AgriMarketing Program: Step 2. Eligibility

Step 2. Eligibility

Check if you meet the criteria to apply.

Eligibility checklist

You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible.

• You're one of the following:
  • Not-for-profit: Organizations that operate solely for social welfare, civic improvement, pleasure or recreation, or any other purpose except profit. This may include:
    • association of workers and/or employers^{note 1}
    • local community, charitable, or voluntary organization
    • sector council
    • corporation
  • Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, Métis):^{note 2} A First Nation, Inuk (Inuit) or Métis individual or organization. This may include:
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis community
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis association
    • First Nations, Inuit, or Métis not-for-profit organization
• You demonstrate the ability to deliver a national and/or agriculture and agri-food sector-wide project which includes, but is not limited to, showing how you can:
  • encourage participation from relevant industry stakeholders in the project's development and/or implementation
  • implement the project nationally
  • gather support and buy-in from relevant industry stakeholders in the proposed project through support letters
• You're a legal entity capable of entering into legally binding agreements

Important information

• You should be a member of the Canada Brand
• You should consult trade commissioners located in each country or region where your organization's proposed activities will take place

Eligible activities

Eligible activities include:

• industry-wide advertising and promotion, including in-store and food service promotions and product demonstrations for buyers (businesses and consumers)
• incoming, outgoing, and exploratory missions to advance market development and trade
  • Visit the Government of Canada's website for travel advice and advisories by destination
• market research that aligns with the program objectives
• technical training for buyers about Canadian products and product handling
• trade seminars designed to inform industry representatives of specific attributes of Canadian agriculture, agri-food, fish, and seafood products
• industry-to-industry trade advocacy
  • Activities aimed at lobbying Canadian and foreign governments are ineligible
• participation in or attendance at signature trade shows and multilateral industry meetings and conferences
• Indigenous-led market research, capacity building and market development (Indigenous recipients only)
• activities involving Indigenous knowledge sharing and dissemination of Indigenous agriculture and food systems (including traditional and modern practices and knowledge) (Indigenous recipients only)

You must provide an explanation of each activity's benefits and impacts to the target market proposed, and how they will be measured and assessed. You should outline the anticipated number of buyers reached by the activity and explain how the activity will positively impact the target audience and generate results.

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. 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.

Eligible costs

Eligible costs are project expenses, claimed or contributed, that fall within the set program cost categories and respect all program limitations.

To be considered eligible, all costs must:

• be included in the project application form budget
• be related to the activities included in the work plan
• fall within the work plan activities timeframe

Note: Costs you incur prior to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) approval, or the project start date, may not be reimbursed by AAFC, and you may be solely responsible for those costs.

For more detailed information, refer to Eligible costs (Step 5).

Expected results

In your application, you must show how the activities support the following specific outcomes and outputs:

• address the industry/sector need
• provide clearly defined targets and performance indicators

Performance indicators, which are used to measure the relevance and effectiveness of both projects and the program, include:

• increased exports
• number of new markets explored
• results of marketing activities (for example, new business opportunities and sales leads)
• results of trade advocacy activities (for example, number of issues resolved)

Annual targets should represent incremental changes and forecasted results, such as increasing market share or reducing market access barriers, thereby building on the success of previously approved funding or in-market activities in prior years.