How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 50000% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Who are the financial supporters of the Défi-Québec, Sustainable City?

Défi-Québec, Sustainable City is funded by Quebec City

What are Défi-Québec, Sustainable City's eligibility criterias?

Eligible businesses must have had their first significant sale more than thirty-six (36) months before the application deadline. Eligible applicants include incorporated private companies and social economy enterprises primarily engaged in commercial activities. Individual enterprises and general partnerships held in majority by Indigenous persons located on the Wendake territory are eligible.

Défi-Québec, Sustainable City

Last Update: June 2, 2025

Québec, QC

Support eco-friendly projects in Québec businesses

Défi-Québec, Sustainable City at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $50,000

Timeline

Continuous Intakes

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Manufacturing
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grant Providers

Quebec City

Status

Open

Overview of the Défi-Québec, Sustainable City program

Défi-Québec, Sustainable City, provides grants to support projects promoting sustainable development and eco-responsible practices within businesses with a focus on areas such as reducing greenhouse gases, circular economy, and sustainable production. Eligible activities include energy recovery in urban agriculture and the creation of innovative eco-friendly products, with specific conditions such as location and industry sector determining eligibility; however, the maximum funding amount isn’t specified.

Financing terms and conditions

Non-repayable contribution of up to $50,000 per project for both private enterprises and social economy enterprises.
Private enterprises can receive a maximum of 50% of eligible expenses covered.
Social economy enterprises can receive a maximum of 80% of eligible expenses covered.
Maximum of one contribution per enterprise over a two-year period.
The total active financing across all economic development programs from the City of Québec cannot exceed $500,000 over a two-year period, where non-repayable aid is accounted for at 100% of its value, and repayable aid at 50%.

Eligible projects & activities

A non-profit organization (NPO) operating an urban greenhouse implements an energy recovery project.
A food processing company offering healthy products launches a project to recover unsold produce from market gardening businesses to upcycle it.
A manufacturing company, with a supply chain mostly based in Quebec, starts producing an innovative and eco-friendly new product.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 50,000

Project to upcycle unsold produce into new products

$ 50,000

Urban greenhouse energy recovery project implementation

$ 50,000

Producing an innovative and eco-friendly new product

Eligibility criteria of the Défi-Québec, Sustainable City program

The applicant must be an incorporated private company or a social economy enterprise (NPO or co-op) that primarily carries out commercial activities.
The company's first significant sale must have occurred more than 36 months before the application deadline.
Individual enterprises and general partnerships held in majority by Indigenous persons and located on the Wendake territory are eligible.
The project must be located in the Agglomeration of Québec, which includes the cities of Québec, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, L’Ancienne-Lorette, and Wendake.
The project must address at least one aspect such as water, raw materials, circular economy, reduction of greenhouse gases, sustainable production, logistics, or transportation.

Who is eligible?

Incorporated private companies with significant sales over 36 months ago.
Social economy enterprises (NPO and co-op) engaged in primarily commercial activities.
Individual enterprises and general partnerships majority-owned by Indigenous individuals on Wendake territory.
Businesses in agri-food, food processing, and healthy foods.
Companies in digital arts, interactive entertainment, and financial technologies.
Enterprises involved in optics-photonics, measurement and control technologies, and advanced electronics.
Organizations in life sciences, biotechnology, and health technologies.
Firms specializing in clean technologies: water, air, soil treatment, ecomobility, energy efficiency, renewable energies, and green chemistry.
Social economy enterprises across all sectors with over 40% self-generated revenue.

Who is not eligible

Social economy enterprises (NPO and co-op) that cannot demonstrate sound democratic governance.
Applicants not discharged from a bankruptcy judgment.
Businesses listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts.
Applicants who, in the two years prior to the request, failed to meet obligations related to a previous grant from the City of Québec.
Applicants with outstanding amounts owed to the City of Québec.
Projects of a discriminatory nature, involving controversy, or posing a negative image risk for the City of Québec.
One-off projects of an event-driven nature.

Eligible expenses

Professional fees, consulting services, and studies.
Expenses necessary for the implementation of the project.
Salaries for human resources assigned to the project at a rate equivalent to that paid by the beneficiary according to its salary policy, upon presentation of a resolution from its board of directors indicating the amount allocated for the project's execution and any relevant supporting documents.
Purchases or rentals of goods, equipment, and assets related to the project.
Marketing, promotion, and advertising activities and costs.
General and administrative expenses necessary for the project's realization.
Expenses for leasehold improvements, refurbishment, expansion, renovation, or construction of a building, including the acquisition of land or property.

Eligible geographic areas

Agglomeration of Québec, including the cities of Québec, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, and L’Ancienne-Lorette.
Wendake.

Eligibility criteria of the Défi-Québec, Sustainable City program

Quality and robustness of the responsible business model.
Financial capacity of the applicant to complete the project and achieve its goals.
Viability and coherence of the submitted project (project relevance, realistic financial setup, and involved partners).
Organizational capacity.
Distinctive and innovative nature of the project.
Economic, social, and environmental impacts in the Quebec agglomeration.
Demonstration of the need for financial assistance.
Structuring effect.
Support structure.
Nature of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

How to apply to the Défi-Québec, Sustainable City program

Preparation of the application

Carefully read the funding application form to understand the specific information needs.
Gather all necessary documents mentioned in the form.

Drafting of the project proposal

Describe the project by highlighting eco-responsible practices and the economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Include a demonstration of the need for financial assistance and the structuring effect of the project.

Submission of the request

Complete the funding application form with all required information.
Submit the application and supporting documents by the appropriate means before April 9, 2025, at 4 PM.

Receipt Confirmation