(MAPAQ) - Food Processing Program - Component 1
At a glance
- From 5,000$ to 75,000$
- 50% of project cost
- Open Date : April 04, 2024
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Overview
Eligibility criteria
Applicants who meet all of the following requirements are eligible:
- Are companies registered with the Quebec Enterprise Register;
- Are applying for financial assistance for an establishment they operate in Quebec;
- Have been in operation for at least one full year (12 months);
- The establishment for which the application for financial assistance is submitted meets at least one of the following conditions:
o It carries out food processing activities, or at least two other activities recognized by the Ministry whose food products are, at the time of application, offered on the wholesale market or online;
o Operates a central kitchen.
Who is eligible
- Agricultural production: field crops, specialized crops, livestock, etc.
- Agri-food: Food processing, food distribution, etc.
- Fishing and aquaculture: Commercial fishing, sport fishing, aquaculture, etc.
- Rural development: Agricultural diversification, agri-tourism, etc.
- Innovation and research: Development of new technologies, applied research, etc.
Who is not eligible
- Applicants whose establishment for which financial assistance is requested processes exclusively livestock feed;
- Applicants whose aquatic product processing establishments are located in maritime regions and whose main activity is the preparation and canning of aquatic products (NAICS code 3117);
- Government departments, budget-funded bodies, non-budget-funded bodies, Crown corporations referred to in Schedules 1 to 3 of the Financial Administration Act (RLRQ, chapter A-6.001), corporations controlled directly or indirectly by a government (provincial or federal) or by a Crown corporation, and municipal entities;
- Financial cooperatives and banking institutions;
- Applicants registered in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including their subcontractors registered in the RENA, accessible at the following address: https://amp.quebec/rena/;
- Applicants who, during the two years preceding the application for financial assistance, have failed to meet their obligations after having been duly served with formal notice by the Minister, in connection with financial assistance previously granted by the latter;
- Applicants who are subject to an order issued by the Minister or a judge under the Animal Welfare and Safety Act (RLRQ, chapter B-3.1); 11
- Applicants who are under the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (R.S.C. [1985], chapter C-36) or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (R.S.C. [1985], chapter B-3).
Eligible expenses
The following expenses are eligible:
- Those directly related to the realization of a project;
- Those corresponding to the following items:
o Fees and travel expenses for external experts with no business ties to the applicant;
o Staff training costs (training registration, teaching materials, access to a training platform and travel expenses in accordance with the rates set out in the Recueil des politiques de gestion du gouvernement du Québec);
o Purchase of specialized information required to carry out the project (databases, specialized journals, scientific articles).
Eligible projects & activities
To be eligible, projects must meet the following conditions:
- Have eligible expenses of at least $10,000;
- Have a maximum duration of 36 months from the date assistance is granted;
- Involve food processing activities or other activities recognized by the Ministry and carried out by the applicant;
- consist of hiring an external expert with no business ties to the applicant for at least one of the following projects:
- Business diagnostics that may focus on productivity, competitiveness, business functions, environmental performance or other aspects;
- Development and deployment of a workforce recruitment or retention strategy;
- Employee skills development;
- Business transfer planning;
- Drawing up plans and specifications.
Eligible geographic areas
Companies in Quebec
Evaluation & selection criteria
Projects are submitted on an ongoing basis. All complete applications for financial assistance, for which both the applicant and the project are eligible, will be analyzed by representatives of the Minister, based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of the project to the objective of the component;
- Presence of the technical, organizational and administrative capacity required to carry out the project;
- The company's viability and financial performance. The Minister's decision will be communicated to the applicant by e-mail.
How to apply
On-line subscription, form sent via MAPAQ website - Processing takes 2 to 4 weeks. An advisor in charge of the application file will contact the applicant and follow up on the progress of each application.
1. Preparation of Documents
- Application Form: Obtain and fill out the financial aid application form available on the program's website.
- Financing Plan: Complete a financing plan for the application.
- Financial Statements: Prepare your company's latest annual financial statements. For abattoirs and cheese factories, also prepare additional documents such as a personal balance sheet or your latest tax return.
- Justification for Ministerial Enhancement: Prepare the necessary documents to justify any applicable ministerial enhancements.
2. Submission of Application
- Compilation of Documents: Ensure all required documents are complete and in French.
- Transmission: Send all documents in a single email to transfo@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.
3. Preliminary Support
- Contact a Counselor: If you desire support, contact your regional food processing counselor, whose contact details can be found on the MAPAQ website.
4. Acknowledgment of Receipt
- Receipt of Application: After submitting your application, the Ministry will send an acknowledgment of receipt to the applicant.
5. Completeness Check
- Request for Additional Information: If information or documents are missing, the Ministry will send a written request by email.
6. Eligibility Confirmation
- Evaluation of Application: If your file is complete and both you and your project are eligible, you will receive a confirmation of eligibility.
7. Project Analysis
- Detailed Examination: A representative of the minister will analyze your application based on the relevance of the project, your technical, organizational, and administrative capabilities, as well as the financial viability of your enterprise.
8. Decision
- Notification of Decision: The Ministry will inform you of its decision to fund or not fund the project. If your project is selected, you will need to sign a financial aid agreement outlining the conditions and modalities of project implementation.
9. Request for Review
- Review Option: If you wish to contest the decision, you can appeal the evaluation decision within 20 working days of its communication.
Additional information
- Maximum rate of financial assistance: 50% of eligible expenses
- Increased financial assistance: 10% for projects meeting ministerial or government priorities In the case of equipment purchased from a supplier registered with the Quebec Business Register, the increase applies only to the eligible expense, not to all eligible expenses.
- Minimum amount of assistance granted: $7,500
- Maximum amount of assistance: $150,000 per establishment for the duration of the program.
- Type of contribution from applicant and partners: In cash
- Minimum private funding from applicant: 20% of eligible expenses