Cantons-de-l'Est Tourism — EPRTNT 2025-2027 – Festivals and Events

• Completed and signed application form submitted in Excel format
• Upcoming event program or draft programming
• Most recent financial statements of the organization and recent income-expense statement for the latest event, or project revenues and expenses for municipal and Indigenous applicants
• Forecast income-expense budget for the upcoming event
• Board resolution authorizing the signatory, OQLF attestation if applicable, and confirmations or support letters from financial partners when available

• The applicant must be a legally constituted organization under Quebec or Canadian law and conduct business in Quebec.
• The organization must be a tourism enterprise, municipal entity, Indigenous community/nation or a grouping of these.
• Any prior funding commitments with program partners must have been respected.
• If operating tourist accommodation, the organization must comply with applicable regulations and hold a valid registration number.
• Nature and adventure tourism businesses must meet or commit to meeting the Qualité-Sécurité Aventure Écotourisme Québec standards when required.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit tourism organizations
• Non-profit tourism organizations
• Tourism cooperatives
• Municipal entities
• Indigenous communities, nations and Indigenous tourism enterprises

Who is not eligible

• Crown corporations and departments or agencies of the governments of Quebec and Canada
• Applicants listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts
• Enterprises not compliant with the francization process of the Office québécois de la langue française

Eligible expenses

• Administration costs directly related to the supported edition or growth aspect of the festival or event
• Programming expenses for activities included in the supported festival or event
• Promotion, marketing and communication costs for the event
• Site and facilities management expenses
• Costs of products for resale, eligible travel expenses, general expenses, salaries and benefits linked to the event, and audited in-kind sponsorships of goods and services (up to 50% of total eligible costs)

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations doing business in Quebec, within the Eastern Townships tourism region

• Alignment with EPRTNT 2025-2027 objectives, including innovation, sustainable development and digital transformation.
• Structuring impact, such as destination appeal, tangible benefits, partnerships, geographic reach, seasonality and capacity/productivity.
• Strategic relevance, including fit with key products and niches, market size and competition, and positioning and marketing strategy.
• Strategic management and feasibility, including governance, business processes, human and organizational resources, promoter experience, financial resources, schedule and overall quality of the application.

• Step 1: Pre-admissibility form
  • Complete the EPRTNT financial assistance pre-admissibility form available online.
  • Submit the form for validation by Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est, which verifies key eligibility elements.
  • Receive by email the EPRTNT financial assistance application form adapted to the Festivals and Events category.
• Step 2: Full application submission
  • Complete the EPRTNT financial assistance application form in Excel format.
  • Compile all required supporting documents listed for the Festivals and Events category.
  • Email the completed form and documents to eprtnt@atrce.com.

• Applications are analyzed over several months following the call for projects.
• Official letters announcing support or refusal are issued after the analysis period on the dates indicated by the program.
• Incomplete applications are automatically rejected.
• For approved projects, required confirmations (such as other financing or authorizations) must be provided within six months to sign the financial assistance agreement.

• The program generally launches two calls for projects per year, with timelines announced in advance.
• Projects may start at the time of application submission, at the promoter’s risk.
• Beneficiaries normally have up to 24 months after the funding announcement to complete their project, depending on category.
• Some projects may be subject to Quebec’s policy on integrating art into architecture and public sites when construction budgets reach specified thresholds.