Call for projects from organizations in the biofood sector

Following the success of the first edition, Montréal is launching the second edition of its call for projects to increase the resilience of the bio-food sector, in collaboration with the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ).

To be eligible, the project must be carried out by an organization that:

• Is legally constituted as a non-profit organization in Québec or Canada 
• Is established within the Montréal agglomeration 
• Has sound financial and governance practices

The organization must invest at least 20 per cent of the project cost at the time of start-up. The project must start no later than February 1, 2022 and end no later than March 31, 2023. The expenses listed in the application must be eligible under the terms and conditions of the call for projects.

New or growth projects carried out internally by the organization are eligible. They must meet the objectives of one of the following three categories:

1-Agricultural production

Strategic objectives targeted by this category:

• Increase agricultural production in Montréal
• Increase the number of agricultural production businesses in Montréal

Projects submitted under this category must generate one or more of the following benefits:

• Diversify production methods and/or crops
• Farm new spaces
• Integrate new technologies into agricultural practices
• Propose a solution for sharing resources

Note that production projects must have a commercial or economic component. Projects that are solely resident- or community-based are not eligible.

2-Food processing

Strategic objectives targeted by this category:

• Increase the production of processed foods in Montréal
• Increase the number and/or size of food processing companies in Montréal
• Promote access to equipment that optimizes productivity

Projects submitted under this category must generate one or more of the following benefits:

• Diversify production methods and/or products
• Acquire equipment or new technology to increase production or productivity
• Pool equipment or resources to serve several actors

Note that processing projects must have a commercial or economic component. Projects whose objective is solely to address food insecurity issues are not eligible.

3-Marketing

Strategic objectives targeted by this category:

• Increase the sale and consumption of local food products
• Improve consumers’ access to local food products

Projects in this category must generate one or more of the following benefits:

• Ease market access for smaller businesses
• Diversify marketing channels for Québec companies
• Market an innovative product
• Accelerate the digital shift of food businesses
• Address transportation, delivery and storage issues

Projects will be selected in two stages:

1. Intention and qualification stage: Projects will be assessed to determine whether they are eligible according to the terms and conditions - September 2021

All organizations whose projects are deemed eligible qualify for personalized entrepreneurial assistance from experts with a view to refining their project.

2. Evaluation and selection stage: Once their personalized assistance is complete, organizations whose projects are eligible will be invited to submit a full application in November  2021.

A city/MAPAQ jury will evaluate applications in December 2021 based on the following criteria:

• Quality of the project and expertise and capacity of the organization
• Overall benefits including the project’s contribution to resilience in the bio-food sector and to ecological transition

Have questions or need clarification before submitting your project? Join the free webinar on August 25, 2021 at 10 a.m.

You can apply until September 10, 2021 at 5 p.m.

Gather the following documents:

• Intent form (in French)
• A resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing submission of an application for financial support and designating a representative to sign any related documents
• Financial statements for the past two years
• By-laws of the organization
• Letters patent of the organization

For all the details about the call for projects, please see the terms and conditions (in French).​​​​​​​

For more information, please contact the Affaires Montréal line at 514-394-1793