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Source verified July 23, 2026
Défi osentreprendre
Quebec entrepreneurial recognition across four streams
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Funding available
$ 500 - $ 12,000
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Montérégie, Quebec, Canada
Who can apply
School stream participants at the preschool, primary, secondary, vocational training, and adult education levels.
See full eligibility
Overview
Défi OSEntreprendre is a Quebec initiative that highlights entrepreneurial audacity and creativity through four streams for school, student, start-up, and established-business participants. It offers 500,000 in prizes and recognizes school projects, student projects, new business start-ups, and Réussite inc. entrepreneurs sharing their entrepreneurial journey.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop team skills
- Increase social or community impact
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 12,000 $
- Minimum amount : 500 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Montérégie
- Quebec
Legal structures
- All legal structures
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Canadians
- Youth (<40)
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 2
Activities funded
- Student entrepreneurial projects at college or university level
- School entrepreneurial projects from preschool to adult education
- New business start-up projects
- Established businesses sharing their entrepreneurial journey
Documents Needed
- Completed online application form
- Stream-specific supporting form or summary sheet
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- School stream participants at the preschool, primary, secondary, vocational training, and adult education levels.
- Student stream participants at the college and university levels.
- Entrepreneurs in the start-up year for the Création d’entreprise stream.
- For the Création d’entreprise stream, the entrepreneurial team members must be domiciled in Quebec, have Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, and be at least 18 years old; for COOP and OBNL, the team must include, where applicable, the management team, board of directors, and advisory committee, and be majority adult and Quebec-domiciled with Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.
- Entrepreneurs who first participated in Création d’entreprise more than 5 years ago for the Réussite inc. stream.
Who is not eligible
- Suppliers, sponsors, or strategic allies of this edition of the OSEntreprendre Challenge, as well as businesses already registered in another stream.
- Businesses that have already won the Success Inc. award at the regional or national level during the 3 most recent editions of the OSEntreprendre Challenge.
- Businesses that have completed a sale, delivered or in the process of being delivered, paid or unpaid, including purchase orders and contracts, before the 1st April 2026 while they already held a NEQ, except for a structured market test documented in the form, the right to reregister a NEQ, or a sole proprietorship using an existing NEQ with distinct activities and separate accounting.
- Businesses that take over the activities of a pre-existing business with a NEQ while continuing operations, or whose status is simply changed, except for continuity of projects initiated in the school setting.
- People on the entrepreneurial team who are members of the management or board of directors of OSEntreprendre or a regional mandating organization, local or regional coordinators, members of an organizing committee, honorary chair, or members of a local, regional, or national jury, depending on the streams concerned.
Selection criteria
- The Grand Prize for Youth Entrepreneurship highlights the potential of the most inspiring young business creators aged 35 years old and under the most inspiring.
- The Sustainable Development Favourite spotlights a business that demonstrates impactful sustainable development practices.
- The Chief Scientist’s Favourite spotlights entrepreneurs who rely on science or their scientific skills to develop their business, their practices and/or their products and services.
- The Doing Business Together Favourite highlights procurement practices from Quebec suppliers.
- The Cooperative Favourite showcases an entrepreneurial project among the winners of the official categories in the School or Student stream who have adopted the cooperative formula as their business model.
How to apply
- Fill out the registration form starting in November and submit the application before the 10 March 2027, 16 h.
Processing and Agreement
- After the registration period closes, compliant applications are evaluated by juries at each level during March, April, and May.
Additional information
- The 29th edition information will be released in autumn 2026.
- Each edition runs in an annual cycle from November to June.
- Support webinars are offered by the national team, and no registration is required.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Défi osentreprendre Program
What is the Défi osentreprendre?
Défi OSEntreprendre is a Quebec initiative that highlights entrepreneurial audacity and creativity through four streams for school, student, start-up, and established-business participants. It offers 500,000 in prizes and recognizes school projects, student projects, new business start-ups, and Réussite inc. entrepreneurs sharing their entrepreneurial journey.
How much funding can be received?
Défi osentreprendre Funds up to $12,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Défi osentreprendre program?
To be eligible for the Défi osentreprendre program, you must:
Head office or principal business address in Quebec.
First purchase or sale transaction before 31 December 2026.
Quebec-owned and submitted in one complete form before registration closes.
What expenses are eligible under Défi osentreprendre?
Student entrepreneurial projects at college or university level
School entrepreneurial projects from preschool to adult education
New business start-up projects
Established businesses sharing their entrepreneurial journey
Where is the Défi osentreprendre available?
The Défi osentreprendre program is available Montérégie, Quebec.
Is the Défi osentreprendre a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Défi osentreprendre is a Grant and Funding
Who are the financial supporters of the Défi osentreprendre?
Défi osentreprendre is funded by OSEntreprendre