Local Food Infrastructure Fund: Community Support Stream: 3. Before you apply

3. Before you apply

Review and consider the following information before you apply.

Your responsibilities as an initial recipient

As an initial recipient, you will be responsible for:

• managing a transparent and open decision-making process to select the ultimate recipients of funding — organizations that will purchase food and equipment to expand the reach and impact of community food programming in Canada
• running the selection process of the ultimate recipients independently from direct government intervention (and in no event acting as an Agent of the Crown in distributing funds)
• giving priority to ultimate recipients who reach Canadians most at risk of food insecurity, including Indigenous Peoples and other under-represented and marginalized groups
• monitoring ultimate recipients and their obligations as outlined in the funding agreement between the initial recipient and the ultimate recipient
• sending reports to AAFC on financials and the total project results achieved

How we assess your application

All applications will be selected in a fair, accessible, and transparent manner. They'll undergo a competitive review process and will be evaluated based on their merit and the extent to which they meet the following criteria.

Well-established networks and geographical reach

Your experience with and access to partners and national or provincial/territorial networks of not-for-profit community-based organizations supporting community food programming. Networks should allow for broad geographic reach within a province/territory or across the country.

Note: Priority will be given to national not-for-profit organizations with a national network of not-for-profit community-based organizations that serve Canadians at risk of food insecurity.

Impact on community food security

Your ability to make sure that funded projects will maximize impact on community food security and will increase the capacity of ultimate recipients to provide nutritious and culturally appropriate food to Canadians most at risk of food insecurity.

Ability to further distribute funds

Your capacity, governance structure, partners, established networks, and facilities that will be leveraged to further distribute funding within a limited time frame.

Experience supporting at-risk groups

Your ability to make sure funded projects or activities support community food security programming that reaches low-income communities, Indigenous groups (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) and/or individuals from other under-represented or marginalized groups. This includes experience with the provision of culturally appropriate food.

Ability to manage a selection process

Your capacity to manage a transparent and open decision-making process to select the ultimate recipients and corresponding projects or activities to be funded.

Capacity to manage contribution funding

Your ability to develop and put into action an accountability and management framework; manage written funding agreements with ultimate recipients; and manage and leverage internal controls to make sure funding is provided to ultimate recipients for the intended purposes.

Expertise in community food programming

Your experience working with a variety of not-for-profit community-based organizations supporting Canadians at risk of food insecurity within a province, territory, or across Canada.

Reporting capacity

Your ability to collect data to measure and report on distribution of funds and to track project outcomes as they relate to the ultimate recipients involved.

Financial capacity

Your capacity for strong financial management over at least 2 years; all sources of funding for the project to be funded under the program are identified.

Program objectives and priorities

Your proposed activities, including expected results and outcomes, support program objectives and priorities.

Project activities and expenditures

Your proposed activities and expenditures are clear, reasonable and eligible.

Additional assessment criteria

We will also consider the overall quality of your application and the extent to which your application will meet, at a minimum, the following:

• You have experience supporting culturally appropriate community food security programming
• You have a reasonable plan or strategy to mitigate risks, including potential delays in further distributing funds
• You have the ability to provide services and communication materials of equal quality in both official languages
• Your project can show broader collateral benefits on community food security

Please note that even if your project meets all eligibility criteria, the submission of an application creates no obligation on the part of the Minister or of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials to provide funding for the proposed project. The Minister retains discretion to determine, based on other public policy and public interest considerations, whether an application that meets the criteria identified in the guide will ultimately receive funding.

Considerations

M-30 Act (Quebec organizations only)

The Province of Quebec's M-30 legislation may apply to Quebec-based applicants only. It is the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (R.S.Q., c. M-30).

More information on the Act is available online or by contacting the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) at dpci@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.

All Quebec-based organizations will have to address this matter and demonstrate their compliance with the Act during the application assessment process and before they enter into a contribution agreement.

Intellectual property

If your project is approved for funding, the contribution agreement will contain an intellectual property clause confirming that the title to all intellectual property in any materials created or developed by or for the recipient under the agreement will be owned by the recipient or a third party. However, upon request, the recipient must grant to AAFC the right to utilize any material or information produced, for AAFC and other Government of Canada purposes.