AgriMarketing Program: Step 5. Complete the application and apply

Step 5. Complete the application and apply

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) uses the information you give in the application form to determine whether your project is eligible.

The application form has 10 sections to be completed.

How to complete the application

1. Project information

We'll use the information provided in this section, along with the details of your project's activities and budget, to determine the eligibility of your project.

Project title

Provide a short, descriptive project title that accurately reflects your project activities and outcomes.

Project objective

Provide a clear and concise summary of the project, using non-technical plain language. The summary should provide the following elements:

  • High-level of detail on the proposed activities
  • What questions the project attempts to answer and why
  • Where the project will take place

Provide a concise summary of your project.

  • How would you describe your project in an "elevator pitch" to a friend or colleague, or on social media?
  • What is the overall goal of the project?
  • What does the project aim to achieve?

Briefly describe the main action items and how you'll know the project has achieved its goal.

Complete this question after your proposal is fully developed so that it can summarize the action items and desired outcomes.

If the project is approved for funding, this summary will be used publicly on Government of Canada websites.

Project description

Your detailed description should clearly address the following elements:

  • Need
    • What market gap or commercial need, that is important to the industry and Canada, does your project aim to meet?
    • How does your project meet the need?
  • Objective
    • The starting point for any successful international market development strategy is to carefully select your target markets and assess their unique opportunities and challenges.
    • While you may be tempted to start big and include an entire geographic region or long list of countries, this broader kind of approach does not follow a focused, strategic plan
    • You should take time to focus your projects on your top 3 or 4 target markets per year – these target markets should support your organization's strategic goals for the project by generating S.M.A.R.T. outcomes (that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely)

      Exporting organizations achieve greater success by initially focusing their plans on a smaller number of target markets, allowing sufficient time for follow-up on leads and engagement with key local business contacts.

      If you reach out to 5 or more markets at the same time, you should consider ways to prioritize and narrow your markets of interest.

      You're encouraged to reach out and speak with a trade commissioner in the market for their on-the-ground insight to assess your organization's market potential and determine your market-entry strategy.

    • What is the long-term objective and how does undertaking this project contribute to achieving it?
    • How does your project align with the program objectives?
    • How do you plan to achieve the objectives of the project?
  • Outcome/Impact
    • What are the potential outcomes and how will they help build trust and confidence in the sector or industry?
    • What could the short- and long-term impacts be on the industry if this project is not pursued? Why?
  • Risks
    • What challenges could prevent you from completing your project and how will you mitigate them?
  • Performance measures
    • What are the deliverables of each activity?
    • What are the tangible end results that will come from completing the activity?
    • Provide the measures for each of the expected results that apply for each individual activity that you plan on undertaking. Refer to the Expected results to determine performance indicators.

Organizational capacity – project

Describe how your organization has the capacity to deliver the project (that is, relevant skills, interest and experience with the subject matter area of the project).

If applicable, provide details on past AAFC funded projects. Otherwise, provide details on projects of similar scale that your organization has previously delivered.

Ensure your response clearly addresses the following elements:

  • How difficult or complex is the project?
  • How will the activities be achieved and monitored?
  • What management controls, human resources, and technical capacity do you have to ensure this proposed project will be successful?
  • How will you ensure that you report regularly and accurately on the progress of the project against your work plan and budget forecasts?
  • What financial controls will you have in place to ensure proper financial management of the project?
  • How will you ensure that expenses submitted to AAFC are accurate and can be properly assessed to determine eligibility?
  • If your organization received prior funding from AAFC, briefly describe the results of the previous projects and the level of complexity or expertise used for past projects
  • Provide recent examples of projects undertaken/led by your organization

Primary project location

Enter the address where the project will take place.

If there are multiple project locations, for the primary location, enter the address for the project location where activities associated with the largest portion of the budget will take place.

Environmental considerations

In accordance with the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), we must determine whether projects that take place on federal land are likely to cause significant environmental damage.

To determine if IAA applies to your project, answer the following questions:

Question A. Is the proposal a "project" as defined by the IAA?

Examples of projects include:

  • construction of a greenhouse
  • installation of a permanent irrigation system
  • building construction or demolition
  • any other activity related to permanent human-made works

Activities that are not considered projects include:

  • administrative or marketing activities
  • workshops
  • training or hiring staff
  • installation of temporary or portable systems
  • any other activity not related to physical work
Question B. Where does the project take place?

AAFC has certain obligations under the IAA, if providing financial assistance to projects on federal land. Under the IAA, "federal lands" means:

  1. lands that belong to His Majesty in right of Canada, or that His Majesty in right of Canada has the power to dispose of, and all waters on and airspace above those lands, other than lands under the administration and control of the Commissioner of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut;
  2. the following lands and area:
    1. the internal waters of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province,
    2. the territorial sea of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province,
    3. the exclusive economic zone of Canada, and
    4. the continental shelf of Canada; and
  3. reserves, surrendered lands and any other lands that are set apart for the use and benefit of a band and that are subject to the Indian Act, and all waters on and airspace above those reserves or lands.

If you answer "Yes" or "Unsure" to Question A and "Federal lands or lands outside Canada" or "Reserves, surrendered land or other land set apart for the use and benefit of a band and that is subject to the Indian Act" to Question B, further assessment may be required. We'll contact you as necessary.

Project data collection

The responses to the following questions will be used only for program reporting purposes, and will not impact the success of the application.

North American Industry Classification System

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

For more information, visit North American Industry Classification System (Statistics Canada).

AAFC has identified the following NAICS category options for this program. Select the NAICS identifier that best applies to the project or to the industry the project represents:

  • Agricultural Production
  • Food and Beverage Manufacturing
  • Other Manufacturing
  • Other

Then, select the NAICS identifier that best applies to the overall intent of your project or to the activity with the highest dollar value.

Harmonized System codes

In this section, list all the Harmonized System codes for the products for export in this project. Describe the product(s) and include the 6-digit HS code(s) which can be found in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

Groups who will directly benefit from the project's activities

Select all that apply.

Indigenous Peoples
The collective name for the original peoples of Canada and their descendants and consists of distinct, rights-bearing communities comprising First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada.
First Nations
A people composed of many different nations having their own origin, history and culture, and whose members have called North America home for thousands of years. First Nations include status and non-status Indians.note 1
Inuit
A people that inhabit or that traditionally inhabited the northern regions and Arctic coasts of Canada known as Inuit Nunangat, and whose members are united by a common origin, history, and culture.note 1
Métis

A people whose members are of mixed First Nations and European ancestry, are united by a common origin, history, and culture, and are generally accepted by the Métis Nation.note 1

Indigenous organizations may include:

  • aggregated Indigenous entities (as self-defined by Indigenous groups, could be linked by cultural or linguistic background, geographical area, or historical treaty lines)
  • associations
  • national and regional Indigenous organizations
  • Indigenous non-governmental and voluntary associations and organizations, including non-profit organizations and corporations
  • self-governing Indigenous governments
Women
One of many gender identities. Includes all people who identify as women.
Youth
Individuals aged 39 and under.
2SLGBTQI+
Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities who use additional terminologies.note 2
Persons with disabilities

The Employment Equity Act defines "persons with disabilities" as persons who have a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or learning impairment and who:

  • consider themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment, or
  • believe that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment,

and includes persons whose functional limitations owing to their impairment have been accommodated in their current job or workplace.

Members of visible minorities
The Employment Equity Act defines "members of visible minorities" as persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.
Decline to identify
Use this selection if you do not want to disclose this information at the time of your application.
Not applicable
Use this selection if the question is not relevant to your organization.

Previously received funding

Has your organization received any funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada within the last 6 years?

If yes, and if known, list:

  • the program(s) your organization received funding from
  • the name of the projects
  • the amount received

Official languages

AAFC is committed to enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities (OLMCs), supporting, and assisting their development, and promoting the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

OLMCs consist of Francophones outside Quebec and Anglophones in Quebec. These communities are often represented by provincial and regional organizations.

Audience

Do the project activities have the potential to reach an audience of both English and French speakers?

Community who will benefit

If approved, will the project activities specifically target an official language minority community (French speakers outside Quebec or English speakers in Quebec)?

If the approved project involves activities that may have an impact on OLMCs or promote the use of English and French, we will include appropriate commitments in agreements with your organization and additional expenses incurred as a result of these commitments will be considered eligible for contribution funding.

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

Communications

  • Project web pages and/or project social media account(s) produced and maintained in both official languages
  • Project materials offered in both official languages (brochures, kits, handouts, newsletters, reports, etc.)
  • Directional and educational signs produced in both official languages
  • Project-related advertisement in OLMC media (newspapers, radio, social media)
  • Bilingual coordinator or other contractor hired to help deliver project-related activities in both official languages (for example, master of ceremony for a project event, workshop facilitator or simultaneous translator)
  • Distribution of invitations in both official languages
  • Knowledge transfer activities

Outreach

  • One or more OLMCs are included in the project target groups (for example, as in-kind or cash partners in project budget or to be invited to project events)
  • Other groups representing OLMCs are consulted to see if there is any potential for involvement on their end
  • Travel to or from OLMCs (costs associated with these project activities are included in project budget)

If your project is funded, your organization may be required to publicly acknowledge AAFC's support for the project, in both official languages, and in a form determined by Canada.

2. Organization or business

AAFC uses the information you provide in this section to confirm your organization's identity and to verify your organization's eligibility for funding.

Refer to the Eligibility checklist to determine if your organization is eligible under this program.

Important note for returning applicants

If your organization has previously submitted an online application to AAFC, the system may not require you to complete this section again. If you're aware of any changes to your organization or business information since the last submission, please contact the program to verify and update your profile.

Applicant information

Legal name

Your organization's legal name, as it appears in legal documents such as Articles of Incorporation and Certificate of incorporation.

Operating as (if used)

Enter the name under which your organization operates, if that name is different from its legal name. If you do not use an 'operating as' name, provide your organization's legal name.

Acronym (if used)

Enter the acronym your organization uses, if different from its legal and 'operating as' names.

CRA business number

Enter the first 9 digits of your 15-digit Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business number.

Example: 123456789 RR 0001

If you don't have a CRA Business Number, select the checkbox "The organization or business does not have a Business Number" and provide an explanation. Note: you must get a CRA Business Number if your project is approved for funding.

Organization type

Select one of the following:

  • Not-for-profit
  • Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, Métis)
Organization type – Additional information

Your answer to this question must be one of the following:

  • Not-for-profit
    • association of workers and/or employers
    • local community, charitable, voluntary organization
    • sector council
    • corporation
  • Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, Métis)
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis community
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis association
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis not-for-profit organization
Headquarters address

Enter the complete address, main email address and main phone number of your organization's headquarters or regional headquarters.

Mailing address

Enter the mailing address if different from the Headquarters' address or click on "Copy Headquarters address."

Organizational capacity

AAFC will use the information you provide in this section to understand more about your organization and to assess your ability to carry out this project.

  • How many employees work for your organization?

    Include the total number of all full-time and part-time employees on your organization's payroll. Don't include contractors.

  • Describe your organization (for example, when it was established, the mandate/mission, and who it serves).

    Include your organization's mandate/mission, priorities, and who it serves. Provide a brief history of your organization including when it was established and any significant changes in the past 2 years (for example, a significant increase/decrease of staff, changes to executive leadership/Board of Directors, a change in mandate).

    Responses to the remaining organizational capacity questions will be used for reporting, program planning purposes, and to determine your eligibility for the alternate cost-share ratio.

Does the mandate/mission of your organization target any of the following groups? (Select all that apply)

  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Women
  • Youth
  • 2SLGBTQI+
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Members of visible minorities
  • Decline to identify
  • Not applicable

Is your organization majority owned (50% or more) by one or more of the following groups? (Select all that apply)

See the information above for groups included in the previous question, as well as the following groups:

Gender parity
A minimum of 50% women and/or non-binary individuals.
Non-binary
A person whose gender identity does not align with a binary understanding of gender such as man or woman. It is a gender identity which may include man and woman, androgynous, fluid, multiple, no gender, or a different gender outside the "woman—man" spectrum.

Does your organization's Board of Directors have a diverse composition with significant representation (30% or more) from one or more of the following groups? (Select all that apply)

See the links above for groups included in the 2 previous questions.

Does your organization have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan or a Human Resources Plan that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan

An employment equity plan addresses under-representation of marginalized groups such as Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women, youth, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and official language minority people and employment barriers they may face. A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan goes beyond an employment equity plan to address under-representation and employment barriers for equity and equity seeking groups to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments in the workplace.

Human resources plan that supports DEI

A plan that links human resources management to the organization's overall strategic and operational plans and includes objectives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

Does your organization commit to the 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage?

The 50 – 30 Challenge is an initiative co-created by the Government of Canada, civil society, and the private sector that aims to attain gender parity and significant representation (at least 30%) of other under-represented groups on boards and senior management positions in order to build a more diverse, inclusive, and vibrant economic future for Canadians.

The Challenge will allow a variety of organizations to participate across 3 program streams including small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations, and those without Boards of Directors or senior management teams. The Challenge includes organizations that meet the Challenge and organizations that are working toward the Challenge.

For more information, please visit The 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage.

3. Project team

Review the contact information for project team members and edit if necessary. There is a maximum of 5 project team members per project. Any project team member can create and edit project application forms, submit direct deposit information, and submit payment requests and performance reports to AAFC.

4. Activities

Detailed project budget

To help determine the budget numbers to enter into the Activities section, you must first complete the Detailed project budget, which can be downloaded from the portal. Once the budget is completed, enter the data in the relevant areas of the application and attach the spreadsheet in the Documents section of the application.

Refer to the Instructions within the Detailed project budget to help you complete the budget.

Activity details

The Activities section is where you will provide a detailed description of your planned activities, including key milestones and descriptions of your planned performance measures as well as how you will report on results.

The activities will be assessed to determine if they have been clearly planned and described, and if they are aligned with the project's goals, objectives, and purpose.

The project start and end dates are automatically determined by the date that work on the first activity will take place and the last day that work on the last activity will take place. The fiscal year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31.

Activity title

Provide a precise name for the activity, which clearly reflects its intended purpose.

Activity start date

Enter the date that the individual activity will start.

Activity end date

Enter the date that the individual activity will finish.

Target market by country

Select one country from the drop-down list where the individual activity will take place.

Activity description

The Activities section is an important part of the application form for evaluation purposes. Include key milestones and indicate how you intend to measure performance and report on results.

You must clearly define each activity. Be specific when you enter your information. Your organization knows your project the best so:

  • explain the project in a clear manner, using all available information
  • answer common questions to properly describe essential elements of the project (who, what, where, when, why, how much)
  • provide sufficient detail to clearly illustrate how you established your budget, such as any cost estimates, calculations or assumptions made to determine the financial requirements to implement the proposed activities and achieve the forecasted results

Your description should also provide assurances that your activity:

  • makes sense
  • is likely to be successful

In existing markets, where you have conducted marketing, promotion, business development or export sales in the past, it is your responsibility to clearly demonstrate how the proposed activity represents an incremental change to support the project's objectives and expected results. Increasing and diversifying exports to markets where Canada has free trade agreements in place is a key factor under this initiative.

Preference will be given to digital promotional activities and virtual forms of engagement (such as online training, e-commerce platforms, virtual business-to-business meetings, and virtual trade missions) with the intent to reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint from recurring travel to the same markets or trade shows supported in previous years.

Goal

Select a goal from the drop-down list that you wish to achieve with this activity:

  • Address a market access issue
  • Develop a new market
  • Expand an existing market
  • Maintain an existing market

Type of activity

Select the type of activity which best describes what you will be undertaking from the drop-down menu.

  • Print, Radio, Television Advertising, and/or Promotion
  • Online Advertising and/or Promotion
  • Social Media Advertising and/or Promotion
  • Incoming Mission
  • Market Research
  • Outgoing Mission
  • Technical Training
  • Trade Advocacy
  • Trade Shows
  • Other

Deliverables

Provide a description of the deliverables of each activity. Deliverables are the tangible and intangible end results that will come from completing the activity.

Performance measures

Provide a numeric value for the expected results that apply for each individual activity that you plan to undertake. For expected results that do not apply, enter "n/a."

The list of expected results will appear based on the selected activity type:

Print, radio, television advertising and/or promotion
  • Audience reach

    The number of individuals your advertisement or promotional campaign is expected to reach, such as the number of people who will see a bus/billboard ad campaign; the number of subscribers/readers for a magazine or newspaper; or the audience for a radio or television-based campaign

Online advertising and/or promotion

  • Click-through rate

    The number of individuals who click on your online advertisement, such as a web banner or sponsored ad, which appears on another website's page

  • Unique website visits

    The total number of unique visitors to a featured promotional landing page on your website

    • Only include the initial visit to this specific promotional page on your website and do not count multiple visits from one person or multiple page impressions from the same visitor
Social media advertising and/or promotion

  • Engagement rate

    The number of individuals who viewed a post and either liked, shared, reacted, or commented on the communication

    • This may include click-through rates for any trackable links featured in the posting as a call-to-action to visit another webpage, view a video or sign up for more information - it does not include your normal social media followers
Incoming missions – outgoing missions

  • Value of estimated sales (Canadian dollars)

    The direct sales (forecasted or actual) from the activity

    • This value should result directly from the mission and not be the value of estimated sales for the entire commodity/sector

  • Number of buyers reached

    The number of companies or organizations met with who purchased or signed distribution contracts as a result of the activity

  • Number of new prospects

    The number of qualified contacts or potential buyers whose information has been confirmed or acted upon

    • For example, your organization has verified and used the contact information for follow-up, such as meeting with the person, sending sales and direct marketing materials, or placing sales calls - this does not include the general collection of business cards, mailing lists, or other contact information
Market research

  • Estimated value of markets identified (Canadian dollars)

    This is the general value of the market that your research has identified as the potential for your sector

    • This figure should demonstrate the thoroughness of the research and the potential return on investment of different market development activities, and reflect a targeted, direct opportunity for the sector - it is not the current import value or the total value of estimated sales for the entire commodity or sector within a country

  • Number of members using research/data

    The number of people your research has been shared with or who have accessed it

    • For example, the number of downloads of the report by members from your website
Technical training

  • Number of participants attended

    The total number of people who attended your training sessions, both virtually and in-person

    • This could include classroom sessions, conferences and seminars, or pre-recorded training sessions for on-demand viewing, as well as live webinars and videoconferences
Trade advocacy

  • Value of market impacted (Canadian dollars)

    This is your organization's assessment of the value, in Canadian dollars, of sales, exports or costs that the trade advocacy work will help ensure, and should demonstrate the importance and potential return on investment of the issues being worked on

    • For example, if the activity aimed to resolve a technical trade issue that could negatively impact $10 million in annual exports to a given market, then the value would be $10 million - this is not necessarily the total value of exports for the entire commodity or sector

  • Number of issues advanced

    This represents the number of topics a given activity is aimed to progress or resolve

    • For example, if your organization attended a bilateral meeting to engage in discussions on country of origin labelling and maximum residue limits, indicate that 2 issues were advanced under the activity
Trade shows

  • Value of estimated sales (Canadian dollars)

    The direct sales (forecasted or actual) from the activity

    • This value should be directly resulting from the trade show and is not the value of estimated sales for the entire commodity or sector

  • Number of buyers reached

    The number of companies or organizations met with during the trade show that purchased or signed distribution contracts as a result of the activity

  • Number of new prospects

    The number of qualified contacts or potential buyers met with during the trade show whose information has been confirmed or acted upon

    • For example, your organization has verified and used the contact information for follow-up, such as meeting with the person, sending sales and direct marketing materials, or placing sales calls - this does not include the general collection of business cards, mailing lists, or other contact information

Activity cost by fiscal year

Provide the AAFC and non-AAFC funding amounts for the activity by fiscal year. This section collects information on where your project funding is coming from. The amounts you input here will be summarized in the Funding Sources section of the application. The available fiscal years for each activity are determined by the activity's individual start and end date.

AAFC funding

The amounts that you're requesting from AAFC.

Non-AAFC funding

The remaining funding for the activity coming from you, your industry or partner, and/or other government.

Non-AAFC breakdown by funding source

In this section, you must show where the non-AAFC funding is coming from for the activity.

If you input a total of $1,000 coming from non-AAFC sources in 'Activity cost by fiscal year', then you must list how much of that amount is funded by you, your industry or partner, and/or other government.

Confirm all activities have been added for this project

After you list all of the project activities, you must click on "I confirm" before you can move to the next section of the application.

Eligible costs

This section details eligible costs and limitations under this program. Use the following information to complete your budget.

AAFC will only fund project-related expenditures that are pertinent, reasonable, and essential to accomplish the objectives of an eligible project and that fall under the following cost categories.

In addition to eligible costs and activities, the following also applies only to Indigenous recipients:

  • Indigenous-led market research, capacity building and market development
  • Activities involving Indigenous knowledge sharing and dissemination of Indigenous agriculture and food systems (including traditional and modern practices and knowledge)

Administrative costs

Administrative costs — Eligible cost items

Administrative costs are defined as the organizations' expenses (such as fundamental operational costs) not directly related to undertaking the project activities but necessary for the organization to manage activities outlined in the work plan and to administer the reporting requirements of the contribution agreement, including project management costs.

Administrative fees will be calculated at a 10% flat rate that will be cost shared. Under the 10% flat rate, administrative cost items do not need to be detailed, negotiated, or substantiated when submitting a claim. However, if subject to a compliance audit, you may be asked to supply supporting documentation. For this purpose, it is important to keep in mind the following examples.

Administrative costs mean costs related to:

  • project management costs: management and administrative staff wages not directly related to the outcome of projects, including employees who negotiate service contracts, pay the invoices, manage the project budget, monitor, and/or prepare the claims and any financial or progress/performance reports for the project
    • salaries, Mandatory Employment Related Costs, and benefits and/or contract services
  • administrative office supplies and expenses
    • basic telephone fees (including fax lines) and cell phones
    • hydro
    • materials and office supplies (for example, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, cleaning supplies, subscriptions)
    • monthly internet fees
    • postage and courier fees
    • office equipment (for example, computers, printers, photocopiers)
    • office space (rent) and related utilities, maintenance, and property taxes
  • audit fees
  • bank fees
  • insurance (fire, theft, liability)
  • legal fees
  • administrative information technology (IT) products and services, including maintenance
  • other overhead type expenditures relating to the organization's office
Administrative costs — Limitations/Explanations
  • Don't include administration costs in your application; the application form will calculate it automatically at a 10% flat rate
    • This flat rate has been developed to represent the cost of undertaking the administration functions of the contribution agreement
  • You may also choose to not claim administrative costs, and opt-out of the flat rate
  • To ease administrative burden, these costs do not need to be detailed at the time of application and will not be negotiated or need to be validated when submitting a claim
  • These costs will be funded at the approved program cost-share ratio
  • Individual capital expenditures over $100,000 are not eligible for administrative costs

Note: You must keep all documentation of these costs. If you're subject to an audit, you'll need to supply the supporting documents at that time.

Salaries and benefits

Salaries and benefits — Eligible cost items

Salaries and benefits paid to or on behalf of staff to execute activities outlined in the project work plan. These costs do not include completing financial or performance reports for the project.

  • Includes Mandatory Employment Related Costs, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan, vacation pay and benefits
  • Benefits mean payments an employer must make by virtue of company policy or a collective agreement such as contributions to a group pension plan
Salaries and benefits — Limitations/Explanations
  • Salaries and benefits must be additional to existing costs
  • Performance pay (for example, bonuses) is ineligible
  • Contributions toward salaries and benefits should not exceed 25% of project costs
  • Costs must be substantiated through supporting documentation, such as timesheets
  • Timesheets must be maintained for employees who work less than 100% of their time on the project
    • If your application is successful, you should expect to complete timesheets for employees working on the project.
  • For further clarification, salary and benefit costs do not include incentive amounts such as performance pay (for example, bonuses), or benefits that are considered perks, such as a gym membership or parking allowance
  • Severances are not eligible
  • Benefit costs must not exceed 25% of the eligible salary costs for each employee who works on the project

Contracted services

Contracted services — Eligible cost items

Professional or specialized services for which a contract is entered into, such as:

  • inspection
  • consultant/expert services
  • installation/construction
  • financial auditing (required for the project)
  • environmental assessment
  • research
  • interpretation and translation services
  • project management to undertake activities
  • advertising, marketing, and media planning agencies to implement local promotional strategies and recommend paid media placements
  • graphic design
Contracted services — Limitations/Explanations
  • A contract should be in place with the contractor, including payment terms and deliverables
  • Recipients must use a fair and competitive or otherwise justifiable and generally accepted sound business process that results in competent and qualified contractors working on the project
  • Materials developed for domestic activities must be available in French and English

Travel

Travel — Eligible cost items

Travel costs directly related to the project, such as:

  • per diems (includes accommodations, meals, incidentals, and local taxi transportation)
  • transportation, such as airfare, rail, and ground transportation
  • the purchase of eligible carbon offset credits from a vendor that has received third-party verification and adheres to internationally agreed standards, including Gold Standard, VER+, VERRA (formerly VCS, Verified Carbon Standard), or B.C. Offset System
Travel — Limitations/Explanations
  • Economy airfare for all travel
    • Bookings should be made as far in advance as possible
    • Seat selection and baggage costs are eligible, but not seat upgrades
  • If a higher class is purchased, proof of the flight's economy rate must be obtained for reimbursement purposes
  • The program has the discretion to limit the number of attendees at various events and the numbers of events (for example, tradeshows, missions, meetings, conferences) under a project

When travel is approved, claimants can claim these expenses using one of the following options:

  1. claim the applicable per diem amount listed below
  2. claim actual travel costs up to the maximum daily amount listed below

The per diems will contribute to covering the costs for individual travel including:

  • accommodation (not included in same-day domestic or international trips)
  • meals
  • local or in-city transportation at the destination (buses, taxis, vehicle rentals, etc.)
  • ground transportation, including parking, to and from the public carrier terminal
  • entry documents (passports and visas)
  • insurance (all types)
  • required inoculations, vaccinations, x-rays, and certificates of health
  • dependent care
  • incidentals (personal phone calls, laundry, gratuities, currency exchange fees, etc.)

Whether using option (a) or (b), invoices for daily travel costs will not be required

  • However, you must provide proof of travel for the claim (for example, boarding pass, hotel invoice, trip report) - recipients must also keep all invoices and proof of payment per the terms of their agreement

If using option (a), per diems can be claimed for every day on travel status as follows:

  • travel within Canada:
    • trip outside the traveller's headquarters with no overnight stay: $100 CAD/day
    • trip outside the traveller's headquarters with an overnight stay: $400 CAD/day
  • travel outside Canada:
    • trip outside the traveller's headquarters with no overnight stay: $125 CAD/day
    • U.S. trip outside the traveller's headquarters with overnight stays: $475 CAD/day
    • Any International (non-U.S.) trip outside the traveller's headquarters with overnight stays: $575 CAD/day

Note: For multi-day trips, the day of departure and the day of return are eligible for the overnight per diem rate

If the traveller's final destination is more than 50 km (100 km roundtrip) from headquarters, then the additional transportation costs are eligible as follows:

  • Air
    • Economy Class for domestic travel
    • Economy or Premium Economy Class for international travel
    • Baggage costs, seat selection fees and reservation change fees are eligible
    • If first class or business class is chosen, only the applicable economy or premium economy class fare for the same itinerary is eligible
      • Proof of eligible costs must be provided
      • If purchasing a prepaid package of electronic one-way flight credits used for travel within a selected geographic zone during a specific period (a flight pass), the pro-rated amount for one trip may be claimed as long as it is cheaper or equivalent to the economy rate for the same itinerary
      • Proof of the economy rate will need to be provided
    • The use of airfare points in lieu of a cash contribution is not eligible
  • Rail
    • Next highest class after the full Economy class
  • Private vehicle
    • $0.575/km for any domestic day trip
    • Parking and tolls
    • Gas is included in the kilometric rate
      • Travellers must use the most direct, safe, and practical road routes and claim only for distances necessarily driven while on travel status
    • A private vehicle is not to be used if more expensive than rental, rail, or air
  • Rental vehicle
    • The cost for an intermediate vehicle (or the cost of a larger vehicle, based upon factors such as, but not limited to, safety, the needs of the traveller, and the bulk or weight of goods transported)
    • Gas
    • Parking at the destination and tolls
    • Collision damage waiver
    • Any fuel service charges provided by the car rental company are not eligible
  • Bus or Motor Coach
    • A Bus/Motor Coach may be eligible based upon factors such as the needs of the traveller(s), and the bulk or weight of goods transported
    • Any fuel service charges provided by the car rental company are not eligible

Other direct project costs

Other direct project costs — Eligible cost items

Other costs for project-related deliverables, such as:

  • shipping of product samples and marketing materials
  • conference fees/registration fees
  • construction material costs
  • translation
  • printing expenses
  • marketing costs related to production of materials/documents/marketing plans (graphic design, copywriting, etc.)
  • meeting room rentals, including audio-visual equipment rentals
  • costs related to trade show displays (panels, booths, banners, stands, etc.)
  • costs of product samples used at events to promote the sector under a unified Canada Brand (but not the promotion of a single producer's logo or visual identity)
  • purchase of existing market research information
  • advertising costs related to print and electronic media, billboards, and posters
  • storage/warehousing costs
Other direct project costs — Limitations/explanations
  • The value of product samples purchased from a member and claimed from AAFC should normally be the member's production cost, not the retail price.
  • Ineligible project costs include, but are not limited to:
    • costs not specifically required for the project
    • costs of entertainment, hospitality, gifts, prizes, and giveaways
    • the refundable portion of the GST, HST, value-added taxes, or other items for which a refund or rebate is available
    • banking charges and fees, such as interest and credit card fees
    • business cards, seasonal greeting cards and subscriptions to publications
    • memberships in trade and professional organizations
    • retail listing fees and slotting charges
    • normal costs of establishing a commercial operation
    • legal fees associated with the incorporation of an organization
    • the purchase of land or buildings
    • costs being reimbursed under an existing federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal program
    • costs toward ongoing or regular communication with members, such as website and database maintenance, annual general meetings, and value chain roundtables
    • costs incurred to benefit an individual for-profit company as opposed to generic activities to benefit the overall sector
    • costs toward any foreign direct investments
    • costs toward tourism activities
Notes

The above list is not exhaustive, please contact the program if uncertain if an activity or cost category is eligible or not.

Funding support may not be provided to cover the cost associated with routine activities previously undertaken by the applicant using funding from the program in previous years. The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how the requested activity is new or incremental to the project's objectives and expected results versus those previously funded activities of a similar nature.

Ineligible costs cannot be counted as cash contributions toward the project. The applicant and partners cannot include them in their share.

Trade events provide you with an opportunity to promote your products and services as well as establish contact with international buyers in new markets around the world. Although funding is not available if you attend specific trade events that are part of the Canada Pavilion Program, it may be considered if you wish to exhibit within a sector hall.

5. Funding sources

Complete this section after you enter all project activities. The Project funding table is pre-populated based on information submitted in the activities section.

See Funding, Cost-sharing and Sources of funding for information on cost-sharing, sources of funding, and government funding stacking limits.

This is where you will show how you plan on funding your share of the project. Enter your share of the cash and in-kind funding which will come from:

  • you directly (your organization)
  • industry/partners (your members, industry partners, sponsors, etc.)
  • other government:
    • Other federal government departments, agencies, and crown corporations
    • Provincial/territorial governments, agencies, and crown corporations
    • Municipal administration

Within each funding type, provide the name of the funding source, as well as the cash and in-kind amounts.

In the description box, provide the necessary level of detail to show what activity and/or cost the specific funding is tied to.

6. Budget summary

Review all information in this section. The budget summary is calculated from the addition of all activities, and you must return to the Activities section to make any changes.

Reminder: The amounts in the Detailed project budget document need to match the information presented in this section.

7. Documents

You must submit the following documents, as required, along with your application form:

  • Required: A copy of the organization's Certificate of Incorporation or Articles of Incorporation

    Certificates and Articles of Incorporation are issued and filed, respectively, by or with provincial, territorial, or federal government that document the organization's status as a legal entity.

    Documentation for First Nations and Band Councils is not required.

    Additional options other Indigenous applicants:

    • Director's resolution
    • self-government agreement or modern treaty agreement
    • legal document stating they are a legal entity

  • Required: A copy of the last 2 years' financial statements

    • Statements for the last 2 years
    • Most recent interim financial statements

  • Required: Detailed project budget

    The budget breakdown for each activity is required on the AAFC-provided Excel spreadsheet.

  • Required: AgriMarketing Program questionnaire

    Information pertaining to National Industry component, diversity, SWOT analysis, environmental considerations and certification and marketing of Canada's Green Products

  • Required: Membership listing

    A list of all your members

  • If applicable: Project Endorsement Letters/ Letters of Support (if available, not a requirement)

    Letters from organizations indicating they support the proposed project

8. Contacts

Primary contact

Enter the contact information of the person in your organization who is responsible for responding to inquiries about this application.

First name and last name

Provide the name of the person in your organization who will be AAFC's primary contact about this application.

Email address

Provide the email of the primary contact. Please note that we'll use this information to communicate with your organization about the application.

Language of correspondence

Provide the preferred language of the primary contact for written and verbal communication.

Position title

Provide the position title of the primary contact. For example, Business Owner, President, Executive Director.

Phone numbers and fax number

Provide the telephone number(s) of the primary contact. If applicable, provide a fax number. We'll use this information to communicate with your organization about the application.

Project contact

If your project is approved for funding, this is the person who will discuss the project with us. This person can be the same as the Primary contact.

Indicate if you're the project contact or if you need to enter a new contact. If entering a new contact, enter the following:

First name and last name

Provide the name of the person in your organization who will be AAFC's project contact for this application.

Email address

Provide the email of the project contact. Please note that we'll use this information to communicate with your organization about the application.

You will also need to enter the following if you're the project contact or if entering a new contact.

Language of correspondence

Provide the preferred language, English or French, of the project contact for written and verbal communication.

Position title

Provide the position title of the project contact. For example, Business Owner, President, Executive Director.

Phone numbers and fax number

Provide the telephone number(s) of the project contact. If applicable, provide a fax number. We'll use this information to communicate with your organization about the project.

9. Declarations

Read and complete the declarations.

10. Review and submit

After you complete your application form and include the additional documents, please submit your application.

If you have any trouble when you complete or submit the application, please contact the program.

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