How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $150000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1

Q: What are Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1's eligibility criterias?

Consortium of Quebec companies including at least one SME or high-growth startup Legally incorporated and registered in Quebec Head office and principal employees/subcontractors based in Quebec

Last Update: June 12, 2025

QC, Canada

Funding for collaborative projects in AI

Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1 at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $150,000
Up to 50% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : January 1, 2023
Closing date : October 15, 2023

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries
Professional, scientific and technical services

Grant Providers

Ministère de l'économie, de l'innovation et de l'énergie du Québec (MEIE)
Gouvernement du Québec

Status

Closed

Overview of the Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1 program

Get a grant of up to $150,000 to cover up to 50% of eligible costs for carrying out research and an innovation project to develop and grow products and services for which the start-up was created.

Financing terms and conditions

Maximum financial assistance of $1,500,000 per project for up to 24 months.
Funding covers up to 35% of eligible expenses for SMEs and large companies, and up to 50% for startups.
Assistance increases to 50% for expenses incurred by an eligible public research centre (if at least 20% of total eligible project costs), or for access to specific quantum computing resources.
Each partner may receive no more than 80% of the total grant awarded.
The combined public funding may reach up to 75% of total eligible project expenses, including related tax credits and incentives; a minimum of 25% of eligible costs must be covered by private contributions.

Eligible projects & activities

Development of innovative solutions (products, services, or processes) utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) or quantum technologies, from planning to real-world demonstration (pre-commercialization).
Creation of new solutions or significant improvements to existing solutions using responsible AI or quantum technologies.
Projects that demonstrate a required level of innovation, offering advantages over current market solutions at the national or international level.
Initiatives in AI focused on ethical and responsible use, sustainable development, or data governance.
Sector-wide projects fostering the adoption of AI and quantum technologies, with particular focus on primary and secondary sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, manufacturing, aerospace, and frontline health.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 125,000

Create AI-driven predictive analytics for healthcare data in public hospitals

$ 120,000

Develop AI system for enhancing renewable energy resource allocation

$ 100,000

Implement AI models to optimize supply chain for organic produce distribution network

$ 110,000

Implement AI for real-time language translation services in education sector

$ 75,000

Develop AI tools for personalized virtual reality therapy in mental health startups

$ 90,000

Enhance cybersecurity services using AI for small businesses in tech sector

Eligibility criteria of the Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1 program

The applicant must be a consortium of Quebec-based companies or cooperatives, including at least one SME or a high-growth startup.
All applicant businesses must be legally incorporated under federal or Quebec law and registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
Businesses must have their head office in Quebec, with employees or subcontractors primarily working in Quebec.
The project must involve the development or significant improvement of a solution using artificial intelligence or quantum technologies, with demonstrable innovation and short-term economic impact.
The project must require research and development efforts and align with at least one principle of the Quebec Sustainable Development Act (RLRQ, chapter D-8.1.1).

Who is eligible?

Consortiums of Quebec-based companies and cooperatives, including at least one SME or high-growth potential startup
Startups legally incorporated and operating in Quebec with less than 250 employees
Quebec SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) with less than 250 employees
Large Quebec companies for structuring and large-scale projects
Sectors eligible through designated sectoral industrial research clusters (e.g., advanced materials, aerospace, energy, aluminum, industrial bioprocesses, medical technologies, ICT and digital, biopharmaceutical research, metal transformation)

Who is not eligible

Companies that are not legally constituted under federal or Quebec law and not registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
Businesses that do not have their head office, operational establishment, and principal employees or subcontractors in Quebec.
Companies with more than 250 employees in Quebec (for PME/startup categories).
Companies owned 50% or more by other existing businesses or organizations (except for management companies owned by founders of the startup).
Companies without a French-language website.

Eligible expenses

Expenses incurred by an eligible public research center when they represent at least 20% of total eligible project expenses.
Costs for access to quantum computing resources provided by PINQ2, Calcul Québec, and DistriQ.

Eligible geographic areas

Quebec

How to apply to the Collaborative Industrial Research and Support to Innovative Entrepreneurship — Stream 1 program

Verification of criteria

Make sure that your startup is currently supported by an incubator or an accelerator, or that the steps are underway.

Accumulation of documents

Obtain an official letter signed by the incubator or accelerator to prove the support.
Download and prepare the financial aid application form available in PDF format.
Prepare a document demonstrating how your project uses artificial intelligence to address development or growth challenges.

Filling out the form

Download the form using the "Save Target As" feature or equivalent depending on your operating system.
Open the downloaded form with version 10 or later of Adobe Reader.
Carefully fill out all required fields.
Electronically sign the application before submission.

Submission of the request

Convert the completed and signed form into PDF or Word format.
Send the electronic version of the request to the email address equipe.ia@economie.gouv.qc.ca.
Ensure that the submission is made before October 15, 2023, at 4 PM.

Additional information

The most recent update to the grant information was made on March 27, 2025.
For certain project streams (such as those under Confiance IA), applications must be sent directly to a specific government email address.
Managing the consortium for funded projects is entrusted to a sectoral industrial research group (RSRI), except for projects from the Confiance IA initiative.
The grant is overseen by the Government of Quebec and involves multiple sectoral industrial research organizations (RSRIs) as partners.