Écoemballage+ Stream 2 : Support for collective innovation

Who is eligible?

• Beverage companies
• Companies engaged in food processing activities
• Agricultural businesses involved in packaging or preservation activities
• Restaurants offering take-out meals
• Companies using contractors or outsourcing food processing, including private label brand holders
• Enterprises with a central kitchen

Who is not eligible

• Sole proprietorship, i.e., businesses operated by a single individual who is often referred to as a self-employed or independent worker
• Professional associations
• Labour organizations
• Public and private foundations within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)
• Trusts
• Private primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions
• Any company majority-owned by a municipal entity or Crown corporation (majority shareholder)
• Any company under the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
• Any company listed in the Register of companies ineligible for public contracts at the following link: https://amp.quebec/rena/
• Any company that, during the two years preceding the application for financial assistance, failed to meet its obligations after having been duly served with a formal notice by the Minister in connection with the granting of previous financial assistance.
• Any company processing the following products: animal feed, nutraceutical, natural health products as defined in the Natural Health Products Regulation (SOR/2003-196). Products designated by a Drug Identification Number (DIN) are not considered, nor are cannabis-containing products and energy drinks.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for external experts, including specialized services, diagnostics, ecodesign, documentation, audits, life cycle analysis, technical studies, and report preparation.
• Travel and accommodation expenses related to project execution, considering economies of scale and adhering to government reimbursement guidelines.
• Training and knowledge transfer expenses, provided they are reasonable and project-related.
• Material acquisition costs, provided they are reasonable and project-related.
• Communication expenses for project result dissemination among stakeholders and interested parties, including the portion of an expert's salary for communication activities.
• Project coordination expenses, up to 20% of the total project cost, with a maximum of $30,000 per cohort, including a portion of the salary for the staff member dedicated to project implementation and administrative expenses.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is specifically targeted towards companies located in Quebec, as it is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ).

• Quebec, Canada

Evaluation and selection criteria for this grant are as follows:

• Relevance of the project to the goals of supporting eco-design of food packaging and recyclable beverage containers.
• Demonstration of common or cross-cutting issues and challenges among participating organizations.
• Evidence of intention to integrate the project by participating members.
• The collective efficiency in terms of cost, including economies of scale related to common measures.
• Minimum of three companies required for a cohort project.

• Step 1: Review Eligibility Criteria Consult the Guide du demandeur – Volet 2 to understand eligibility requirements, eligible expenses, and necessary documents.
• Step 2: Engage with Experts Contact an expert from the directory of ecodesign experts.
• Request a quote from the expert to include in your application for financial aid.
• Step 3: Prepare Application Documents Fill out the financial aid application form.
• Gather all required annex documents, including letters of participation from cohort members.
• Step 4: Submit Application Ensure all documents are complete and submit the application form through the provided platform.
• Ensure that the application form is submitted by clicking "Send" after completion.
• Step 5: Include Supplementary Documentation (if necessary) For early-stage companies, include a business plan and pro forma budget.
• Include financial statements for non-profit organizations, as required.
• Step 6: Provide Confirmation of Additional Funding (if applicable) Attach letters confirming complementary funding, specifying private or public sources.
• Step 7: Follow-up Confirmation Wait for a confirmation email to ensure your application has been received.

• Projects must involve a minimum of three participating companies.
• Eligible cohorts include associative cohorts, sector-type cohorts and business clusters.
• Projects must include a diagnosis, concrete recommendations by external consultants, an action plan, and details of how the results will be disseminated.
• Applications are analyzed in three stages: eligibility analysis, relevance analysis and selection committee evaluation (detailed evaluation).

Payment

• The first payment is made no later than 30 days after signature of the agreement, and represents 50% of the amount of the grant awarded.
• The second payment of 50% is made no later than 60 days after acceptance of the final report submitted by the applicant.