SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MEASURE FOR QUÉBEC FOREST PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING COMPANIESFinancial assistance measure to stimulate the competitiveness and sustainability of Québec companies in the forest products and wood manufacturing sector

SCOPE OF THE MEASURE

Eligible projects:Support to companies through customized technical interventions particularly concerning products, manufacturing processes, equipment, optimization and procurement. Only activities related to manufacturing in the mill are eligible.

Eligible activities:The following activities are offered to the company:

• Technology transfer consisting of the transfer of research and development information to the company

• Technical services consisting of technical advice, technical opinions, a proposal of innovative technological solutions to companies as well as information searches

• External laboratory tests, if required to validate a technical solution applicable to the mill, and its technology transfer

The information given to the company can be in various forms, such as verbal and written communications, copies of existing documents, tables, letters, research report summaries, meetings, presentations, etc.

The eligible activities may be carried out by FPInnovations specialists or any other company qualified to provide technical services and advice that meet participants’ needs.

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEASURE• To accompany companies in the forest products

manufacturing industry facing a shortage of highly qualified labour.

• To give companies access to external specialists who carry out customized technical interventions, thereby making it possible to ensure technological transfer and offer technical services

TARGET CLIENTELEThe measure is for profit-oriented, legally incorporated companies operating a plant in Québec in the forest products industry, covering the primary, secondary, or tertiary wood manufacturing sectors of:

• Sawn timber products• Wood construction• Structural and non-structural panels• Bioenergy• Bioproducts• Pulp and paper

CONFIDENTIALITYA commitment to confidentiality is signed by FPInnovations employees to ensure the confidentiality of information and documents obtained in managing the measure.

The measure is funded by the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) and FPInnovations serves as the administrator of this measure.

ENHANCED MEASURE

Want MORE information?Contact Alain ChabotMASTE CoordinatorTel. no.: 819 210-3780 or online: maste.fpinnovations.cae-mail: maste@fpinnovations.ca

DESIRED BENEFITSThe projects must make it possible to obtain one or more of the following benefits:

• Reduction in production costs

• Improvement in product quality

• Increase in profit margin

• Development of new products or processes

• Development of new markets or customers

• Increase in productivity

• Optimization of products or processes.

TYPE OF ASSISTANCE GRANTED The financial assistance from the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) will come in the form of a grant of up to 75% of eligible expenses according to eligibility criteria determined by the MFFP. The technical interventions funded by the measure must involve a minimum of 30 hours and be completed within 20 person-days or less, corresponding to a maximum of 160 hours per intervention.

To be approved, the project must: • be carried out in Québec.

• meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant has provided FPInnovations with all the required documents.

• The applicant has received a positive evaluation in accordance with MFFP criteria.

• have received a positive written response from the MFFP.

The documentation-related costs may not exceed $2,000 per project and will have to be considered essential and necessary for reaching the objectives of the project.

The funding granted through the application for financial assistance is a maximum amount and the work carried out must be in keeping with that application.

A technical intervention may be carried out no more than twice a year, per location. Please note that applications for a second technical intervention, by the same location in the same year, must be for different subject matters.

For all the projects, the private contribution to the funding of the project must be at least 25% of the eligible expenses of the measure (professional fees up to a maximum of 160 hours and documentation-related costs).

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?

Fill out the application form available on FPInnovations’ website (maste.fpinnovations.ca) and e-mail to FPInnovations (maste@fpinnovations.ca).

The applications will then be evaluated and approval by the MFFP must be obtained in order to start the project.

The measure will end on December 31, 2021, or when funds are exhausted.