Closed
Source verified August 20, 2026
MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2
Enhancing productivity through food industry automation assistance
Receipt of requests is now closed
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Funding available
$ 25,000 - $ 150,000
Deadline
Closed
Location
Quebec, Canada
Who can apply
Businesses registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
See full eligibility
Overview
Volet 2 – Productivité de la main-d’œuvre under the Programme transformation alimentaire helps Quebec food-processing businesses improve workforce productivity with support covering up to 50% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $150,000. Eligible projects include process automation, robotization or digitization, integrated management software implementation or adaptation, and related equipment or specialized software costs.
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Optimize production processes
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Minimum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Sole proprietorship
- Non-financial cooperative
Annual revenue
- From $ 300,000 to $ 200,000,000 in revenue
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Automation, robotization, or digitization of processes.
- Implementation or adaptation of integrated management software.
Documents Needed
- Completed and signed financial assistance application form
- Completed financing plan related to the application
- Latest financial statements covering one full 12-month operating year, audited, reviewed, or compiled by an external CPA
- Workforce productivity diagnostic for the project
- Equipment quotes, if available at the time of filing, and environmental and municipal authorizations if the project requires them
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Businesses registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
- Businesses with at least 12 months of operations that submit an application for an establishment they operate in Quebec.
- Businesses whose targeted establishment carries out food processing activities, or at least two other activities recognized by the Ministry with foods already produced and intended for the wholesale market or online sale.
- Businesses operating a central kitchen in Quebec.
Who is not eligible
- Applicants whose targeted establishment holds a permit for an abattoir de proximité, an abattoir sous inspection permanente, a federal slaughter licence for food animals, or a dairy plant operating permit for cheese manufacturing.
- Applicants whose targeted establishment exclusively processes feed for livestock, or whose aquatic products processing establishment is located in a région maritime and whose main activity is the preparation and canning of aquatic products (code SCIAN 3117).
- Applicants with 25 employees or more in Quebec for at least 6 months that are not compliant with the francization process or are listed as non-compliant, and for-profit businesses with more than 100 employees requesting $100,000 or more that cannot meet the requirements of the Programme d’accès à l’égalité en emploi.
- Ministries, budgetary and non-budgetary bodies, state-owned enterprises listed in Schedules 1 to 3 of the Loi sur l’administration financière, entities directly or indirectly controlled by a provincial or federal government or a state-owned enterprise, municipal entities, financial cooperatives, and banking institutions.
- Applicants listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), applicants that defaulted on obligations tied to previous Ministry funding in the two years before the application, applicants subject to an order under the Loi sur le bien-être et la sécurité de l’animal, and applicants under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, or the Farm Debt Mediation Act.
Eligible expenses
- Purchase, improvement, delivery, and installation of new or used equipment bought from an equipment supplier and covered by a minimum three-month warranty.
- Purchase and implementation of an integrated management software package, as well as specialized software and equipment required to carry out the project.
- Professional fees of external experts with no business relationship to the applicant, and their travel costs within the rates in effect in the Quebec public service.
- Design of plans and specifications for the project that did not receive financial support under Volet 1, and rental costs for specialized equipment and premises during the project period.
- Specialized software subscription fees for up to one year, and staff training costs such as registration, learning materials, platform access, and eligible travel.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs not directly related to the project, cost overruns intended to obtain additional funding, expenses incurred before a complete application is submitted, and expenses already funded under this Program or another Ministry financial assistance measure.
- Expenses paid to a subcontractor listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA) or to a subcontractor that defaulted on obligations tied to previous Ministry funding in the two years before the application, as well as external expert fees and related costs for preparing or following up on the application.
- Costs related to modifying premises, expansion or construction work, the purchase of a building or land, motorized transport equipment, outdoor site work including paving, and the acquisition of consumables.
- Salary, payroll charges, and employee benefits of the applicant's staff, employee wages during training, and current operating costs including normal building and equipment maintenance.
- Costs for food, beverages, and gifts for participants, expenses not supported by a realistic cost estimate, debt service or capital repayments, and the GST and QST.
Eligible geographic areas
- All administrative regions of Quebec
Selection criteria
- Relevance of the project to the objective of Volet 2
- Alignment between the productivity diagnosis and the project presented in the application, including the targeted workforce productivity gains
- Feasibility, realism, and viability of the project
- Presence of the technical, organizational, and administrative capacity needed to carry out the project
- Financial viability and performance of the applicant, and the project’s contribution to sustainable development
How to apply
- Complete and sign the financial assistance application form in French.
- Complete the financing plan and gather the required supporting documents for Volet 2.
- Send all required documents in a single email to transfo@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.
Processing and Agreement
- After submission, the Ministry sends an acknowledgement of receipt and may request additional information or missing documents by email.
- If the application is complete and both the applicant and project are eligible, the Ministry sends a confirmation of receivability; incomplete applications are rejected, and non-admissible applications receive a decision notice explaining the reasons and the file is closed.
- Once eligibility is established, a representative of the Minister analyzes the application based on the project's relevance to Volet 2, alignment between the diagnosis and the proposed project, the targeted workforce productivity gain, the project's feasibility and viability, the applicant's capacities, financial viability and performance, and contribution to sustainable development objectives.
- If the project is selected, the applicant receives and must sign a funding agreement setting out the conditions and terms for project delivery and payment; if the project is refused, the applicant receives a decision notice explaining the reasons.
- An applicant may appeal an evaluation decision within 20 working days of the date it is communicated, using the form available on the Program webpage.
Additional information
- A financial eligibility simulator is available to help applicants assess certain required financial criteria before submitting.
- A simulator score of 1.29 or less results in an automatic refusal.
- Before submitting, applicants may receive support from a food processing advisor; this support does not guarantee admissibility or approval.
- Hiring a private consultant to prepare the application is not mandatory.
Contacts
Other components of this program
Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 1Project planning and skills support for processors
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3Supports Quebec food processing development projects
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Subcomponent 4.1 - Competitiveness of slaughterhouses and cheese dairiesSupports slaughterhouse and cheese dairy competitiveness
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Subcomponent 4.2 - Regional, sectoral and environmental challenges facing slaughterhouses and cheese dairiesQuebec food processing support
Frequently Asked Questions about the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 Program
What is the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2?
Volet 2 – Productivité de la main-d’œuvre under the Programme transformation alimentaire helps Quebec food-processing businesses improve workforce productivity with support covering up to 50% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $150,000. Eligible projects include process automation, robotization or digitization, integrated management software implementation or adaptation, and related equipment or specialized software costs.
How much funding can be received?
MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $150,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 program?
To be eligible for the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 program, you must:
The applicant must be a business registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec and have at least 12 months of operations.
Its most recent annual financial statements prepared by an external CPA must show at least $300,000 in revenue from food processing activities or other activities recognized by the Ministry, maximum total revenue of $200,000,000, and minimum equity of $100,000.
The application must concern an establishment operated in Quebec that carries out food processing activities or at least two other activities recognized by the Ministry with foods already intended for the wholesale market or online sale, or operates a central kitchen.
What expenses are eligible under MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2?
Automation, robotization, or digitization of processes.
Implementation or adaptation of integrated management software.
Who can I contact for more information about the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2?
You can contact Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) by email at transfo@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.
Where is the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 available?
The MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 program is available the province of Quebec.
Is the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 a grant, loan, or tax credit?
MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 2 is a Grant and Funding