Closed
MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 1
Last Update: March 3, 2026
Quebec, Canada
Supporting Quebec's collective market and agritourism initiatives
Grant and Funding
Overview
The Proximity 2024-2026 Initiative aims to support the planning, development, or consolidation of collective initiatives in local marketing and agrotourism. Eligible activities include implementing market studies, organizing knowledge transfer events, developing marketing tools, and constructing or adapting sales venues. Nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, municipal entities, and Indigenous communities with active establishments in Quebec can apply.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Selling in a new market
- Marketing a product
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Minimum amount : 7,000 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : August 1, 2024
- Closing date : August 31, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
- Social economy enterprise
- Non-financial cooperative
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Rural or Northern Residents
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Environment
- Economic, Social and Community Development
Target groups
- Indigenous peoples
- Rural / Remote communities
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Nonprofits / charities
- Community leaders
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Local
- Municipal
- Regional
- Provincial
- National
Activities funded
- Planning, developing, or consolidating collective initiatives in local direct marketing or agrotourism.
- Conducting project planning, diagnostics, or studies for collective initiatives.
- Organizing activities for knowledge transfer, support, or development within collective projects.
- Facilitating business networking or partnership development related to collective direct marketing or agrotourism initiatives.
- Designing promotional or sales support materials and tools, including facility construction, adaptation, or development of points of sale.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 23,000
Creating educational workshops on local and organic farming
$ 22,400
Organizing an agrotourism festival featuring local products
$ 28,000
Developing a farmer's market with local vendors and agrotourism activities
$ 28,000
Building a community garden with educational programs
$ 20,000
Créer un jardin communautaire avec des programmes éducatifs à Sherbrooke
$ 18,000
Launching a digital marketing campaign for local artisanal products
Eligibility
- The applicant must have an active establishment located in Quebec.
- Eligible applicants include legally constituted non-profit organizations, cooperatives, business groupings, municipal entities, recognized Indigenous communities or nations, or public institutions committed to a target for purchasing Quebec foods.
- The project must be a collective initiative aimed at planning, developing, or consolidating proximity marketing or agrotourism initiatives.
- The project must fall within one of the eligible activity categories, such as planning, diagnostics or studies; knowledge transfer, support or development activities; business networking or matchmaking; marketing tools or materials development; or construction or adaptation of a sales venue.
Who is not eligible
- Government ministries, budgetary and non-budgetary agencies, and Crown corporations, as well as entities controlled directly or indirectly by a provincial or federal government or a Crown corporation.
- Financial cooperatives and banking institutions.
- Applicants listed in the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA), including their subcontractors.
- Applicants under bankruptcy protection, insolvency, or creditor arrangement laws.
- Applicants who have failed to meet obligations related to previous financial aid, or are subject to certain legal or regulatory sanctions at the time of application.
Eligible geographic areas
- Quebec
How to apply
1
Preparation of documents
- Fill out and sign the financial assistance application form.
- Prepare the "Cost and Financing Structure" file for the project.
- Provide evidence of availability of funds or financing.
- Obtain a quote for each expense exceeding $5,000.
- Attach, if applicable, a power of attorney or a document that authorizes the person to sign the application.
- Include the curriculum vitae of the involved personnel.
- Include a lease with a renewal clause if required.
- Add proof of organic precertification if applicable.
- Assemble any other documents required by the minister.
2
Submission of the request
- Send the duly completed application to the minister in French, signed by the applicant or an authorized representative.
- Submit the complete financial statements for the last two years if applicable.
- For business mergers, include a partnership agreement form.
3
Confirmation of the request
- Receive an acknowledgment of receipt from the minister following the submission of the application.
- Wait for the confirmation of admissibility which specifies that the application is complete and eligible.
4
Final decision
- Receive a letter from the minister indicating the decision to fund or not fund the project.
- If the project is accepted, sign the financial aid agreement.
- In case of refusal, receive a rejection letter specifying the reasons.
Additional information
- Applicants must retain all project-related documents for a minimum of five years following project completion, for audit and evaluation purposes.
- Projects may be subject to site visits or assessments by Ministry representatives during implementation and up to five years after completion.
- Regular reporting and provision of supporting documents or deliverables may be required as specified in the funding agreement.
- Funding availability depends on the adoption of necessary budgetary credits by the National Assembly of Quebec, and the Ministry may limit the number of funded applications based on available resources.
