Six businesses and organizations in the Kamouraska RCM receive financial support for their development projects

The governments of Canada and Quebec award over $5.7 million to support economic growth and job creation in Bas-Saint-Laurent

LA POCATIÈRE, QC, Oct. 2, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Six businesses and organizations in the Kamouraska RCM can complete projects aimed at increasing their production capacity, launching new activities and commercializing their products on other markets or developing an innovative prototype, creating 32 high-quality jobs for middle class Canadians.

David Lametti, Member of Parliament for LaSalle–Émard–Verdun and Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), and Norbert Morin, Member for Côte-du-Sud, acting on behalf of Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy, made the announcement this morning in La Pocatière. A total of $5,710,444 in financial assistance has been granted to the following businesses and organizations: Centre de développement bioalimentaire du Québec Inc. (website in French only), Groupe Gibo Inc. (website in French only), Le Labo – Solutions Brassicoles (website in French only), Oceatec Inc., Nova Biomatique (2011) Inc. (manufacturer of Plug'N'Grow™ Controllers) and Novika Solutions.

The Government of Canada funding has been awarded through CED's Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP), the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the Government of Quebec.

Businesses and organizations need to be able to rely on adequate resources to create and commercialize innovative products. The governments of Canada and Quebec are committed to supporting innovative Canadian enterprises and organizations. As a true economic driver, innovation is the key to success because it generates growth that benefits businesses and communities.

Quotes

"I am proud of the Government of Canada's financial support for six organizations and businesses in the Kamouraska RCM, which stand out because they are dynamic, bold and innovative. The contributions will help them continue to develop and generate economic growth and high-quality jobs."

David Lametti, Member of Parliament for LaSalle–Émard–Verdun and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"The Government of Canada is committed to promoting innovation in the Canadian economy to encourage new investments, exports and growth. By supporting these six organizations and businesses in the Kamouraska RCM, our goal is to fulfill our commitments and get good results for Canadians."

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED

"The growth and vitality of our regions depends on the success of our businesses and organizations. We therefore wholeheartedly support the efforts of these Côte-du-Sud and Bas-Saint-Laurent organizations in increasing their productivity and creating more wealth and jobs."

Norbert Morin, Member for Côte‑du‑Sud and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy

"One of the Government of Quebec's priorities is to support the start-up and growth businesses, including those in the Bas‑Saint‑Laurent region, which are helping stimulate and diversify the regional economy. These six projects will definitely improve Quebec's productivity, competitiveness and outreach in key sectors of our economy."

Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy

"Bas‑Saint‑Laurent businesses are talented and determined to strengthen their expertise and ability to innovate. Their initiatives are making major contributions to the regional economy. That is why the Government of Quebec, along with the Government of Canada, is there to provide these businesses with support for their projects, like those announced today, which hold promise for the region and the entire province."

Jean D'Amour, Minister for Maritime Affairs and Minister responsible for the Bas‑Saint‑Laurent region

Quick facts

• CED is one of six regional development agencies under the responsibility of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
• For more information on CED's key directions until 2021, consult Strategic Plan 2021 or visit www.dec-ced.gc.ca.

For more information on the six projects, see the attached backgrounder.

Sources:

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

Gabrielle Tellier
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Economy,
Science and Innovation and
Minister responsible for the
Digital Strategy
Tel.: [phone]

Marc Lapointe
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister for
Maritime Affairs and
Minister responsible for the
Bas‑Saint‑Laurent region
Tel.: 418-691‑5650

Julien Mercier Caron
Press Secretary
Office of the Member
for Côte-du-Sud
Tel.: [phone]

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Ministère de l'Économie, de la Science et de l'Innovation sur les réseaux sociaux:

• Twitter: twitter.com/economie_quebec
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• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/362721?trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId:1415637203135,tas:Minist%C3%A8re%20de%20l'%C3%89conomie,idx:1-1-1
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/MDEIEQuebec

Backgrounder

Six businesses and organizations in the Kamouraska RCM can complete projects aimed at increasing their production capacity, launching new activities and commercializing their products on other markets or developing an innovative prototype, thus creating 32 high-quality jobs for middle class Canadians.

David Lametti, Member of Parliament for LaSalle–Émard–Verdun and Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), and Norbert Morin, Member for Côte-du-Sud, acting on behalf of Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy, made the announcement this morning in La Pocatière. A total of $5,710,444 in financial assistance has been granted to the following businesses and organizations: Centre de développement bioalimentaire du Québec Inc. (website in French only), Groupe Gibo Inc. (website in French only), Le Labo – Solutions Brassicoles (website in French only), Oceatec Inc., Nova Biomatique (2011) Inc. (manufacturer of Plug'N'Grow™ Controllers) and Novika Solutions.

The Government of Canada funding has been awarded through CED's Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP), the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the Government of Quebec.

Promoter	Contribution – Investments – Project description
Centre de développement bioalimentaire du Québec Inc. (website in French only)	Non-repayable contribution of $2,271,500 from the Government of Canada out of a total investment of $4,543,000 Non-repayable contribution of $1,817,200 from the Government of Quebec, through the Programme de soutien à la recherche of the ministère de l'Économie, de la Science et de l'Innovation The project consists in expanding the agri-food processing incubator to help the Centre de développement bioalimentaire du Québec (CDBQ) Inc. broaden its innovation and technological transfer services, notably for fermented alcohol businesses (microbreweries, microdistilleries and other producers of alcoholic beverages). The new facilities will be used by agri-food businesses. They will be able to improve their production processes, develop new products and test new analytical methods for product quality. The CDBQ, a non-profit organization that supports businesses in the biofood and biotechnology sectors, was formed in 1995.
Novika Solutions	Non-repayable contribution of $746,370 out of a total investment of $932,962 The project consists in supporting Novika Solutions in improving its innovation and technology transfer services to enhance the performance of businesses. The acquisition of leading-edge technological equipment is helping the organization strengthen its applied research capabilities with a view to helping businesses increase their ability to innovate by implementing innovative processes or developing new products. Founded in 1983, Novika Solutions is a non-profit organization branded as a college centre for technology transfer (CCTT). Thanks to its multidisciplinary team and its constantly updated research infrastructure, Novika effectively complements the expertise of its industry partners, thus helping them improve their competitiveness.
Groupe Gibo Inc. (website in French only)	Repayable contribution of $600,000 out of a total investment of $3,321,260 The project consists in expanding the Groupe Gibo Inc. plant and improving its productivity. CED's contribution is helping the business expand the plant; acquire equipment such as a fabric cutter, particle board cutter, dust collector and belt sander; and refit the space in the existing part of the plant. Groupe Gibo Inc. has been registered since 2011, but was operating under the name Créations Gibo from 1985 to 2011. Groupe Gibo Inc. contract manufactures furniture components exclusively for Les Industries Amisco Ltée, its sister company in the L'Islet RCM. Products manufactured by Groupe Gibo include upholstered or stained wood seats and backrests, tabletops and padded beds.
Le Labo – Solutions Brassicoles (website in French only)	Repayable contribution of $100,000 out of a total investment of $379,400 The project consists in starting up the production activities of Le Labo – Solutions Brassicoles, the first Quebec firm dedicated to the production of liquid micro-organisms for fermentation. CED's contribution will go toward the acquisition and installation of laboratory and micro-organism production equipment. Le Labo – Solutions Brassicoles has been in business since February 2015 and specializes in the production of starter cultures (Saccharomyces, brettanomyces, bacteria, wild yeasts, etc.) and consulting services and techniques for fermentation businesses. Its expertise lies in the areas of microbiology, factory scanning, process improvement and implementation of quality control processes.
Nova Biomatique (2011) Inc. (manufacturer of Plug'N'Grow™ Controllers)	Repayable contribution of $86,250 from CED and a non-repayable contribution of up to $56,176 from National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), out of a total investment of $296,500 The project consists in implementing a commercialization strategy in foreign markets and acquiring equipment to support the development of Nova Biomatique (2011) Inc., which manufactures electronic instruments for indoor gardening. The federal government's contributions are helping with promotional activities in the United States and Europe, the design and production of promotional materials, and the attainment of CSA (Canadian Standards Association) and UL (Underwriters Laboratory) certification. Founded in 1995, Nova Biomatique (2011) Inc. develops, manufactures and commercializes indoor and greenhouse temperature controllers for semi-professional and amateur gardeners. It markets some 20 products under the Plug'N'Grow^TM Controllers trademark.
Oceatec Inc.	Repayable contribution of $42,948 out of a total investment of $93,895 The project consists in developing new automated seafood processing equipment and helping Oceatec launch a commercialization strategy to generate sales in Canada and abroad. The project also includes marketing activities for this equipment in the northeastern United States. Founded in 2004, Oceatec offers technical services and equipment to businesses in the seafood processing industry for the development of their products and production processes.

Summary
Number of projects:	6
Number of jobs created:	32
CED's contributions:	$3,891,432
NRC IRAP's contribution:	$56,176
Government of Quebec's contribution:	$1,817,200
Total investments generated by these projects:	$9,728,342

SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

Media Relations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Gabrielle Tellier, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy, Tel.: [phone]; Marc Lapointe, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Maritime Affairs and Minister responsible for the Bas‑Saint‑Laurent region, Tel.: 418-691‑5650; Julien Mercier Caron, Press Secretary, Office of the Member for Côte-du-Sud, Tel.: [phone]