
InnoFood — Food innovations for a sustainable future
QC, Canada
Supporting sustainable food innovation and ecological resource use
grant_single|update March 27, 2025
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|maxCount
- grant_single|projectCostPercent
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Manufacturing
grant_single|grantors
- Consortium de recherche et d'innovations en bioprocédés industriels au Québec (CRIBIQ)
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|open
grant_single_labels|preview
The InnoFood grant, supported by the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec, offers up to $500,000 per year to foster food innovations for a sustainable future. It targets projects focused on plant-based foods, alternative proteins, and innovative technologies within Quebec's food industry.
grant_single_labels|terms_and_conditions
- Industrial contributions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a minimum of 20% in cash, with CRIBIQ and other public contributors providing up to 40% each.
- For large enterprises, a minimum of 40% contribution is required, of which 50% can be in-kind, with CRIBIQ covering up to 20% and other public bodies up to 40%.
- Projects that demonstrate high commercialization potential and are more than 75% complete are eligible for an additional $20,000 from CRIBIQ for a technical-economic or feasibility study.
- The maximum grant amount is $500,000 per year, not exceeding $1,500,000 over three years, subject to the budget allocated by the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec (MEIE).
- Funding is contingent on MEIE’s allocated budget and there are no guarantees of grant acquisition.
- Industrial contributions must not originate from governmental aid.
- Indirect research expenses for universities, covered by MEIE, are 27% of CRIBIQ's contributions to eligible expenses.
- A 5% project management fee, plus taxes, will be deducted from the CRIBIQ contribution.
grant_single_labels|projects
- Development of plant-based foods.
- Creation of alternatives to animal-based products.
- Research on alternative proteins.
- Advancement in personalized nutrition.
- Innovations in precision fermentation.
- Applications of precision agriculture.
- Design of future food packaging.
- Development of functional ingredients.
- Integration of innovative technologies such as 3D food printing.
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$ 50,000
Implement solar panels for community hall energy efficiency
grant_single_labels|admissibility
- The applicant must be a Quebec public research institute (IRPQ) or an innovative company located in Quebec.
- Projects must include a minimum of one company or industrial association.
- A large company can participate in a project led by a small or medium enterprise (SME) only if it results in significant economic benefits for the SME.
- The industrial contribution must not come from government aid.
- Companies with 25 or more employees must provide a copy of the francization certificate or related attestation documents.
- Companies operating in Quebec must have a French website; this requirement does not apply to international partners.
- Applicants must be members in good standing of the CRIBIQ consortium at the time of detailed application submission.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
- Quebec public research institutes (IRPQ)
- Innovative companies operating in the Quebec food industry
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
- Salaries and benefits for staff involved in the project, excluding university professors and college teachers already funded by their institution or a governmental agency.
- Scholarships for students or postdoctoral fellows (minimum 20% of the budget).
- Materials including laboratory equipment, consumables, and supplies (equipment expenses are not eligible).
- Purchase or rental of equipment, with costs representing a maximum of 25% of total eligible expenses and not exceeding $25,000 per item before tax.
- Animal facility and platform fees.
- Travel and accommodation expenses in accordance with the Quebec Treasury Board standards.
- Management and exploitation costs for intellectual property.
- Professional fees for contracts and subcontracting incurred by a Quebec public research institute (IRPQ), subject to a maximum of 10% of the total budget, not exceeding $25,000.
- CRIBIQ management fees (5% of the total project cost, excluding taxes).
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
- Quebec, Canada
grant_single_labels|criteria
- Innovative nature or innovation potential compared to the state of the art (eliminatory criterion).
- Quality of the management team, including alignment between scientific expertise and the needs of the involved companies.
- Potential benefits for each industrial partner involved.
- Collaboration and active role of the industrial partners.
- Scientific quality of the project.
- Level of excellence or expertise of the academic teams involved in line with the project's execution.
- Scientific or technical feasibility of the project.
- Organisation of the project, including definition of stages, deliverables, and milestone identification.
- Potential use or integration of project results by the industrial partners (eliminatory criterion).
- Economic and commercial application potential or competitive advantages.
- Realism of the timeline.
- Justification of the financial planning in line with the expenses.
- Training of qualified personnel, such as graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, interns, etc., and involvement of personnel in technology transfer.
grant_single_labels|apply
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
- The maximum grant funding is $500,000 per year, with a total maximum of $1,500,000 over three years, including funds from the MEIE.
- If a project is more than 75% complete and shows strong commercialization potential, additional funding of $20,000 may be granted by CRIBIQ for a technical-economic or feasibility study.
- A minimum of 20% of the budget must be allocated to the training of students or postdoctoral researchers.
- Projects led by SMEs require an industrial contribution of at least 20%, while large enterprises must contribute at least 40%, with up to half being in-kind contributions.
- CRIBIQ members need to have settled their membership fees before submitting the Detailed Application.
- Industrial partners from outside Quebec can participate as a second enterprise in the project.
- The financial contribution of industrial partners to CRIBIQ management costs is considered non-eligible by certain complementary funding organizations, such as CRSNG.
- Large enterprises can be part of an SME project only if the economic benefits are significant for the SME.
- A website in French is required for companies operating in Quebec, except for international partners.
grant_single_labels|contact
laila.bensaid@cribiq.qc.ca
418 914-1608
Apply to this program
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