is now in place, the application will be deemed incomplete, and won’t be eligible for funding.
- The BMP/field combination under the 4R Plan is a new practice implemented after February 7, 2022.
- Canola has or will be grown on the selected field(s) in the growing season related to the BMP activity.
- The grower will not be participating in or receiving funds for the same BMP/field combination from any other OFCAF program supporting nitrogen management.
- The grower has not, and will not, receive more than $75,000 in OFCAF funding across all programs delivered by any of the OFCAF recipient organizations, for activities completed between February 7, 2022 and March 31, 2024.
In addition to these attestations, the grower agrees to provide all information required for the program and accepts the terms and conditions as set out in the Program Guidelines and in the Applicant Declaration.
Attestations required from 4R designated agronomists
A designated 4R agronomist applying on a grower’s behalf must attest that the agronomist has the grower’s consent to prepare/submit the application.
In addition, the agronomist must attest that:
- The grower has a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan covering the selected BMPs, fields and acres (or will within the next six weeks).
- If within six weeks, the attestations haven’t been updated by both the grower and the agronomist to confirm that a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan is now in place, the application will be deemed incomplete, and won’t be eligible for funding.
- The BMP/field combination under the 4R Plan is a new practice implemented after February 7, 2022.
- Canola has or will be grown on the selected field(s) in the growing season related to the BMP activity.
3. CCC approval for participation
The CCC will review each application to ensure all requirements have been met and all necessary information has been provided. Approval of complete and eligible applications will be subject to funding availability for the grower’s Reconciliation Unit (RU) and BMP(s) selected.
How you will be notified
If your application is approved, you and your 4R designated agronomist will be notified by email. You and the CCC will then enter into a written agreement for the approved funding.
If your application cannot be approved, the reasons will be explained to you. It could be because a BMP category or RU is oversubscribed. If so, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified if more funding becomes available.
4. Submit receipts for claim
You will be notified via email when the claims process is open to accepting receipts for eligible expenses. You will also receive instructions on how to submit your claim for reimbursement. All costs must be fully paid before a claim is submitted.
If eligible costs for the soil testing and field zone mapping BMPs are billed as bundled services, you will be asked to allocate a fair market value portion of the bundled cost to each applicable BMP (excluding any portions for ineligible costs). We will simplify this process as much as possible with our new application portal.
Mandatory information you will be asked to provide
- All claimed costs must be supported by both an invoice and proof of payment. Scans or digital photos of documents are acceptable.
- Invoices must be in the name of the applicant/farm business, dated, and include itemized costs & descriptions for the service/product purchased (e.g. service/product description, unit costs, total cost, location of soil samples, locations of soil zone maps, etc.)
- Proof of payment must be in the name of the applicant/farm business, and identify the amount, date and to whom a payment was made. Acceptable forms of proof of payment include:
- Receipt(s) of payment
- Electronic payment confirmation(s)
- Copy of front and back of cancelled cheque
- Electronic image of processed cheque
- Statement from banking institution indicating the date, amount and to whom a payment was made
- Field locations associated with claimed costs for each BMP, which may be shown as:
- Legal land description
- Total acres of the land parcels
- Number of acres associated with the claimed costs for each BMP under the land parcel
- Your banking information to facilitate electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment
- Your CRA business number (for corporations, cooperatives or partnerships), or social insurance number (for sole proprietorships or unincorporated farm businesses), so that CCC can issue an annual AGR-1 Statement of Farm Support Payments form
Attestations required
Before payment can be made, you and your 4R designated agronomist will need to attest that BMP activities were completed on the identified fields and that these fields were seeded to grow canola.
How your incentive will be calculated
Based on the information you provide, the claims form will calculate a preliminary estimate of the incentive amount you will receive. This estimate will equal 85 per cent of the costs you have entered, to a maximum of $20,000 per BMP or $75,000 in total. (A grower can receive no more than $75,000 from all OFCAF programs combined over the two-year lifetime of the program.)
The CCC will calculate the final eligible incentive once the claim has been reviewed. You will be notified when this final amount is approved for payment.
Keep your records
Be sure to keep all documents for seven years, including your receipts and 4R Nutrient Stewardship plans. They will be needed if your claim is randomly selected for audit after incentive payments are made.
The CCC may request any additional information deemed necessary to support the claim.
5. Receive payment
The CCC will send the incentive payment directly to your bank account by way of electronic funds transfer (EFT).
Payment timelines
Payments cannot be made until after all receipts and claim information have been submitted, BMP activities are completed, canola is planted on the identified field(s) and final attestations have been submitted by both the grower and agronomist.
Once you have submitted all requirements, it may take several weeks for payments to be processed.
Your tax paperwork
The CCC will also mail your AGR-1 Statement of Farm Support Payments form by February 28 of the following calendar year so you can claim the incentive payment as taxable income.
Funding for Canola 4R Advantage has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).


Quick links
CCC resources
The Canola 4R Advantage information presented on this website is the latest available, and is subject to change without notice as the program evolves.