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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-10-018 - Grant Agreement with Ont Min of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs - Ontario Market Investment Fund (OMIF)REPORT REPORT TO: Chair B. Vrbanovic and Members of the Finance & Corporate Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 26, 2010 SUBMITTED BY: Diane Garrington, Manager, Kitchener Market PREPARED BY: Diane Garrington WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 6 DATE OF REPORT: April 7, 2010 REPORT NO.: CAO -10-018 SUBJECT: Grant Agreement with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs re Ontario Market Investment Fund (OMIF) RECOMMENDATION: That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a grant agreement with Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc., and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, for the provision of a $45,000 grant from the Ministry to the Kitchener Market, such grant agreement to be subject to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor. BACKGROUND: On November 28, 2009 Kitchener Market Management submitted an application for a $45,000.00 grant, in partnership with local Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc., to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs under the Ontario Market Investment Fund (OMIF). The Kitchener Market and Foodlink application for the grant monies of $45,000.00 was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs on January 14, 2010. REPORT: The request for grant monies was submitted in order to provide funding for the Kitchener Market Management project entitled “Reinventing the Kitchener Market”. This project was created by Kitchener Market Management to achieve the following objectives: 1. To market and promote the newly constructed Marketplace (demonstration Kitchen); 2. To develop and support economic viability of current vendors; 3. To promote local foods and organizations, including Foodlink, which is a grassroots promoter of healthy local food systems; 4. To educate consumers on healthy living and the importance of eating and buying locally; 5. To create programs that support interactive partnerships which link farmers, retailers, restaurants, culinary events and consumers; ë ó ï 6. To build upon the Ministry of Tourism’s “Savour Ontario” campaign regarding culinary tourism offerings; 7. To increase awareness and exposure of the Kitchener Market by introducing new target audiences to the facility; 8. To create new revenue and awareness opportunities for existing farm vendors. Final confirmation of the award of the grant monies in the amount of $45,000.00 was received by Kitchener Market Management on January 14, 2010. All of the $45,000 in grant monies received from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs will go directly to the Corporation of the City of Kitchener for the benefit of the Kitchener Market. Although Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc. will not receive any grant monies, it will receive cross-promotional opportunities from its partnership with Kitchener Market, as outlined below. Partnership between Kitchener Market and Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc.: The Kitchener Market (www.kitchenermarket.ca) and Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc. (www.foodlinks.com) will cross-promote each other by linking and hosting all Kitchener Market place and Farmers’ Market events through each others websites and through all collateral marketing materials (i.e. recipe cards, calendar, event schedule brochures) that are designed and distributed through the Kitchener Market. In addition, Foodlink Waterloo Region Inc. will run monthly editorial features on their website on local Kitchener producers that correspond with Kitchener Marketplace events as they develop for a one (1) year period. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Development ë ó î