Apply and Claim

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.

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.

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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).

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