Results Driven Agriculture Research

What Results Driven Agriculture Research does

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is an arm's-length, producer-directed non-profit organization headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. Established in March 2020 following 2019 consultations with over 2,000 Alberta farmers, ranchers, and industry partners, RDAR is mandated to fund and administer producer-led agricultural research and on-farm innovation programs across the province. The Government of Alberta pledged CAD $370M over 10 years starting in 2020, with additional funding channeled from the Government of Canada through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Agricultural Climate Solutions / On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).

RDAR's service portfolio centers on two flagship funding programs and an underlying technology platform. The Producer Research and Evaluation Project (PREP) provides up to CAD $20,000 per year per applicant (lifetime cap CAD $60,000) for on-farm trials of new practices, technologies, and products. OFCAF reimburses up to 85% of eligible cash expenditures, capped at CAD $100,000 per farm, for nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing. All applications, peer reviews, project management, and reimbursement claims are processed through ARGO (Agriculture Research Grant Organizer), RDAR's proprietary SmartSimple-based grant management system. Complementary engagement channels include the annual Round-Up event in Cremona, The Final Mile podcast with RealAgriculture, and a research catalog of 400+ projects.

RDAR's go-to-market is sales-led and producer-anchored, with a distributed field force of Research Program Officers who coach applicants through proposal readiness. Revenue is entirely grant-based, derived from the Alberta government appropriation and federal Sustainable CAP / AAFC tranches; as a non-profit, RDAR does not charge producers for services, and its 2,000+-producer and 380+-reviewer ecosystem translates every dollar into 3.2x leveraged project value, with 55% of funded projects reaching on-farm adoption within three years.

Name

Results Driven Agriculture Research

Legal name

Results Driven Agriculture Research

Website

https://rdar.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Results Driven Agriculture Research is a Government of Alberta-founded non-profit that funds and administers producer-led agricultural research and on-farm innovation programs across Alberta through its PREP and OFCAF grant programs and the proprietary ARGO grant management platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Funding

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Data Management & Decision Support Services (FMIS Setup, Data Integration, Analytics) (AFACACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Land-Use MRV (Soil carbon, livestock, forestry/REDD+) (EUAHADAI), Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural research funding
• Producer-led research
• On-farm climate action
• Farm research grants
• Agriculture innovation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: RDAR is a not-for-profit organization funded primarily by government appropriations. The Government of Alberta pledged $370M over 10 years starting in 2020. Funding is also provided by the Government of Canada through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is a not-for-profit, arm's-length organization that invests in agricultural research and extension in Alberta. It administers producer-led and crop-specific research grant funding through programs such as the Producer Research and Evaluation Program (PREP) and the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), channeling approximately $370 million in Government of Alberta funding over 10 years into projects that advance productivity, profitability, and sustainability for Alberta's agriculture sector.

Product overview

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is a not-for-profit organization that serves as a research funding entity rather than a traditional product company. RDAR's offerings consist of grant funding programs and organizational platforms: the Producer Research and Evaluation Project (PREP) provides on-farm research funding up to $20,000 per project; the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) distributes federal climate action funding for beneficial management practices; ARGO is the proprietary online grant management system for all funding applications and project administration; The Final Mile Podcast communicates agricultural research outcomes; and Round-Up is the annual flagship event featuring presentations, workshops, and partner exhibitors. The organization operates from rdar.ca as its primary digital platform, with no AI-powered products or public APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OFCAF: On-Farm Climate Action Fund - a federally funded program delivering financial support to producers to accelerate adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) to lower greenhouse gas emissions
• PREP
• AFC
• ARGO
• The Final Mile Podcast

Products and services

• Producer Research and Evaluation Program (PREP) A producer-led grant funding program that supports Alberta's crop and livestock producers, along with their research partners, to conduct research, evaluation, and adoption of innovative on-farm practices. Designed for primary producers and producer commissions.
• On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) A grant funding program that supports Alberta producers in implementing on-farm climate action practices, including nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing, with funding delivered through RDAR under a federal cost-share arrangement.
• ARGO Grant Management Platform An online portal used by RDAR to manage grant applications, project reporting, and communications with funded producers and researchers across Alberta. Used by applicants and grant recipients throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Final Mile Podcast A podcast produced by RDAR featuring Alberta agriculture producers, researchers, and industry experts discussing research findings, on-farm innovation, and adoption of new practices. Available to the general public and agriculture community.
• RDAR Annual Round-Up Event An annual RDAR-hosted industry event that brings together Alberta producers, researchers, and industry partners to share research outcomes, network, and discuss sector priorities. A flagship stakeholder engagement offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% of projects reaching the farm within 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBody of agricultural organizations providing coordinated funding and stimulating private/public sector participation for research and innovation supporting sustainability, diversification, and long-term growth for agriculture in western Canada. RDAR participates in AFC funding calls.
• Alberta MilkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding Johne's disease research with RDAR at University of Calgary. Ongoing support for dairy industry research initiatives.
• University of CalgarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting dairy health research including bacteriophage studies for Johne's disease prevention. Investigator: Dr. Jeroen De Buck.
• SARDA Ag Research AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting crop and weed management studies including annual bluegrass control in creeping red fescue. Investigators: Calvin Yoder and Vance Yaremko.
• Foothills Forage & Grazing AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit producer-driven group addressing issues and innovations for forage and livestock producers. Co-hosts events and shares information through newsletters and social media.
• Farm Credit Canada (FCC)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial partner and Knowledge Hub exhibitor at Round-Up 2026. FCC's Root AI tool and AgExpert innovation showcased. Presenter Morgan Wadsworth represents FCC at RDAR events.
• RealAgriculturemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner producing The Final Mile podcast series with RDAR. Host Shaun Haney interviews industry leaders on research importance for agriculture.
• Olds College of Agriculture & TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor and research partner evaluating virtual fencing in adaptive grazing systems. Presenter Brianna Elliot leads Smart Ag Applied Research projects.
• Alberta Beekeepers CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner featured in The Final Mile podcast discussing honeybee health and pollination threats in Alberta.
• University of AlbertamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner through Livestock Gentec team and Dr. Gleise Medeiros da Silva's thermoresilience research. Presents at RDAR Round-Up events.
• Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in The Final Mile podcast discussing water management and irrigation infrastructure with John Kolk of Kolk Farms.
• Alberta Pulse GrowersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor at Round-Up 2026 showcasing pulse research and SIM training programs.
• Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor at Round-Up 2026 showcasing CowBytes ration-balancing software upgrades.
• Canola Council of CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor at Round-Up 2026 featuring CanolaChat AI agronomy interface demonstration.
• Western Crop InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor at Round-Up 2026 showcasing barley and triticale varieties and seed technology.
• Genome AlbertaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Hub exhibitor launching Agriculture Metadata Commons for omics data in the agriculture sector.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association: Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association funds beef cattle research through producer check-offs in Saskatchewan. It plays a comparable producer-led research funding role to RDAR's livestock programs but operates in an adjacent province rather than Alberta.
• Alberta Pulse Growers: Alberta Pulse Growers is a producer organization funding pulse crop research and extension in Alberta. As a Round-Up Knowledge Hub exhibitor and RDAR partner, it is a directly comparable but commodity-specific research funding peer.

Others

• Farm Credit Canada (FCC): FCC is Canada's leading agricultural lender and a Knowledge Hub exhibitor at RDAR events. While FCC is not a research funder, it is a comparable ecosystem participant serving Alberta producers with adjacent financial and innovation tools like AgExpert and Root AI.

Emerging players

• Olds College of Agriculture & Technology: Olds College is an Alberta-based agricultural research and education institution. As a Round-Up Knowledge Hub exhibitor and Smart Ag Applied Research partner with RDAR, it serves as an applied research peer conducting on-farm innovation.
• Canadian Forage and Grassland Association: CFGA is a national organization promoting forage and grassland research and extension. It overlaps with RDAR's forage and pasture research portfolio, including rotational grazing BMPs funded through OFCAF.

Direct peers

• Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC): AFC is a body of agricultural organizations providing coordinated funding for western Canadian agriculture research and innovation. RDAR participates in AFC funding calls, making it a directly comparable research funding peer in the same regional ecosystem.
• Genome Alberta: Genome Alberta is a non-profit funding agency that supports genomics research and innovation in Alberta. As a Round-Up Knowledge Hub exhibitor launching the Agriculture Metadata Commons, it operates as a directly comparable Alberta-based, public-good research funding peer.
• Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC): BCRC is Canada's national industry-funded research body for beef cattle, funding research and extension activities. RDAR lists BCRC as a Round-Up Knowledge Hub exhibitor, and BCRC's producer-checkoff funded model closely mirrors RDAR's approach in the livestock segment.
• Western Grains Research Foundation: WGRF is a farmer-funded, farmer-directed non-profit that invests in crop research in western Canada. It operates a similar producer-led research funding model and is one of the largest field-crop research funders in Canada, making it a directly comparable peer.

Broad incumbents

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC): AAFC is the federal department responsible for Canadian agricultural policy and research funding. As RDAR's primary federal funding source (Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, OFCAF), AAFC is the broad incumbent that both funds and oversees RDAR's program delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rdar-alberta

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Results Driven Agriculture Research