Support for biofood exports - individual projects

• Completed and signed financial assistance application form
• Recent export marketing plan
• Arguments for the evaluation criteria
• Project cost form
• Supporting documents required for specific costs or bonuses

Who is eligible?

• Food processing businesses
• Agricultural operations
• Commercial fisheries businesses
• Commercial aquaculture businesses
• Businesses subcontracting all food processing in Quebec

Who is not eligible

• Groupings of companies (consortiums or associations of multiple businesses submitting a joint application).
• Companies whose main products are natural health products (bearing a Natural Product Number, NPN, or falling under natural health products regulations).
• Companies whose projects involve products with a Drug Identification Number (DIN).
• Companies commercializing products that are laboratory-grown food, cell-cultured food, ornamental horticulture products, animal feed, seeds, saplings, tobacco, or food products containing CBC or THC.
• Companies that have never exported outside Quebec.

Eligible expenses

• GS1 product registry fees
• Salary and related costs for a market development specialist
• Marketing and business development fees
• Trade show participation costs
• Travel, stays, and hosting of potential clients related to market development

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec

• Strategy for diversifying export markets outside Quebec (0–3 points)
• Use of main ingredients available in Quebec (0–3 points)
• Coherence with previous market development efforts (0–3 points)
• Realistic potential for additional sales (0–3 points)
• Credible and relevant success factors (0–3 points)

• Step 1: Pre-qualification
  • Download and complete the pre-qualification and financial data form.
  • Send the form by email for financial capacity review.
  • Wait for confirmation before moving to the next step.
• Step 2: Complete application
  • Complete the application form, project cost form, and evaluation arguments.
  • Gather the required supporting documents and submit everything in one package.
  • Submit the complete application within the deadline provided.
• Step 3: Review and decision
  • The application is reviewed for admissibility and completeness.
  • Additional information may be requested if needed.
  • Applicants receive a written decision and, if accepted, a contribution agreement.

• Applications are first reviewed through a pre-qualification step to assess financial capacity.
• Complete applications are checked for admissibility and completeness before detailed analysis.
• If additional information is needed, applicants have 10 working days to respond.
• Successful applicants receive a grant letter and contribution agreement.
• Claims are paid after supporting documents are reviewed.

• Applications and supporting documents must be submitted in French.
• The application package must be sent in one single submission.
• A recent export marketing plan is required.
• An Annex C project report is required at the end of the project.