How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $50000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 2?

MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 2 is funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ)

What are MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 2's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must have an operational establishment located in Quebec. The applicant must be an agricultural operation or a food processing company with an annual revenue between $30,000 and $1,000,000. New businesses must demonstrate they will achieve an annual revenue of at least $30,000 within 36 months of application submission.

MAPAQ — Ministerial initiative Proximity — Component 2

grant_single|update April 19, 2025

QC, Canada

Supports local market initiatives and agrotourism in Quebec

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grant_single|closingDate October 31, 2024

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Grant and Funding

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Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Manufacturing

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Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ)

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The Proximité 2024-2026 initiative aims to support the development and consolidation of local marketing and agritourism initiatives through the implementation of a commercialization plan. Eligible applicants include active agricultural operations and food processing companies in Quebec, with projects needing to present at least $5,000 in admissible expenses and focusing on relational or geographical proximity marketing or agritourism.

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For Component 1: The maximum financial aid is 70% of eligible expenses per project, with a total applicant ceiling (including any bonus) of $50,000 for the initiative.
For Component 2: The maximum financial aid is 50% of eligible expenses per project, with a total applicant ceiling (including any bonus) of $50,000 for the initiative.
An additional financial aid increase of 15% is possible for projects conducted in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine or focused exclusively on products with precertification or organic certification (for both components), or for new-generation agricultural enterprises (Component 2).

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Planning, developing, or consolidating collective initiatives in local food marketing and agritourism.
Conducting planning exercises, diagnostics, or studies.
Organizing support, development, or knowledge-transfer activities.
Facilitating business networking or partnership activities.
Designing marketing materials and tools.
Constructing, adapting, or outfitting a point-of-sale location.
Implementing a commercialization plan for local food marketing or agritourism initiatives.

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$ 20,000

Developing a local farm-to-table marketing initiative

$ 50,000

Creating a digital platform for local farm produce

$ 25,000

Improving local cider production through promotional events

$ 35,000

Launching an artisanal cheese agrotourism experience

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For collective initiatives (Component 1): Applicants must be non-profit organizations, cooperatives, business groups, municipal entities, Indigenous communities or nations, or public institutions committed to Quebec food purchasing targets aligned with the initiative's objectives.
Projects must be collective in nature and present eligible expenses of at least $7,000.
Projects must involve local or geographic proximity marketing or agrotourism and fall within one of the following activities: planning, diagnostics, studies, support or knowledge transfer activities, business networking, marketing tool development, or construction/adaptation of a sales location.
For individual initiatives (Component 2): Applicants must be agricultural operations with an annual turnover between $30,000 and $1,000,000, or less than $30,000 if they can demonstrate a projected turnover of at least $30,000 within 36 months; or food processing companies with the same turnover requirements, using primarily Quebec-origin raw materials without outsourcing processing; or new businesses able to demonstrate a projected turnover of at least $30,000 within 36 months.
Individual projects must present eligible expenses of at least $5,000 and be related to implementing a marketing plan focused on local or proximity marketing and agrotourism.

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Non-profit organizations (OBNL)
Cooperatives
Business groups
Municipal entities
Indigenous communities or nations
Public institutions committed to setting a target for purchasing Quebec food
Agricultural enterprises with an annual revenue over $30,000 and under $1,000,000, or those with revenue under $30,000 that foresee reaching at least $30,000 within 36 months
Food processing businesses meeting specific revenue and operational criteria, using primarily Quebec-origin raw materials, with no subcontracting in food processing
Newly established enterprises projecting to attain a minimum of $30,000 in revenue 36 months post-application

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This grant excludes certain companies and industries due to their status or legal and financial constraints. The restrictions are put in place to ensure that funds are allocated to eligible and compliant entities aligned with the grant's objectives.

Government departments and state-owned entities.
Municipal entities.
Financial cooperatives and banking institutions.
Applicants registered in the Register of companies ineligible for public contracts, including their subcontractors.
Applicants who have failed to meet previous financial aid obligations in the two years preceding the application.
Applicants under an order by the minister or a judge related to animal welfare and safety laws.
Applicants with criminal convictions in the two financial years preceding the application.
Applicants under the protection of bankruptcy and insolvency legislation.
Groups of businesses.

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Costs related to planning, diagnostics, or studies.
Expenses for organizing support, development, or knowledge transfer activities.
Business prospecting or networking costs.
Design and production of marketing materials and tools.
Construction, adaptation, or layout of sales venues.

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The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant are based on specific criteria to ensure alignment with the grant’s objectives.

Technical feasibility of the project.
Organizational feasibility of the project.
Financial feasibility of the project.
Market analysis provided with the proposal.
Projected benefits of the project for the applicant and consumers.

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Eligibility Check

Confirm that you are in one of the categories of eligible applicants.
Ensure that your project aligns with the types of eligible projects.

Preparation of the request

Draft a marketing plan that meets the requirements of the ministry.
Calculate the eligible expenses that must be equal to or greater than $5,000.
Gather all necessary documents and information to support your application.

Submission of the request

Download the application form from the Ministry's website: www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/proximite.
Complete the full financial assistance application form.
Submit the application online on the ministry's official website.

Acknowledgment of receipt

Receive an acknowledgment of receipt of your submission from the ministry.
Keep a copy of this acknowledgment for your internal records.

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The application period for this grant ended on October 31, 2024. No new applications are currently being accepted.
The official documentation and full text of the initiative are available in PDF format for detailed reference.
Projects must meet the minimal amount for eligible expenses at the time of submitting the complete application for financial assistance.
A financial aid increase of 15% is possible under certain conditions, but only one increase can be applied per project.
Financial assistance received in previous iterations of the initiative does not affect the current maximum aid an applicant may receive.
The most recent update to the program information was published on February 6, 2025.
For additional information or support, applicants are encouraged to contact their regional MAPAQ office. Regional office contact details are provided by MAPAQ.
Supporting resources such as guides and factsheets on proximity marketing and agritourism are available through the program's documentation.