Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program: Step 5. Complete the application and apply

Step 5. Complete the application and apply

After you register, you must create and submit your project application(s) in the online system (PEFIPOS) to apply.

  1. Group your eligible activities in the project application
  2. Gather your supporting electronic documents
  3. Review our tips to help you submit online
  4. Create and submit your project application(s) with the PEFIPOS

1. Group eligible activities in the project application

You may submit various eligible activities (such as ventilation equipment, disinfecting equipment and a barn extension):

  • grouped together in 1 project application
  • grouped together in 2 or more project applications
  • in a separate project application for each eligible activity

Each successful project application will have its own contribution agreement with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and at least 1 claim for reimbursement. Therefore more project applications you submit, the more agreements, claims and reporting requirements you'll have to manage and complete. How you group your activities into project application(s) may also impact when you may receive reimbursement for expenses.

Reimbursement considerations when grouping eligible activities

To decide whether/how to group various eligible activities in project application(s), you may wish to consider the following:

  • If all your activities are retroactive (that is, completed and paid for) — it is highly recommended that you group all your activities into 1 project application for faster processing, and if approved, faster reimbursement by the program.
  • If you are seeking less than $250,000 in PEFIP funding towards your activities and any of your activities are non-retroactive (that is, not yet completed and/or not yet paid for) — you may wish to consider grouping them into more than 1 project application.

    Successful project applications for less than $250,000 in PEFIP funding will only be eligible for 1 claim for reimbursement, and only after all project activities are completed and eligible costs are incurred and paid.

    If your proposed activities will take place over several years, you may wish to consider grouping varied activities into project applications by the year in which the activities will be completed (and costs incurred and paid). If you instead submit all the varied activities in 1 project application, you'll have to wait for all the activities to be completed (and costs incurred and paid), to be able to submit your 1 claim for reimbursement of all costs.

  • If you are seeking more than $250,000 in PEFIP funding towards your activities and any of your activities are non-retroactive (that is, not yet completed and/ or not yet paid for) — please note:
    • Successful project applications for more than $250,000 in PEFIP funding are eligible to claim more than once (in other words, you be able to claim as you incur and pay eligible costs). However:
      • All claims for reimbursement except the final claim will be subject to a holdback (of 20% in most cases) of the PEFIP claimed amount.
      • The holdback will only be released when the final claim (which includes final project performance reporting) is received and approved by the program.

Note: Applicants with large construction projects (for example, a new barn build), should not split the construction phases into separate applications (for example, one project application for the planning costs, another for pouring the foundation, another for the framing costs, and so forth) as each phase on its own is not likely to achieve a program objective, and thus is unlikely to be approved as its own project.

2. Gather your supporting electronic documents

The following are required to be submitted with the project application:

  • A copy is required when you are not applying as an individual. Articles of Incorporation are issued and filed, respectively, by or with the provincial, territorial or federal government that documents your status as a legal entity. The Articles of Incorporation should match the records of your provincial marketing board.

  • You must provide supporting documentation (such as quotes, invoices, receipts, and proof of payment) to prove all costs included in your project application, except for costs for salaries and benefits. Please refer to Calculating salaries and benefits costs for more details.

    For each planned cost (a cost not yet incurredEndnote 1, or incurred but not yet paid), you must provide copies of quotes, estimates, contracts, or — in the case of costs incurred but not yet paid — invoices.

    • Documentation must show a total amount
    • Documentation for equipment costs must detail the per unit purchase price
    • Notations must be made on the documentation if funding for only a portion of the total amount is being requested
    • The name of the individual/organization providing the estimate/quote/contract/invoice should be clearly noted
    • Documentation must indicate that the cost will be incurred (or was incurred) within eligible project start and completion dates (refer to Eligible activities for more details)
      • Where a signed contract is being provided as supporting documentation, the date(s) of signature must be within eligible project dates

    For each actual cost (a cost that has been incurred and paid), you must provide:

    • Copies of the receipts or invoices, which must include:
      • the date(s) of the receipt/invoice to confirm that the cost was incurred within eligible project start and completion dates (refer to Eligible activities for more details)
      • the total amount of the purchase
      • a clear description of goods and services provided
      • the per unit purchase price of equipment costs
      • notations if funding for only a portion of the receipt/invoice amount is being requested
      • name of the biller/supplier company
      • invoice number and a "billed to" name that matches the name of the Participant
    • Copies of proof of payment that demonstrate the expenses has been incurred and paid, such as:
      • combination of the bank statement (account name should match the name of the Participant) and front of cheque
      • cancelled cheque (copy of both front and back of cheque)
      • credit card statement showing the account holder (account name should match the name of the Participant), the supplier (as per invoice), the amount paid, and the date
      • electronic deposit transfer notice detailing the account holder (account name should match the name of the Participant), the biller/supplier, and the amount paid

    Note: if an electronic payment does not indicate the biller/vendor, you may be asked to secure a letter from the vendor showing that the payment has been received in order for the payment to be considered eligible. The assessing program officer will advise if such a letter is required for eligibility. No handwritten notes will be accepted.

  • Proof of activity is required when you apply for activities already completed at the project application submission. Proof of activity includes:

    • pictures of all assets purchased under the project
    • pictures of any installation of the above-noted assets
    • pictures of any completed new infrastructure and retrofits/expansions of existing infrastructure under the project
    • copies of any reports produced by consultants hired under the project

Notes:

  • All documentation must be legible. Legible, scanned images or pictures of paper documents that are maintained in electronic formats (for example, Word, Excel, PDF, JPG) are acceptable. Individual electronic file size must be less than 20 megabytes in order to be attached to your project application in the PEFIPOS. It is your responsibility to make sure that documents are scanned properly and are legible and complete. Illegible and/or incomplete documents may result in rejection of your project application.
  • You must retain the original documents, in case of an audit.
  • On all copies, you should redact (blackout) account information and details of unrelated transactions (for example, on receipts and bank/credit card statements).
  • Confidentiality: It is your responsibility to clearly identify, on any documentation submitted to AAFC, the information that is considered commercially confidential. This information won't be disclosed unless required by law, including the Access to Information Act, or upon the express authorization of the applicant.
  • If you plan to use paper money payments / cash transactions for payment of eligible costs you must ensure you have sufficient documentation and proof of payment (such as printed receipts or signed acknowledgements by the biller/supplier of receipt of payment).
  • Proof of financing may be required by AAFC during the assessment. Proof of financing includes documents or bank statements detailing the Participant's contribution towards the total project costs, and confirming the Participant has the financial ability to complete the project.
  • Project plans, pictures and diagrams displaying what is intended to be done through the project are encouraged and can be attached to the project application.

3. Tips for submitting online

  • System notifications and error messages will typically display in the top left corner of the page in the PEFIPOS.
  • You can save your work and return to your draft application at a later date, by selecting "Save As Draft" at the bottom of the application pages.
  • You may submit more than 1 project application, so long as the total of funding requested in all applications does not exceed your maximum funding amount.
  • The system limits participants to one draft application at a time.
  • Please make sure that your project start and project completion dates encompass all project activities, including the incurring and payment of project costs. In the project's cost table, the online system won't accept dates for incurred or paid costs that are outside the project start and completion dates.
  • When grouping multiple activities into a single project application, it is important to describe each activity in detail in the project description. You must also provide a clear rationale and link to at least one (1) program objective for each activity.
  • A project which has many objectives is not more likely to be approved. The most important thing is to provide a clear description of the project and a clear rationale in your application for any selected objective(s).

4. Create and submit your project application(s) with the online system

To start a project application, you must have registered with the online system (PEFIPOS). If your registration is incomplete or invalid due to a "Pending License Validation" issue, you'll be able to create an application but you may not be able to submit until the issue is resolved.

  1. Go to the online system (PEFIPOS)
  2. Login into your user profile
  3. Select your participant profile
  4. Select "Create Application" and complete Steps 1-8, including uploading your supporting documents.
  5. Review your draft on Step 9, and then select "Submit Detailed Application," and select "OK" when asked to confirm your submission.

If you're unable to access the online system, contact the program to receive and submit the necessary forms and register through alternate formats.