Items of Interest 2009 - 10-
Objectives and Eligibility
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Accessing Multiple Categories
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Eligible Applicant
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Application Process
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Category A - Business Development and Market
Enhancement
Category B - Traceability
Category C - Regulatory Compliance: Food
Safety and Occupational heath and Safety
Category D - Food
Safety and Quality Initiative: Provincially Inspected
Slaughter Facilities and Meat Processing Facilities
Category E - Specified Risk Materials (SRM)
Handling Preparedness
Category F - Strategic Infrastructure Investment
Fund (SIIF)
Category G - Direct Marketing Community
Development Trust (DMCDT)
Application Form
Items of Interest
2009 - 10
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Category A-D: Final Claiming
Deadline is MARCH 1, 2010
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Category F: Strategic Infrastructure
Investment proposal submission deadline is JULY
3, 2009 |
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Category G: Direct Marketing Community
Development Trust proposal submission deadline is JULY
3, 2009 |
General Agri-Food Industry Development fund Parameters
(Categories A-D, E, F, G)
Purpose
The Agri-Food Industry Development Fund encourages an entrepreneurial
and market driven approach of the agriculture and agri-food
industry, and supports its role in adaptation, economic
growth and rural development in Nova Scotia.
Program Objectives
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Develop opportunities for viable, long-term
domestic and export markets for Nova Scotia agriculture
and agri- food products; |
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Introduce new agriculture and agri-food marketing
technologies and systems; |
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Enhance management, organizational, leadership and
technical skills in the agri-food industry; |
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Create awareness of the value of the agri-food industry
to Nova Scotia's economic growth; and |
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Provide for self-directed sector development, innovation
and change management through agricultural industry
organizations. |
Applicant Eligibility
Please refer to each category for the description of an
eligible applicant (category specific).
Accessing Multiple
Categories
Only one complete application will be accepted per eligible
client for categories A - D.
A separate application may be submitted for Category E:
Specified Risk Materials (SRM) Handling Preparedness.
Submissions to Category F: Strategic Infrastructure Investment
Fund and Category G: Direct Marketing Community Development
Trust Fund require a full proposal in addition to completing
pages 1 and 3 of the Agri-Food Industry Development Fund
(AFIDF) application form.
Project and Applicant Requirements
Projects approved under the Agri-Food Industry Development
Fund will be consistent with:
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the objectives of the fund, and |
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the applicant’s project objectives and economic
impact as stated in the application. |
All eligible project activities must be directly applicable
to the agri-business or agricultural industry association.
All supported project activities must be conducted in an
environmentally sound manner. It is the applicant's responsibility
to seek out regulatory requirements, obtain required permits
and ensure environmental compliance for any project under
this program. It is also the applicant’s responsibility
to ensure that the project design and construction meet
all regulatory requirements, including building and other
permits, where applicable.
Applicants consent to the release of their names and the
amount of any support received under the program as public
information, to be disseminated by the Department of Agriculture.
Project Review and Evaluation
Review and evaluation of projects may be carried out by
the Department or other parties chosen by the Department
for the purpose of audit, analysis, evaluation, program
development and determining assistance.
The review and evaluation process may be conducted prior
to project commencement, during work or upon completion.
Payment Recovery Criteria:
Financial contributions under this program may be repayable
if it is demonstrated that funds have been used for purposes
or projects other than those approved in the Letter of Agreement.
The applicant will also be ineligible to apply to the program
for the following two program years.
Funding claimed through this program by an applicant may
be used to offset any debt(s) the applicant has owing to
the Crown in Right of the Province of Nova Scotia and the
Crown in Right of Canada.
Eligible Applicant
Eligible applicants include agri-businesses and agricultural
industry associations that primarily represent identifiable
Nova Scotia agri-food products and services. These entities
must clearly demonstrate a direct partnership and beneficial
economic impact to the Nova Scotia primary agricultural
industry. In addition, government agencies and universities
may be eligible, provided that industry support/contribution
and partnership is demonstrated. Applicants must clearly
demonstrate that they are a separate and legal business
entity.
Financial Assistance:
Provincial Funding Limits
Applicants may qualify to receive up to a maximum of $20,000
per program year on approved projects. All funding is on
a cost-shared basis. Percentage level of assistance offered
on approved projects depends on category and eligible activity.
All project work must be completed in the current program
year (prior to March 1, 2010). Unused funds cannot be carried
forward from one program year to the next.
Items NOT eligible for assistance include:
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Capital infrastructure (Categories A-D); |
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Retail outlets, roadside stands and roadside signage; |
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Reprints of promotional material; |
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Promotional material not tied to a targeted marketing
campaign; |
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Input (raw) food or product costs; |
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Equipment, including computer hardware or software
(except Category B); |
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Meals during investigative travel; |
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Speaker or conference participant gifts, door prizes,
honorariums, per diems; |
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Current staff resources/salaries; |
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HST/GST; |
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Operating expenses; |
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In-kind contributions; and |
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Used equipment. |
Repeat initiatives may not be given cost-shared assistance,
or may receive a lower level of funding. Repeat applicants
MUST clearly demonstrate that the funding requested is for
new initiatives that differ from previous applications.
Federal Funding Limits
Category A - Business Development and Market Enhancement
Applicants can receive up to $20,000 per year in federal
funding for selected approved projects in this category.
Category B - Traceability
Applicants can receive up to $10,000 per year in federal
funding for selected approved projects in this category.
Category C - Regulatory Compliance: Food Safety
and Occupational Health and Safety
Applicants can receive up to $2,500 per year in federal
funding for selected approved projects in this category.
Category D - Food Safety and Quality Initiatives:
Provincially Inspected Slaughter Facilities and Meat Processing
Facilities
Applicants can receive up to $5,000 per year in federal
funding for selected approved projects in this category.
Application Process
The Agri-Food Industry Development Fund is subject to
annual budget approval by government. Numbers of applications
and budget limitations may necessitate fund closure on short
notice. Completed applications will be reviewed in sequence
based on the date that the application was deemed complete
by the Programs and Business Risk Management (PBRM) administration.
All completed applications are assessed by the Agri-Food
Industry Development Fund Review Committee for funding decisions.
Applications are to be submitted to the PBRM office by
mail, fax or in person.
A Letter of Agreement is generated for approved applicants.
Once the original Letter of Agreement has been generated,
project changes may be submitted in writing only once within
30 days of the date noted on the original Letter of Agreement.
In addition to the application form, some projects may
require assessments prior to funding approval.
Complete Application:
A complete application MUST include:
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Complete contact information; |
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Applicant project objectives, impact, and demonstrate
how proposed projects are consistent with the program
objectives; |
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Detailed description of activities, economic impact
and time lines to be considered for funding; |
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Itemized budget, broken down by activity and associated
cost, including other funding partners (Note: Applicant
is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of budget information); |
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Applicant signature and date. |
Note: Applications must be deemed complete by
the PBRM office prior to the commencement of project purchases
or activities. Any project activities initiated prior to
receipt of completed application do not qualify for financial
assistance. Project expenses incurred after receiving the
application up to the date of approval are at the applicant’s
risk.
Claiming Process
Upon approval, applicants will receive a Letter of Agreement
which identifies the eligible project activities, assistance
offered and the terms and conditions of assistance for categories
A - D.
Payments will be made based on date of eligible project
activity NOT invoice date.
Information Required for Claiming:
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All claims for Categories A - D must be
postmarked by the post office or received in the PBRM
Office by March 1, 2010.
Late claims will NOT be processed; |
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Signed copy of the Letter of Agreement; |
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Submission of a completed Agri-Food Industry Development
Fund Claim Form, based on the amount of the original
approval or the actual project costs, whichever is less; |
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Copies of all invoices and proof of payment
(i.e., cancelled cheques or invoices marked paid and
signed by supplier) to support completed approved project
activities; |
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Food Safety and Quality Initiative Projects - copy
of provincial operating license for new establishments
or letter of support from provincial food inspection
staff. |
NOTE: All eligible activities relating to the Food
Safety and Quality Initiative: Provincially Inspected Slaughter
Facilities and Primary Meat Processing Facilities must be
reviewed by a provincial meat inspector prior to release
of payment.
A Project Report MUST be included for
final payment.
The project report is to:
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outline each completed project(s) activity; |
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state the objectives of each completed project(s);
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provide detailed discussion on the economic
impact: were the objectives met, current economic benefits
realized and/or projected economic benefits. |
NOTE: Interim claims may
be submitted any time after project completion and prior
to the March 1, 2009 deadline for all final claims.
Project Categories
If you have questions regarding the eligibility of projects
or items within projects please contact
our office for verification.
The application form below is available
as a download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF file) format. If you
do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your local
computer please see
Obtaining and Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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