Programme Alimentation santé: a new funding opportunity for food processors

On July 14, 2026, the Government of Quebec announced the renewal of Programme Alimentation santé. This recent announcement creates a new funding opportunity for businesses that develop or process food products in Quebec.

The program supports the development of new processed foods and improvements to existing products. It specifically targets projects that reduce sugar, sodium or saturated fat, increase fibre content, add certain bioactive compounds or reduce the use of food additives.

Streams 1 and 2 accept applications continuously until March 31, 2029, or until available funds are exhausted. The next call for Stream 3 projects will run from August 17 to October 23, 2026. These details appear in the Government of Quebec announcement and on the official program page.

Programme Alimentation santé at a glance

• Healthy Eating Program – Stream 1: up to 70% of eligible expenses and $100,000 per applicant.

• Healthy Eating Program Component 2: up to 60% of eligible expenses, with a possible 10% enhancement, and $150,000 per applicant.

• Healthy Eating Program Component 3: up to 70% of eligible expenses, $300,000 per fiscal year and $900,000 over the life of the program.

• Application period: continuously until March 31, 2029 for Streams 1 and 2; August 17 to October 23, 2026 for the next Stream 3 call for projects.

What does Programme Alimentation santé fund?

The program has three streams covering different project stages: preliminary analysis, product development and sector-wide initiatives. For food processors, the first two streams can support work ranging from a diagnostic study to product testing and reformulation.

Stream 1: studying opportunities to improve a food product

Stream 1 funds diagnostic studies performed by an external consultant. These studies must help a business determine how to develop a food with good nutritional quality or improve the composition of an existing product.

• Determine how to reduce sugar, sodium or saturated fat.

• Identify ways to increase fibre content.

• Evaluate the addition of a recognized bioactive compound.

• Determine how to reduce or eliminate certain food additives.

• Analyze development and commercialization opportunities for an improved product.

This stream covers up to 70% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $100,000 per applicant over the life of the program. A project must include at least $10,000 in eligible expenses.

Eligible expenses under Stream 1

• Professional fees and travel expenses for authorized external consultants.

• The purchase of specialized information required for the project.

• Research and development costs for environmentally responsible packaging suited to the product.

• Market or commercialization studies.

The helloDarwin program profile for Healthy Eating Program – Stream 1 also presents funded activities, eligibility conditions and the documents generally required.

Stream 2: developing or reformulating a product

Stream 2 supports the practical work required to develop a product or improve its nutritional quality. A business could, for example, reduce sugar in a cereal, lower sodium in a sauce, reduce saturated fat in processed meat, increase fibre or develop a product containing a recognized bioactive compound.

Funding covers up to 60% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $150,000 per applicant. An enhancement of up to 10% is available for certain projects that align with government priorities.

Eligible expenses under Stream 2

• External consultant fees and the wages of internal specialists assigned to the project.

• Raw materials used for testing, up to $30,000.

• Equipment associated with product quality control.

• Nutritional analyses, the Nutrition Facts table and the ingredient list.

• Shelf-life analyses.

• Rental of equipment, laboratories or premises for testing.

• Employee training directly related to the project.

• Taste tests, product trials and certain packaging modifications.

This list highlights an important distinction: the program does not simply fund a product idea. It can cover part of the technical work required to move from an initial formulation to an improved, tested product that is ready for market.

The helloDarwin program profile for Healthy Eating Program Component 2 details funded activities, eligible expenses and conditions to verify before preparing an application.

Stream 3: supporting sector-wide projects

Stream 3 focuses on initiatives with a broader impact on the food processing sector. Eligible applicants include business associations, research and technology transfer institutions, non-profit organizations, knowledge dissemination centres, consulting firms and cooperatives.

• Networking and coordination among industry stakeholders.

• Training and knowledge-transfer activities.

• Promotion of best practices.

• Development and distribution of tools.

• Data collection and research studies.

• Clinical studies on the nutritional characteristics of an ingredient.

Funding can cover up to 70% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $300,000 per fiscal year and $900,000 per applicant over the life of the program.

The helloDarwin program profile for Healthy Eating Program Component 3 summarizes eligible sector-wide projects, funding amounts and stream-specific criteria.

Which businesses can apply?

• Food processing businesses.

• Businesses that outsource the processing of their products.

• Businesses operating a central kitchen.

• Groups of food processing businesses.

A business must be registered with the Quebec enterprise register, be located in Quebec or operate an establishment in the province, process the food covered by the project in Quebec and sell at least one food product in the province.

The timing of the application matters

According to the official 2026–2029 program document, only expenses incurred after a complete application has been submitted to the satisfaction of the minister may be eligible, subject to the project’s official approval. Businesses should therefore consider funding at the planning stage of their work.

What this renewal changes for food processors

The renewal of Programme Alimentation santé confirms that improving nutritional quality remains a government priority for Quebec’s biofood sector. The program can support a broad range of work, including external expertise, research, testing, raw materials, nutritional analyses, quality control, packaging and product validation.

At helloDarwin, analyzing this type of program begins with the alignment between the project, planned expenses, schedule and the requirements of the selected stream. This precise review helps distinguish a promising idea from a project that is properly structured for a grant application.