Open
Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent
Funding for business projects to attract, train and retain talent
Last Update: April 10, 2026
Funding available
$ 250,000
Timeline
- Open Date : July 9, 2024
Location
Quebec City, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada
Overview
The Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent program offers up to $250,000 per project for private businesses and up to $50,000 for social economy enterprises to support initiatives that improve recruitment, onboarding, training and retention of national or international employees. Eligible activities include professional services and studies, start-up and working capital related to the project, salaries for project-dedicated staff, purchase or rental of equipment, and costs linked to hiring people who are distant from the labour market or face discrimination.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Attract or retain talent
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : July 9, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance
Location
- Quebec City
- Capitale-Nationale
- Quebec
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Sole proprietorship
- Social economy enterprise
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 50 employees maximum
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Joint recruitment initiatives targeting national or international candidates, including activities organized abroad to attract specialized talent (for example, students in artificial intelligence).
- Design and deployment of digital platforms or tools that improve the attraction, integration and retention of employees within the company or group of companies.
- Structured programs to welcome and integrate new hires, ensuring their smooth onboarding into the organization.
- Training and skills development projects aimed at strengthening employee competencies and supporting long-term retention.
- Initiatives specifically designed to hire and retain people who are distant from the labour market or who face discrimination in accessing employment.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Private incorporated companies
- Social economy enterprises (non-profit organizations and cooperatives) that carry out mostly commercial activities
- Companies in priority sectors such as agri-food and food processing, digital arts and interactive entertainment, fintech, artificial intelligence, smart city technologies, advanced electronics, life sciences and health technologies, and clean technologies
- Companies in strategic sectors such as art, culture and heritage, insurance and financial services, manufacturing and industrial transformation, urban security, and tourism
- Commercial sector businesses in retail, restaurants, and services to leisure and business tourists on the territory, with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
Who is not eligible
- Vehicle dealerships, auto parts retailers, gas stations, and collaborative tourist accommodation providers (e.g., Airbnb, Home Away), as well as businesses operating exclusively online.
- Social economy organizations (non-profits and co-operatives) that cannot demonstrate sound democratic governance.
- Applicants who are not discharged from a bankruptcy judgment, or who have outstanding amounts owed to the City of Québec.
- Businesses listed in the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts, or applicants who failed to meet obligations related to previous financial assistance from the City of Québec in the last two years after formal notice.
- Projects that are discriminatory, controversial, or pose a reputational risk for the City of Québec, as well as one-off, event-based projects.
Eligible expenses
- Professional fees, consulting services and studies directly related to the project.
- Pre-start-up, start-up expenses and initial working capital required to implement the project.
- Salaries for human resources assigned to the project, based on the hourly rate normally paid by the company.
- Purchase or rental of goods, equipment and assets required for the project.
- Costs related to hiring people who are far from the labour market or who face various forms of discrimination in the labour market.
Eligible geographic areas
- Projects must aim to attract and retain talent for business facilities located within the Québec City agglomeration, specifically in the cities of Québec, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures and L’Ancienne-Lorette.
- Businesses located in Wendake are also eligible, including individually owned and general partnership businesses majority-owned by Indigenous persons situated on the territory of Wendake.
Additional information
- The program is open for applications on a continuous basis, with no fixed submission deadline.
- Being deemed eligible does not guarantee that financial assistance will be granted.
- The amount awarded depends on the availability of funds and the assessed need for financial support.
- Assistance may be offered as a non-repayable grant, a loan, or a combination of both.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent Program
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.
What is the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent?
The Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent program offers up to $250,000 per project for private businesses and up to $50,000 for social economy enterprises to support initiatives that improve recruitment, onboarding, training and retention of national or international employees. Eligible activities include professional services and studies, start-up and working capital related to the project, salaries for project-dedicated staff, purchase or rental of equipment, and costs linked to hiring people who are distant from the labour market or face discrimination.
How much funding can be received?
Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $250,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent program?
To be eligible for the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent program, you must:
Applicant must be an incorporated private company or social economy enterprise (NPO or co-op with mainly commercial activities).
Project must aim to attract, recruit, integrate, train or retain employees for facilities in the Québec agglomeration or Wendake.
Applicant must not be in bankruptcy, in default with Ville de Québec, or listed on the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts.
What expenses are eligible under Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent?
Joint recruitment initiatives targeting national or international candidates, including activities organized abroad to attract specialized talent (for example, students in artificial intelligence).
Design and deployment of digital platforms or tools that improve the attraction, integration and retention of employees within the company or group of companies.
Structured programs to welcome and integrate new hires, ensuring their smooth onboarding into the organization.
Training and skills development projects aimed at strengthening employee competencies and supporting long-term retention.
Initiatives specifically designed to hire and retain people who are distant from the labour market or who face discrimination in accessing employment.
Who can I contact for more information about the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent?
You can contact Quebec City by email at degp@ville.quebec.qc.ca.
Where is the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent available?
The Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent program is available Capitale-Nationale, Quebec.
Is the Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent is a Grant and Funding