Collective Fund of the Bécancour Industrial and Port Park Businesses

Culture

Examples: creative spaces, sustainable equipment for local festivals, knowledge-sharing activities between generations, art projects, intercultural exchange initiatives, etc.

Education

Examples: scholarships for access to school and for student retention, activities that build ties between generations, knowledge-sharing activities, school supply support projects, etc.

Healthy lifestyle and sports

Examples: food security–related projects, mental health awareness initiatives in schools and the community, healthy lifestyle projects for early childhood and school-age children, development or revitalization of sports facilities, grants for access to sports, etc.

Environment and sustainable development

Examples: greening community spaces, workshops on the environment and responsible practices, etc.

Initiatives from First Nations

Examples: activities to learn Indigenous languages, projects to pass on culture between generations, workshops on Indigenous realities, cultural events, reconciliation initiatives, economic projects such as market research, etc.

The Collective Fund of the Bécancour Industrial and Port Park Businesses does not support:

• Requests from individuals
• Projects of a political or religious nature
• Fundraising without a substantive project
• Projects of a strictly personal nature
• Any other request deemed non-compliant by the SPIPB and the committee

Initiatives supported by the Collective Fund of the Bécancour Industrial and Port Park Businesses must benefit the following areas, in order of priority:

1. City of Bécancour, Bécancour RCM and W8banaki
2. Nicolet-Yamaska RCM
3. Centre-du-Québec (area covering the RCMs of L’Érable, Arthabaska, and Drummond)
4. Mauricie (area covering the RCMs of Trois-Rivières, Les Chenaux, Maskinongé, and Shawinigan)

To be eligible, a project must meet the following requirements:

• Be led by a recognized organization.
• Have sound governance and financial management.
• Fall within the targeted themes and territories.
• Demonstrate concrete benefits for the community.

Other eligibility criteria:

• The organization must be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in order to submit an application.
• A sponsor organization that is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may submit an application for up to three (3) unregistered organizations.
• The organization may submit a project that has been started but not completed, or a future project.
• The submitted project must be completed no later than 24 months after the Fund approves financial support.
• An organization that has already received financial support may submit a new application in a subsequent year. The new application must be for a new project or an additional phase of the project already supported.
• The organization must show that the requested money is not for its own operating costs.
• The organization must show that if the Fund turns down the application, the project will not be put at risk.
• The organization must show that the amount requested does not meet a need that the government is responsible for covering.
• If a government grant ends, the organization must provide the information needed to give a fair account of the situation.
• The organization must make its business plan and financial statements available, along with the financial plan for the project that constitutes the funding request.
• The organization must show that it has clear, well-established governance.

Applications are reviewed based on the following elements:

• Relevance and coherence of the project
• Social, community, cultural, or environmental impact
• Organizational capacity of the organization
• Realism of the budget and timeline
• Alignment with the Fund’s mission, objectives, and guiding principles
• Compliance with the established criteria

• Amounts awarded are set based on the funds raised each year.
• More than one organization may receive financial assistance.
• Amounts allocated per project and per theme are determined by the Fund’s selection committee.
• Applications must be for a one-year period.
• Applications must be renewed every year during the project submission period.

All organizations that have received financial support from the Collective Fund of the Bécancour Industrial and Port Park Businesses are required to submit a qualitative and quantitative report.

• This process allows the selection committee to ensure that funds are used in line with the planned activities and that those activities are carried out in accordance with the Fund’s requirements.
• The selection committee may learn about the benefits of supported projects and share that information with their respective head offices, in order to account for their social contributions.