Healthy Eating Program Component 2

Who is eligible?

The "RÉSUMÉ ET GUIDE DU PROGRAMME ALIMENTATION SANTÉ 2023-2025" is intended for companies engaged in the transformation of food products within Quebec, aiming to enhance their nutritional value. Companies must already market at least one food product in Quebec and fall into specific business categories.

• Food processing companies legally registered in Quebec or with a branch located in Quebec.
• Companies outsourcing their food processing activities.
• Enterprises that own central kitchens.
• Groups of food processing companies.

Who is not eligible

This grant excludes certain companies and industries based on their registration status or main business activities. These restrictions ensure that only eligible sectors can receive support to develop or enhance the nutritional value of processed foods.

• Businesses registered in the RENA (Registry of Ineligible Enterprises for Public Contracts in Quebec).
• Industries producing animal feed.
• Companies involved in creating nutraceutical products.
• Firms focused on producing natural health products.
• Companies producing food or products with a drug identification number (DIN).
• Businesses manufacturing products containing alcohol or cannabis.
• Producers of meal replacements.
• Energy drink manufacturers.
• Entities primarily engaged in restaurant activities, which are not considered food processing activities under this program.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers specific expenses directly related to the development or improvement of the nutritional value of processed food products.

• Professional fees and travel expenses for authorized external consultants.
• Internal specialist salaries related to the project, if an external consultant is not required.
• Cost of raw materials used in laboratory and industrial-scale tests.
• Purchase of equipment for quality control of the developed or modified product.
• Fees for nutritional analyses, establishment of nutritional facts table, and ingredient list conducted by an external laboratory or consultant.
• External laboratory analyses to evaluate the new product's shelf life.
• Costs related to packaging modification by an external consultant to achieve adequate shelf life and developing eco-friendly packaging.
• Taste tests and product trials conducted by an external consultant.
• Modification of packaging materials due to changes in nutritional facts table and ingredient list prepared by an external consultant.
• Promotion of the health aspect of the developed or improved food product by participating in events recognized by the MAPAQ.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to companies located within Quebec, Canada, as determined by the requirements for eligible businesses. The criteria specify that companies must operate and market their products within this province.

• Companies registered in Quebec, Canada.
• Companies with at least one establishment or branch located in Quebec.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• The maximum cumulative amount of public assistance received for the project cannot exceed 75% of the eligible expenses.
• Private funding must account for at least 20% of the eligible expenses.
• Additional financial enhancement of 10% is possible for projects that meet certain nutritional criteria enhancements.
• The grant requires beneficiaries to keep supporting documents for five years post-project completion.
• An appeal process is available for decisions, with a 30-day window to appeal following the decision notification.
• Guidance is available from MAPAQ before submitting an application, although it does not guarantee approval.
• Applicants will receive an acknowledgment email upon submission of a complete application.