AgriMarketing Program: Step 3. Before you apply

Step 3. Before you apply

Review and consider the following information before you apply.

Application intake periods

Program years 2023-2026

Applications for funding in the first 3 fiscal years (April-March) of the program (2023-2026) will be accepted starting March 6, 2023.

There will be a priority intake period from March 6, 2023 to April 30, 2023, during which program officers will prioritize applications and work with you to make sure your proposal contains enough detail. After April 30, 2023, applications for funding in the first 3 fiscal years of the program will only be considered if enough funding remains.

Program years 2026-2028

Applications for funding in the final 2 fiscal years of the program (2026-2028) will be accepted starting September 1, 2025.

There will be a priority intake period from September 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025, during which program officers will prioritize applications and work with you to make sure that your proposal contains enough detail. After October 31, 2025, applications for funding in the final 2 fiscal years of the program will only be considered if enough funding remains.

Sources of funding

You must clearly indicate all sources of funding for the project, including your contribution and other industry and/or partner sources of funding:

• other federal government departments, agencies and crown corporations^{Endnote 1}
• provincial/territorial governments^{Endnote 1}
• municipal government^{Endnote 1}
• Industry and/or partners such as:
  • industry associations and networks
  • businesses
  • academic institutions

Program costs

Program costs can be eligible as of April 1, 2023; however, any costs incurred before Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) deems your application complete are ineligible for reimbursement, nor will those costs be considered part of your cost-share.

How we assess your application

Each application will be carefully reviewed for eligibility, appropriateness, and impact. For you to prove that the activity cost meets each of the following three elements, it is important that each activity and corresponding cost is provided in a manner that is required for an appropriate assessment by AAFC. For detailed information, please refer to How to complete a project application.

The program is typically oversubscribed so all application requests will be prioritized against the assessment criteria.

1. Your application will initially be assessed against the following criteria:
   • the application is complete and the proposed project is eligible
   • the proposed activities, including outcomes, support program objectives
   • all sources of funding for the proposed project to be funded under this program are identified
2. If the above criteria are met, a more thorough review of your application will be done. This review will assess the following criteria:
   • your capacity to deliver the project, taking into consideration resources and timelines
   • the proposed activities and expenditures are eligible, reasonable and required to meet the project objectives
   • the degree to which the proposed project can demonstrate a current or potential market opportunity or need
   • your strategy to diversify into new and emerging markets
   • the project's impact to stakeholders and how it benefits the sector
   • the applicant's performance on previous projects where you received AAFC funding, including administration of the projects
   • the sector's export potential and market access opportunities for example, recent or anticipated changes in market access, and the project's value for money
   • the strategic merit of the project (that is, does your project link to the AgriMarketing Program Questionnaire provided with the application?)
   • how the activities complement or build upon previously completed AgriMarketing Program projects
   • the organization's ability to purchase 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
3. The assessment process will determine an appropriate amount of funding for approved projects. This will be based on:
   • scope and duration of project
   • reasonableness of proposed eligible expenses
   • importance of proposed eligible activities for greater impact to the sector
   • reasonableness of the overall projected cost of eligible expenditures given the projected outcome(s)
   • other sources of funding
   • due diligence in obtaining and reporting on performance reports

In your application, you should:

• provide enough detail for the program to assess their application
• clearly outline the important elements (who, what, where, why and how) of what you're trying to achieve when you describe the initiatives and project activities
• clearly outline how the value for each cost was calculated or estimated including any external sources consulted
• be clear and concise to avoid confusion

Please refer to How to complete the project application form for a suitable example of the level of detail required prior to application submission.

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 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 prior to entering into a contribution agreement.

Intellectual property

The contribution agreement will contain an intellectual property clause which will confirm that all title to the intellectual property in any materials created or developed by or for the applicant of contribution funding will vest in the applicant or in a third party, as may be negotiated by the applicant. However, AAFC may, at its sole discretion, include a provision in the contribution agreement requiring the applicant to grant, or ensure, a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to the Crown to such material, in whole or in part, in any form or medium, for internal government administration purposes.