CQRDA — PSIAL

Who is eligible?

• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) legally constituted under federal or Quebec laws and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar (REQ). They should have their head office in Quebec and employees or subcontractors working primarily in Quebec.
• Collaborative projects involving a minimum of two companies, including at least one SME.

Who is not eligible

• Companies registered in the Register of Ineligible Enterprises for Government Contracts (RENA), including subcontractors on this list.
• Companies listed as non-compliant with the francisation process by the Office québécois de la langue française.
• Companies that have failed to meet obligations with previous financial aid from the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) or Investissement Québec.
• State-owned enterprises or those controlled by municipal, provincial, or federal governments, or entities with majority ownership by a state-owned enterprise.
• Companies under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act protection.
• Holding companies.
• Enterprises with unethical conduct that could tarnish the Quebec government's image.
• Companies considered ineligible under the responsible financing policy of the Ministry.
• Businesses primarily involved in producing or distributing weapons as defined in controlled goods list sections 2-1 to 2-19.
• Organizations focused on fossil fuel exploration, extraction, and refining, except those transitioning to low-carbon activities.
• Companies in gambling, violent games, or combat sports involving live entities.
• Businesses related to sexual exploitation, such as erotic bars or escort agencies.
• Enterprises dealing with tobacco or drug consumption, except those related to cannabis and industrial hemp.
• Any activity primarily related to topics protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms such as religion or politics.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for specialized services, including those detailed in the public research center's service offer.
• Subcontracting services.
• Direct costs of labor assigned to the project, including social benefits and contributions to mandatory regimes, as well as project management fees.
• Travel and accommodation expenses related to the project, in accordance with Quebec government's management policy guidelines.
• Direct costs of materials and inventory.
• Direct costs of equipment, calculated based on the project's duration, the equipment's useful life, and its use within the project.
• Equipment rental costs.
• Costs for acquiring studies or other documentation.
• Costs for preparing an intellectual property protection strategy, obtaining intellectual property protection, and acquiring intellectual property rights or licenses, including patent application fees.
• Fees of an external auditor validating all incurred eligible expenses and received funding sources for the project.
• Expenses incurred by the Quebec business outside Quebec, if deemed necessary for the project and if no equivalent option is available within Quebec, provided they do not exceed 15% of the project's budget.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies with their headquarters in Quebec.
• Businesses employing or subcontracting primarily in Quebec.

• The maximum duration for project completion is 18 months, ending no later than December 15, 2026.
• A maximum participation cumulative of 1.5 million CAD can be received for all projects authorized up to March 31, 2027, through the Innovation Program.
• The cumulative governmental assistance, including non-repayable contributions and indirect assistance, cannot be combined with other financing from the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy or Investissement Québec.
• All financial aid from CQRDA is non-repayable.
• Financial management costs from CQRDA are capped at 7,000 CAD, representing 5% of the total eligible cost.
• Financial assistance provided under the PSIAL program cannot be awarded to projects that started before the funding application was submitted. Expenses incurred prior to project application submission are not eligible for funding.
• Contact Information: For any inquiries regarding the grant, applicants can contact CQRDA at 418-545-5520 or via email at projetsRD@cqrda.ca.