Over half a million dollars for development activities supporting the growth of two businesses and the development of the Côte-Nord region's bio-food industry

The Government of Canada supports projects by Groupe UMEK, Phytimpact and Table bioalimentaire Côte‑Nord

SEPT-ÎLES, QC, June 28, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Two Indigenous businesses – Groupe UMEK and Phytimpact – and Table bioalimentaire Côte‑Nord will be able to complete their projects with the help of a total of $560,735 in repayable and non-repayable contributions from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

With this financial assistance, Groupe UMEK will be able to upgrade its facilities and acquire automated production equipment dedicated to seafood processing. Phytimpact will be able to complete the final pre‑market phase for its innovative bio-products containing ingredients derived from northern agriculture. Table bioalimentaire Côte-Nord will be able to develop and implement its marketing strategy aimed at promoting the region's bio-food industry as a whole.

The funding was announced today by Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, as part of a tour of the Côte-Nord region. The Government of Canada's assistance will help the recipient businesses and organization achieve their set objectives. Their respective projects will generate total investments of more than $1.7M and have a significant impact on the regional economy. 

The Government of Canada is committed to creating close partnerships with Quebec businesses and organizations to support their efforts to innovate and increase their productivity and competitiveness so that they can contribute to the economic vitality of the regions, the creation of jobs and the improvement of citizens' quality of life.

Quotes
"By providing financial support for these projects by Groupe UMEK, Phytimpact and Table bioalimentaire Côte‑Nord, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its commitment to help communities diversify and strengthen their economies and pursue promising economic development opportunities."

Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"As Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, my goal is to help businesses grow and innovate so that they can become more competitive, expand into new markets and create good-quality jobs and wealth for Canadians. The funding awarded today reflects this commitment concretely by supporting businesses and organizations whose success and drive benefit the region and the Canadian economy as a whole."

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED

Quick facts
Today's announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio, which is made up of 17 federal departments and agencies, including CED and the other five regional development agencies.

The funding was awarded under CED's Quebec Economic Development Program and Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.

To find out more about CED and its priorities, see the 2019–2020 Departmental Plan or visit www.dec-ced.gc.ca.

Related products
For more information about the projects, please refer to the related backgrounder.

Backgrounder

Proponent	Contribution – Investments – Project Description
Groupe UMEK S.E.C.	Repayable contribution of $373,164 out of a total investment of $926,251 Founded in 2005, the Groupe UMEK S.E.C. is a predominantly Indigenous limited partnership with nearly 70 employees. The company specializes in snow crab processing. Production is sold mainly in Canada and the United States. The project aims to boost the company's productivity through the purchase of automated production equipment and optimization of its manufacturing operations. It involves purchasing and installing a digital continuous brine freezer, a refrigeration system, and a digital traceability system, as well as associated equipment. It also includes modifications to the plant's facilities. CED's contribution will cover the costs of the equipment and the redesign of the plant.
Phytimpact Inc.	Non-repayable contribution of $99,999 out of a total investment of $563,000 Phytimpact Inc. is an Indigenous company that was incorporated in 2012. It operates in the plant biotechnology sector and works at developing active ingredients from boreal forest plants, mainly wild blueberries. The company targets various markets in the food, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical sectors. Since 2016, it has focused on producing active ingredients based on northern blueberries (blueberries harvested north of the 50th parallel) for the nutraceutical industry. The project aims to carry out the final pre-market phase for three new natural health products developed from active ingredients extracted from northern blueberries. CED's contribution will enable the company to acquire the resources it needs to carry out its project.
Table bioalimentaire Côte-Nord	Non-repayable contribution of $87,572 out of a total investment of $259,893 Formed in 2009, the Table bioalimentaire Côte-Nord is a non-profit organization that provides specialized support services to bio-food SMEs. Its mission is to promote the growth, development and marketing of Côte-Nord region's bio-food products from a sustainable development perspective. The project aims to enhance the competitiveness of the Côte-Nord region's bio-food value chain. It involves promoting it in a concerted way and mobilizing the collective competitive advantages within and outside of the region. CED's contribution will help the organization with acquiring the resources needed for developing and implementing its project.
Summary	Number of projects: 3 CED's contributions: $560,735 Total investments generated by these projects: $1,749,144

Stay connected
Follow CED on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube  
Follow Phytimpact on Facebook
Follow Table bioalimentaire Côte-Nord on Facebook

SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

Media Relations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]