Archived - Eligibility Information

Recipient Eligibility

Eligible recipients of contributions from AIMAP include:

• Not-for-profit organizations, such as aquaculture industry and professional associations or consortia of producers
• Aboriginal organizations or communities involved in aquaculture
• Non-governmental organizations (e.g. ENGOs), preferably associated with an aquaculture industry partner
• Private individuals or companies associated with aquaculture production or development or supply
• Processors of aquaculture product
• Education or research institutes ¹ affiliated with any of the above

For the program’s purpose, aquaculture is defined as the farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants in fresh or salt water.

Federal and provincial departments, agencies, and Crown corporations are not eligible to receive AIMAP funds, although they may contribute to the proposed project.

Eligible Activities

Innovation

Recognizing that the research continuum spreads from pure (fundamental) science to development and commercialization, this program aims to foster development, early commercialization, and/or the early industry adoption of innovation results.  Numerous programs (e.g., Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [NSERC]) currently exist to encourage and fund curiosity based research.  As such, projects at these levels will not be considered.

Eligible activities include industry-driven applied research², development, and/or early commercialization, and/or the early industry adoption of innovation results that contribute to one or more of the following:

• Increased Sustainable Production through increased productivity, reduced production costs, increased production and/or increased value related to existing commercial species (e.g., improved feed formulations, broodstock improvements, access to cultured shellfish spat, technology exchange and coordination initiatives);
  
  
• Increased Diversification through the investigation and development of alternate species (e.g., evaluation of status of commercial readiness and primary constraints, pilot scale rearing or technology projects, technology exchange initiatives); or through development of value added-products or by-products from the operation;
  
  
• Green Technology through technologies, processes or practices that improve the environmental performance of the sector (e.g., feeding strategies, energy utilization).

For the purpose of this program, innovation is defined as practices that foster development, early commercialization or early industry adoption of new and improved technology, processes or products, with clearly defined commercial outcomes.  It does not include curiosity based research.  Research activities in direct support of the project may be considered, however, they must have direct, commercial application at the end of the project.  Describe in clear terms the commercial outcomes or benefits to the Canadian aquaculture industry at the end of this project.

Market Access

The market access component is targeted at supporting the aquaculture sector in the research and early adoption of certification and/or traceability initiatives that respond to market demands, contributing to international recognition of the sustainability, quality, safety, and resulting value of Canadian aquaculture products. Successful projects will catalyze private sector investment in building Canadian capacity to demonstrate these attributes. Initiatives are expected to contribute to the following activities:

• Research, evaluation, development and/or adoption of traceability systems, better management practices, risk reduction/prevention systems, certification standards, third-party audited verification and/or certification systems, sustainability reporting, or other approaches related to environmental management, food safety, quality, and/or marine safety; and/or
  
  
• Participation in strategic national and international initiatives (e.g., focused meetings, workshops, conferences, etc) aimed at shaping certification standards for the Canadian aquaculture industry.

Priority will be given to projects that support sector-level generic initiatives.

Matching Contributions

The maximum level of assistance by the department for the program is up to 75% of eligible expenditures.  The program requires other contributions to departmental (DFO) funding, either financial or “in-kind”.  In-kind resources could include equipment, materials and labour.   The applicant must contribute, at minimum, 10% from industry funding, of the total eligible cash costs of the project as a cash contribution.  In determining the applicant’s cash contribution, in-kind contributions will not be taken into consideration, only the cash costs of the total project are used. Generally, projects requesting less than 75% AIMAP funding (either through multiple funding sources or applicant input) will be ranked more favourably in the evaluation process.

The maximum level (stacking limit) of Total Government Assistance (federal, provincial and municipal assistance for the same eligible expenditures) for each project must not exceed 90% of eligible expenditures.  These limits must be respected when assistance is provided.  In the event that actual Total Government Assistance to a recipient exceeds the stacking limit, it will be necessary to adjust the level of assistance provided by the contribution program (and seek reimbursement, if necessary) so that the stacking limit is not exceeded.

All proposed contributions must be listed in your proposal.  If your AIMAP application is successful, all confirmed or expected contributions must be identified in the contribution agreement you will sign with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Eligible Costs

The eligible costs incurred in the course of conducting an AIMAP project may include:

• Human resource costs, including salaries and benefits that are incremental and directly related to the project (e.g., new, extended seasonal employees or contract employees.  Owner/management salaries and salaries for on-going payroll employees are not eligible.);
• Contract and professional service costs, including accounting, audit, monitoring, legal, scientific or other professional fees;
• Commercial general liability insurance;
• Travel and field operational costs;
• Material and supplies costs (e.g., field and lab supplies);
• Printing and production costs;
• Public communications and distribution costs;
• Equipment purchase;
• Infrastructure (assets) costs (e.g., tanks, work to prepare or modify existing infrastructure for the project) ; and
• Vehicle rental and operation costs.

If the eligible recipient is unable to perform certain tasks or activities (e.g. scientific or professional expertise) associated with the project they may sub-contract these activities.  These sub-contractor costs may be eligible project expenses.

In projects involving the importation or transfer of existing technology into the country³ for the first time, AIMAP will reimburse up to 75% of the purchase cost of the technology and up to 100% of the transportation costs (government staking limits of 90% must be respected in relation to the total project cost).  The applicant must also clearly indicate how the results are to be made public and how the project will benefit the industry as a whole.

Only those costs that are necessary for the innovation aspect of the project are eligible costs for AIMAP funding.  All major expense items must be specifically justified and their importance outlined in the proposal.  Those proposals providing multiple quotations or comparables (or sole source justification, if applicable) for major cost items will be ranked more favourably. 

Costs, other than those stated above, are ineligible unless specifically approved in writing by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans at the time of project approval.  For all costs, only those deemed to be a reasonable share for completing the project shall be considered eligible. 

 

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¹ As a sub-contractor; the project manager (and hence primary recipient of AIMAP funds) must be an industry partner.

² Applied research projects which can benefit from DFO internal capacity should be addressed through the Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP). AIMAP funded applied research is expected to produce industry implementable results by the end of the project.

³ The program may also consider technology transfer within the country (e.g., coast to coast).  These will be examined on a case-by-case basis and the applicant must clearly demonstrate a strong need and justification for intra-country technology transfer.