Défi-Québec, Sustainable City
Last Update: July 22, 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
Program 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
Producing an innovative and eco-friendly new product
$ 50,000
Urban greenhouse energy recovery project implementation
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
1
Preparation of the application
- Carefully read the funding application form to understand the specific information needs.
- Gather all necessary documents mentioned in the form.
2
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.
3
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.
4
Receipt Confirmation
- Wait for confirmation of receipt of your request from the organization.
- Keep all communications for your future records.
Additional information
- If the company leaves the territory or ceases its activities, reimbursement clauses apply depending on the date of the event.
Contact Quebec City
defiquebec@ville.quebec.qc.ca
4186416411
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