MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 2

• Maximum financial assistance: $50,000 per applicant over the duration of the initiative.
• Funding rate: up to 70% of eligible expenses for collective initiatives (Component 1); up to 50% of eligible expenses for individual initiatives (Component 2).
• Possible bonus: 15% increase in financial assistance for projects in Îles-de-la-Madeleine or focusing exclusively on certified or pre-certified organic products (up to the same $50,000 cap).
• Eligible expenses must meet minimum thresholds: $7,000 (Component 1) or $5,000 (Component 2) per application.
• Cumulative government support for a project cannot exceed 70% of eligible expenses (or 85% with bonus) for Component 1 and 50% (or 65% with bonus) for Component 2.

• The applicant must have an active establishment located in Quebec.
• The applicant must be an agricultural operation, a food processing company, or a new business that forecasts achieving an annual revenue of at least $30,000 within 36 months of application.
• For food processing companies, the majority of annual revenues must be from food processing activities, and they must primarily use Quebec-sourced raw materials where available, without outsourcing processing activities.
• The project must involve implementing a marketing plan focused on local or direct-to-consumer sales or agrotourism.
• The project must present eligible expenses directly related to its realization and meet the minimum admissibility criteria at the time of application.

Who is eligible?

• Agricultural operations meeting revenue criteria
• Food processing companies primarily engaged in processing activities and using Quebec-sourced raw materials
• Newly established businesses able to demonstrate projected revenue growth

Who is not eligible

• Provincial or federal ministries, government bodies, or state-owned enterprises, including those controlled by a government.
• Municipal entities.
• Financial cooperatives and banking institutions.
• Businesses or their subcontractors listed on the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA) or with recent financial misconduct.
• Companies under bankruptcy protection or insolvency proceedings.
• Business groups or consortiums (for individual initiatives component).
• Businesses involved in aquaponics, aquaculture, marine algae, fish, seafood products, or cannabis and related products.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for contractors directly involved in the project.
• Portion of employee salaries dedicated to project activities.
• Portion of social charges and employee benefits associated with project work (up to 26% of salary or another justified amount).
• Costs related to the design or production of visual or graphic branding elements.
• Costs for creation of publication templates for various communications.
• Expenses for production of videos.
• Costs related to the creation of posters, signs, interpretive panels, and their informational content or installation.
• Expenses for the development of web tools directly connected to the project.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies with an active establishment located in Quebec.
• Projects carried out in the agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine (for bonus eligibility).

• Technical, organizational and financial feasibility of the project.
• Market analysis supporting the project.
• Expected benefits for both the applicant and consumers.

• The Initiative comes into effect on May 29, 2024, was amended on August 12, 2024, and will end on February 15, 2026, or earlier if funds are exhausted.
• Applicants must comply with all relevant laws and regulations for the duration of the funding agreement.
• The Ministry may visit the project location or request supporting documents for verification during and up to five years following project completion.
• Recipients must acknowledge the Ministry’s support in all public communications about the funded project.