Cantons-de-l'Est Tourism — EPRTNT 2025-2027 – Attractions, Activities and Equipments

• Completed and signed application form submitted in Excel format
• Detailed business plan for the project
• Financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years, if required
• Three-year financial forecasts following project completion, if required
• Board or council resolution authorizing the funding application

• Be a legally constituted tourism enterprise, municipal entity, or Indigenous community or nation operating in Québec.
• Be compliant with applicable tourism, accommodation, and francization regulations, where relevant.
• Have fulfilled commitments related to any previous subsidies from the program partners.
• For nature and adventure tourism enterprises, meet or commit to meeting Qualité-Sécurité Aventure Écotourisme Québec standards.
• Submit a project that contributes to developing, modernizing or consolidating tourism attractions, activities, equipment or services.

Who is eligible?

• Tourism businesses operated as for-profit organizations.
• Tourism organizations operated as non-profit entities.
• Tourism cooperatives.
• Municipal entities in Québec.
• Recognized Indigenous communities, nations and Indigenous tourism enterprises.

Who is not eligible

• Provincial and federal Crown corporations, ministries and government agencies.
• Applicants listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts.
• Enterprises not compliant with the Office québécois de la langue française francization process when applicable.

Eligible expenses

• Construction, expansion, reconstruction, adaptation or replacement of tourism infrastructures and equipment.
• Purchase and installation of specialized equipment, furniture, boats and rolling stock dedicated to enhancing the visitor experience.
• Professional fees for design, engineering, technical services, project management, preliminary studies and business or eco-responsible development plans.
• Development, layout and enhancement of land and trails, including surveying, quality control, contingencies and eligible taxes.
• Acquisition of land, servitudes, rights of way, and integration of sustainable practices or artworks directly related to the project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Purchase of an existing business and its infrastructures.
• Marketing, promotion and commercialisation costs, including website redesign.
• Administrative, operating, maintenance, financing and working capital expenses.
• Acquisition of administrative, storage or retail equipment, non visitor-dedicated vehicles, animals, and rental of land or buildings.
• Compliance, maintenance or upgrading to standards, tax portions reimbursable, asset transfers, in-kind contributions, cost overruns, legal fees and costs committed before application submission (except eligible project development fees).

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses and organizations carrying out tourism projects in Québec.
• Tourism enterprises located within the Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est (Eastern Townships) region.

• Alignment with EPRTNT 25-27 objectives, including innovation, sustainable development and digital transformation.
• Structuring impact on the destination, including attractiveness, tangible benefits, networking and seasonality.
• Strategic relevance regarding key products, target markets, competition and marketing strategy.
• Quality of strategic management and feasibility, including governance, business processes, human and financial resources and project schedule.
• Integration of a comprehensive sustainable development approach with social and eco-responsible components.

• Step 1: Complete pre-admissibility form
  • Fill out the online EPRTNT financial assistance pre-admissibility form.
  • Submit the form for review by Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est to validate key eligibility elements.
• Step 2: Obtain application form
  • Receive by email the EPRTNT financial assistance application form tailored to the project category.
• Step 3: Prepare full application
  • Complete the application form in Excel format.
  • Compile all required supporting documents listed in the category factsheet.
• Step 4: Submit application
  • Send the completed Excel form and required documents by email to eprtnt@atrce.com.

• Applications are analyzed over several months following each call for projects.
• Applicants receive official written notification of approval or refusal at the announced decision date.
• Approved promoters must provide pending confirmations (e.g. financing or authorizations) within six months to sign the funding agreement.
• A signed financial assistance agreement is required before final confirmation of funding.

• Incomplete applications are automatically rejected to ensure fairness and efficiency.
• Projects may start at the time of application submission at the promoter’s own risk.
• Approved projects must be completed within 24 months following the funding announcement.
• Two calls for projects are generally held each year, with dates announced in advance.