Intake Two of the OVIP is now fully subscribed and has been closed. No further applications will be accepted. It is anticipated that Intake Thee will be launched in December 2012.Please visit our website for regularly updated information.

Program Guidelines
Application
Varietal Plan
Growing Your Farm Profits Workshops
Consultants Roster

Ontario’s Wine and Grape Industry

As part of Ontario’s 2009 wine and grape strategy, the Government committed to provide transition support to grape growers in line with an industry varietal plan.

Industry completed its varietal plan in December 2010. The varietal plan sets out high-leve industry directions, including the main grape varieties of focus for long-term industry development and the importance of continuing to improve grape quality in the vineyard.

Ontario Vineyard Improvement Program Highlights:

- The Ontario Vineyard improvement Program, which was developed with input from industry,will have two components, the Producer Support Component (PSC) and the Industry Support Component (ISC).

- The PSC ($11M) is an application-based,cost-share program to directly assist eligible wine grape growers to transition to higher demand grape varieties and improve grape quality in line with the industry varietal plan.

- Growers will be able to apply for assistance with a wide range of eligible vineyard improvements.

· In order to be eligible for funding, growers must hold: a farm business registration number; a Grape Growers of Ontario number; avalidated Premises Identification number, and have marketed processing grapes or late harvest juice in the past two years.

- Each grower will be eligible to apply for funding up to a cap based on the number of acres they currently have in wine grape production. 

- The cap for each grower will be calculated at $1000/acre up to a limit of $100,000 each. In total, the program will make $11M available to individual growers over the four years of the program.

- The program will provide up to 35 per cent of the cost for implementing eligible vineyard improvements.

- Only wine grape acreage planted to hybrid or vinifera wine grapes (classes 5 to 10f) will count toward the calculation of applicant caps.

- Grape growers will be able to apply for support for the following types of vineyard improvement:
Vine removal
Vineyard preparation
Vine trellis systems
Consultation with a viticulture expert
Equipment to improve key quality-related viticulture practices
Measures to prevent frost and cold damage
Improved irrigation
Bird-netting

- Growers who invested in eligible transition elements after April 1, 2011 may apply for OVIP cost-share funding.

- The program will begin accepting applications for the first intake starting August 2nd, 2011. A second intake will be held in December for year-two funding.

-Completed applications may be submitted in one of the following ways

1. By email at ovip@ontario.ca
2. By fax (519) 826-3398
3. Regular mail

• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
  Rural Community Development Branch
  1 Stone Rd. West, 4th Floor
  Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2

1. In Person

• Advisory Services Building
  Box 8000, 4890 Victoria Avenue North
  Vineland, ON L0R 2E0
  Phone: (905) 562-4147
  Fax: (905) 562-5933
• Box 587, Blueline Road & Highway # 3
  Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
  Phone: (519) 426-7120
  Fax: (519) 428-1142
• Agronomy Building
  Box 400, 120 Main Street East
  University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus
  Ridgetown, ON N0P 2C0
  Phone: (519) 674-1690
  Fax: (519) 674-1564
• R.R. # 3, 95 Dundas Street East
  Brighton, ON K0K 1H0
  Phone: (613) 475-1630
  Fax: (613) 475-3835

- The ISC ($1M) is a fund to assist the sector as a whole with access to additional technologies and capacities to help improve grape production in the vineyard.  The ISC will be delivered by the Grape Growers of Ontario.

- Full program guidelines and the program application form will be available on the ministry’s website at: ontario.ca/improvingvineyards and through the Grape Growers of Ontario on June 30th, 2011.

For more information please contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at  888-588-4111 or email ovip@ontario.ca

Applying for a Premises ID is easy and free. Contact Ontario Provincial Premises Registry for your application form: online at: www.ontarioppr.com and toll free at: 1-855-697-7743