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MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3
Funding nutritious food development projects in Québec businesses
Last Update: May 27, 2026
Funding available
$ 7,500 - $ 150,000
Timeline
- Open Date : May 7, 2025
- Closing date : September 30, 2025
Location
Quebec, Canada
Overview
The Alimentation Santé 2023-2025 program's Volet 3 supports projects that aim to develop or enhance nutritious food products and can fund up to 70% of eligible expenses, with a maximum of $300,000 per applicant per financial year. Eligible activities include coordination of industry stakeholders, conducting training and information sessions, valorizing successes in creating nutritious food, and undertaking studies or clinical trials to verify the nutritional benefits of food ingredients.
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Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Launch or market a product/service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Minimum amount : 7,500 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : May 7, 2025
- Closing date : September 30, 2025
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Manufacturing
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 200,000,000 maximum revenue
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Implementation or updating of food quality and safety management systems.
- Implementation of preventive control plans.
- Implementation or updating of HACCP, GFSI, or other recognized certification systems.
- Improvements needed to meet non-Canadian government market access requirements.
- Implementation or updating of organic certification systems.
Documents Needed
- A completed and signed financial assistance application form.
- A completed financing plan.
- The latest annual financial statements, verified, reviewed, or compiled by an external CPA.
- CVs of internal experts involved in the project.
- The external expert service offer, if applicable.
- Equipment quotes, if available at filing.
- Supporting documents for any ministerial bonus request, if applicable.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Food processing companies registered in Quebec.
- Abattoirs and slaughterhouses with the required permit or licence.
- Cheese manufacturers with a dairy plant operating permit.
- Central kitchens operated by eligible companies.
- Non-profit organizations linked to the abattoir or cheese sectors for collective projects.
Who is not eligible
- Establishments that exclusively process food for livestock.
- Aquatic product processing establishments located in maritime regions with a main canning activity.
- Government ministries, public bodies, Crown corporations, and municipal entities.
- Financial cooperatives and banking institutions.
- Companies or subcontractors listed in the RENA.
Eligible expenses
- Professional fees and travel expenses for external experts.
- Salaries and related employment costs for internal experts working on the project, within the program limits.
- Equipment rental, materials, software, and specialized tools needed for the project.
- Training costs for personnel directly involved in the project.
- Laboratory equipment, external analysis fees, and certification fees.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs not directly linked to the project.
- Cost overruns.
- Expenses incurred before the complete application is filed.
- Costs already funded under this program or another MAPAQ measure.
- Payments to subcontractors listed in the RENA or in default on previous obligations.
Eligible geographic areas
- Quebec
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed after submission.
- MAPAQ may request additional documents if the file is incomplete.
- A decision is issued after the review.
- If approved, a financial assistance agreement must be signed.
- If refused, the applicant is notified of the decision.
Additional information
- The program ended on March 31, 2026.
- Only complete applications with all required documents are processed.
- The expense eligibility date is the date the complete application is received.
- Applicants may request a review of a decision within 20 business days.
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 2Enhancing productivity through food industry automation assistance
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Subcomponent 4.1 - Competitiveness of slaughterhouses and cheese dairiesSupports competitiveness investments for Quebec slaughterhouses and cheese dairies
- MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Subcomponent 4.2 - Regional, sectoral and environmental challenges facing slaughterhouses and cheese dairiesSupport for food processing competitiveness and innovation
Frequently Asked Questions about the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3 Program
What is the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3?
The Alimentation Santé 2023-2025 program's Volet 3 supports projects that aim to develop or enhance nutritious food products and can fund up to 70% of eligible expenses, with a maximum of $300,000 per applicant per financial year. Eligible activities include coordination of industry stakeholders, conducting training and information sessions, valorizing successes in creating nutritious food, and undertaking studies or clinical trials to verify the nutritional benefits of food ingredients.
How much funding can be received?
MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3 Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $150,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was September 30, 2025.
Who is eligible for the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3 program?
To be eligible for the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3 program, you must:
Registered with the Quebec enterprise register
Minimum of one year (12 months) of operation
Maximum total annual revenue of $200,000,000
What expenses are eligible under MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3?
Implementation or updating of food quality and safety management systems.
Implementation of preventive control plans.
Implementation or updating of HACCP, GFSI, or other recognized certification systems.
Improvements needed to meet non-Canadian government market access requirements.
Implementation or updating of organic certification systems.
Who can I contact for more information about the MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3?
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 3 available?
The MAPAQ — Food Processing Program — Component 3 program is available the province of Quebec.