Financial support programme for the development of the commercial fisheries and aquaculture sector – Stream 1 – Support for development
$500,000
Grant
Description:
Increase the production, profitability and biosecurity of commercial fisheries and aquaculture companies through the development of new products or the implementation of new company-specific processes.
Comments on Funding:
The financial assistance consists of a non-repayable contribution in the form of a grant. It is calculated according to the parameters specified in the table on page 13 of the full text of the program .
The program ends on March 31, 2026, or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
Eligibility:
Eligible Applicants
The following applicants who have an establishment in Quebec and who have the authorizations or permits necessary to carry out their activities leading to the completion of an eligible project are eligible:
Capture companies;
Aquatic product processing companies located in maritime regions whose main activity is the preparation and canning of aquatic products;
Aquaculture companies from all regions;
Aquaculture companies located in maritime regions where the project involves processing activities;
Companies for the recovery of co-products and marine biotechnologies with a commercial vocation carrying out their activities located in maritime regions;
Band councils;
The mergers of the aforementioned companies.
Aquaculture businesses that are not located in the State’s water domain and that are in the process of obtaining their permit in the case of a hydrogeological study project are also eligible. They must demonstrate to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that they have received a preliminary opinion from a hydrogeologist regarding the water potential of the chosen site.
Eligible projects
Projects meeting the following conditions are eligible:
Register in one of the following fields of intervention:
Experimentation;
Pilot test, including hydrogeological studies (only for aquaculture projects that do not take place in the State’s water domain) and diagnostics;
Commercial phase;
Aim for industrial activity in the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Quebec;
Correspond to one of the following objectives:
Be innovative;
Aim for the development of new products or the implementation of new processes;
Aim for market access;
Aim for the implementation of a biosecurity plan;
Aim, as a result, to produce products with commercial potential.
If a project concerns, in addition to aquatic organisms, other types of production or crops, such as aquaponics, only the components of the project linked to the fisheries and aquaculture sector will be eligible.
Application Steps:
To apply, you must:
Read the full text of the program for all the details.
Send the following mandatory documents by email to your regional MAPAQ office (commercial fisheries and aquaculture).
Documentation Needed:
The completed and signed financial assistance application form ;
The company’s last two financial statements or, if they are not available, the Canada Revenue Agency’s T2042 income tax return for the last two years. A start-up company could benefit from an exemption in this regard, if it demonstrates, at the time of filing the project, that it is impossible for it to produce financial statements for the last two years.
Other documents necessary for the complete evaluation of the application may be required.
Other Things to Note:
When the project is completed, companies that have received financial assistance must submit a final report:
Final project report – Mariculture
Final project report – Fish farming
Final project report – Transformation
About the author
Maurice
