Dartmouth-based bioscience centre the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub,along with Innovacorp and the Ontario-based Bioenterprise Corporation have announced a partnership to allow agriculture, biotech and cleantech companies to compete for up to $40,000 worth of grants.

The program, called GreenShoots, will fund early-stage, Nova Scotia companies with laboratory-validated prototypes and less than $1 million in total sales. Applicants cannot already have received more than $25,000 of equity investment from Innovacorp.

“The goal of GreenShoots is to find and support high-potential, early-stage, knowledge-based Nova Scotia companies, and encourage entrepreneurial activity in the province,” said Innovacorp in a statement.

The Bioenterprise Corporation is a Guelph, Ont.-based accelerator specializing in agri-science startups, and it has an office in Dartmouth. The Nova Scotia Innovation Hub has a roster of backers that includes Dalhousie University, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Innovacorp, and provides support services to biotech startups.

Companies must submit a written pitch by Sept. 1. Shortlisted entrepreneurs will then pitch to a panel of judges via Zoom on Sept. 22. The event will be closed to the public.

The actual amount of money received by winners will be determined by the judges on a case-by-case basis. The statement from Innovacorp did not specify how many winners there will be.

Interested entrepreneurs can learn more and apply here.