Cantons-de-l'Est Tourism — EPRTNT 2025-2027 – Studies and Consulting Services

• Completed and signed application form in Excel format
• Copy of the call for tenders specifications for the consulting mandate
• Two professional service offers (consultant proposals)
• Board resolution or equivalent authorizing the funding request
• Attestation or certificate from the Office québécois de la langue française, if applicable

• Be a legally constituted organization under Quebec or Canadian law doing business in Quebec.
• Belong to an eligible client group such as tourism enterprises (for-profit, non-profit, cooperatives), municipal entities, Indigenous communities or nations, regional tourism associations or their groupings.
• Have fulfilled any previous commitments toward funding partners, where applicable.
• For tourist accommodation operators, comply with applicable laws and regulations and hold a valid registration number.
• For nature and adventure tourism enterprises, comply with or commit to the Qualité-Sécurité Aventure Écotourisme Québec accreditation process.

Who is eligible?

• Tourism enterprises organized as for-profit businesses.
• Tourism non-profit organizations.
• Tourism cooperatives.
• Municipal entities in the tourism sector.
• Indigenous communities, nations and tourism enterprises, and regional tourism associations or their groupings.

Who is not eligible

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

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees of specialized firms or consultants for specific tourism development studies or individualized consulting support.
• Net taxes related to direct eligible costs (excluding refundable portions).

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Salaries, operating and current management expenses of the promoter.
• Working capital, debt service, operating and capital losses, and capital buybacks.
• Regulatory compliance, asset maintenance, upgrades and related costs.
• Refundable portions of sales taxes and other reimbursable costs.
• Asset transfers, in-kind or service contributions, usual maintenance, administration and financing fees, lobbyist remuneration, promotion and marketing expenses, cost overruns and legal fees.

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations doing business in Quebec.
• Tourism enterprises located within the territory of Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est (Eastern Townships).

• Alignment with EPRTNT 25-27 objectives (innovation, sustainable development, digital transformation).
• Structuring effect and impact on the destination, including attractiveness, tangible benefits, collaboration, scope, seasonality and productivity.
• Strategic relevance in terms of key products, priority niches, market size, competition and positioning.
• Strategic management and feasibility, including governance, business processes, human and financial resources, schedule and application quality.

• Step 1: Complete pre-admissibility form
  • Fill out the online pre-admissibility form for the EPRTNT financial assistance program.
  • Submit the form so Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est can validate the main eligibility elements.
  • Receive by email the EPRTNT financial assistance application form adapted to the project category.
• Step 2: Submit full application
  • Complete the application form in Excel format for the Studies and Consulting Services category.
  • Gather all required supporting documents listed in the program guidelines.
  • Email the completed form and documents to eprtnt@atrce.com.

• Pre-admissibility forms are first validated by Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est to confirm basic eligibility.
• Complete applications with all required documents are analyzed over several months.
• Applicants receive an official support or refusal letter, with announcements scheduled for April 2026 for the 2025 call.
• Funding is subject to signing a financial assistance agreement within six months, after providing any outstanding confirmations or authorizations.

• The financial support is provided as a non-repayable contribution.
• Projects can start at the time the application is submitted, at the promoter’s risk.
• Beneficiaries have up to 24 months after the funding announcement to complete the project.
• Incomplete applications are automatically rejected.