CALL FOR INTEREST

Logistical Solutions for Community Food Projects

Local and integrated food system in Montreal (salim)

ABOUT

The goal of this call for interest is to identify projects aiming to improve access to local food in Montreal through logistical solutions, and to offer assistance and resources to support their development or implementation.
SCOPE

Our team can support you in the implementation of your project by:

Giving you access to an advisor from the SALIM team or an external advisor, depending on the needs of your project
Supporting the conception and implementation of next steps for your project
Helping to create links with other similar projects
Providing financial support of up to $25,000 for the duration of our accompaniment (which can continue for up to 18 months)
Facilitating the dissemination of knowledge that emerges from the project (a condition of SALIM support)

Who are we ? 
The Local and Integrated Food System in Montreal (SALIM) is a program led by Collectif Récolte as part of the Montréal en Commun program, which is the Montreal chapter of the Smart Cities Challenge. Based on an approach of accompaniment and experimentation, SALIM's mission is to strengthen the supply network of community food organizations in Montreal with fresh, healthy and local products, while improving market access for local producers. 

What do you mean by "logistical solution"?

In the context of the SALIM program, a logistical solution is an infrastructure (physical or digital) or organizational structure that can improve or strengthen food distribution channels at the community level. This solution can involve the acquisition, transportation, distribution, and/or storage of food products.

WHO IS THE CALL FOR?

This call for interest is directed toward you if you and your collaborators correspond to one or more of the following profiles :

A group of organizations working in a defined territory (such as a neighbourhood, a borough, or a targeted area) on the island of Montreal
A table de concertation on the island of Montreal
A non-profit organization or co-operative with a project that benefits several organizations

Note: SALIM is not able to support projects that benefit only one actor in the community.

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Eligible projects should address one or more of the following logistical needs:

Food storage (dry, frozen or refrigerated)

e.g.

  • Creation of a storage space shared among several partners
  • Development of a digital tool to facilitate the sharing of a storage space (e.g. flow and inventory management)
  • Creation of a digital tool listing available storage spaces and their rates

Acquisition of fresh and   local foods

e.g.

  • Development and implementation of tools to facilitate group purchases
  • Creation of a tool for sharing information on procurement practices

Food distribution and transportation

e.g.

  • Pooling of a transport vehicle
  • Creation of a shared pick-up and delivery service based on alternative means of transport (e.g. bicycles) 
Note: In SALIM, the key words are mutualization, communication, and collaboration.
Types of support

Concretely, SALIM can support you in one or more stages of your development, such as: 

Technological support for the development of procurement management tools

Functional needs analysis

Opportunity and/or feasibility study

Business plan  

Reflection on project structuring (activities, costs, objectives, indicators)

Resource mapping 

Consultation and ecosystem mobilization

Searching for funding

Connecting with new partners

Knowledge transfer and information sharing

Access to specific expertise according to project needs

Urban planning, development, real estate
Legal services
IT solutions and tools
Food logistics (transportation, storage, cold chain)
Health and safety
Architecture, engineering

Expenses eligible for SALIM funding

Rental and renovation of a physical space

Rental of equipment and tools

Purchase or development of software

Equipment purchases (on a case-by-case basis; rental is recommended)

Relevant consulting services

Other necessary related costs (communication, travel, etc.)

SELECTION PROCESS

By January 16th

Expression of interest

If you wish to submit your project, please complete the application form before January 16th.

End of January

Preliminary meeting

If your project meets the eligibility criteria and is shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange a meeting in the second half of January 2022 to discuss your project in more detail.

Early February

Final selection

A selection committee will be in charge of choosing the projects that will be supported based on the information collected in the previous steps, using a set of predetermined criteria. 

March

Signing of the contribution agreement and start of the accompaniment

The selected projects will be invited to a start-up meeting that will include the development of a support plan and a contribution agreement between the SALIM team and the project leaders.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. The project must take place on the territory of the Island of Montreal.

2. The project leaders must fall into one of the following categories:

  • A group of organizations (non-profits or co-operatives) working in a delimited territory (such as a neighbourhood, a borough, or a targeted area)
  • A table de concertation
  • A non-profit organization or co-operative with a project that benefits several organizations 

3. Project leaders must present a food logistics solution project involving at least one of the following components:

  • distribution and transportation
  • storage
  • acquisition

4. The project must be in the start-up phase or already established.

5. By agreeing to be supported in the context of this call for interest, project leaders commit to a process based on collaboration and transparency, which implies their willingness to participate in meetings organized by the SALIM team and to share all information necessary for the development of the project.

6. The project submitted must be sustainable once SALIM's support has ended.

Examples of eligible initiatives

Group purchasing initiatives
Sharing of existing resources (e.g., sharing of trucks or existing storage)
Implementation of new infrastructure, management tools, resources and/or services
Scaling up of existing projects
Recovering usable goods from farms or farmers' markets

Specific solutions to achieve these ends may be physical infrastructure, digital tools, or collaborative processes.

Examples of non-eligible initiatives

A regional project covering the entire island of Montreal
A project that benefits a single organisation
Citizen education services (educational workshops, conferences, etc.)
The implementation of shared kitchens
Food production services
Hiring new staff

SOUMETTRE SA CANDIDATURE

Why submit an application?

By collaborating with the SALIM project, you have access to:

Customized support focusing on your needs and the progress of your project
Access to experts identified according to your needs
Increased visibility and access to the ecosystem of actors connected with Collectif Récolte

CONTACT

information Session

A free virtual information session will be held on December 8 at 1:15 pm. You can meet our team and ask all your questions!

appointment upon request

If you wish, you can also book a 15-minute appointment with a member of our team to discuss your project and its eligibility.

WRITE TO US

You can write to us at any time at camilla@recolte.ca

PARTNErS

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