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ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) - Quebec - Canada
Open
Source verified July 23, 2026

ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project)

Supports investment projects for productivity and expansion
Offered by
Investissement Québec (IQ)
Funding available
$ 10,000,000
Deadline
April 1, 2027
Opened March 26, 2026
Location
Quebec, Canada
Who can apply

Legally constituted for-profit businesses

See full eligibility

Overview

ESSOR Component 2 supports Quebec investment projects by for-profit and social economy enterprises through loans, loan guarantees covering up to 70% of net loss, and in some cases non-repayable contributions to increase productivity and business expansion. Eligible costs include buildings, equipment or software implementation, major technological transition expenses, and certain working capital costs.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.

At a glance

Funding available

Financing goals
  • Increase performance through digital transformation
  • Increase production or service capacity
  • Increase operational productivity
Eligible Funding
  • Maximum amount : 10,000,000 $
  • Up to 25% of project cost
Funds Providers

Eligible candidates

Eligible Industries
  • All industries
Location
  • Quebec
Legal structures
  • For-profit business
  • Social economy enterprise
Annual revenue
  • All revenue ranges
Organisation size
  • All organization sizes
Audience
  • All groups

Next Steps

1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility

Activities funded

  • Investment projects with at least $100,000 in eligible expenses to increase a company’s production capacity in Quebec, including the creation of a new business, the establishment in Quebec of a foreign business, or the expansion of an existing business already established in Quebec
  • Projects to modernize an existing business already established in Quebec
  • Technological transition projects
  • Projects carried out under ministerial or government strategies that aim to increase productivity

Documents Needed

  • A detailed project description and financing structure
  • Financial statements for the last three years, and forecast financial statements if needed
  • Service offers and partnership agreements, if applicable
  • Proof of compliance with francization requirements, if applicable
  • A copy of the declaration of compliance with the Programme d’accès à l’égalité en emploi for a for-profit business with more than 100 employees when the non-repayable contribution is $100,000 or more

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Legally constituted for-profit businesses
  • Social economy enterprises within the meaning of the Loi sur l’économie sociale
  • Businesses registered in Quebec and carrying on an activity there
  • Foreign businesses that are registered in Quebec and commit to carry on an activity there no later than 12 months after project authorization
  • Businesses with seasonal activities, including cooperatives and social economy enterprises, operating in Côte-Nord, Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Bas-Saint-Laurent, and Capitale-Nationale for MRC de Charlevoix, Charlevoix-Est and Portneuf

Who is not eligible

  • Businesses operating in excluded sectors, including the primary sector of agriculture, forestry and fishing except greenhouse production or a building serving the same purpose as a greenhouse, packaging activities for major projects over $10 million, and forestry operations; mining and quarrying and oil and gas extraction; real estate and rental and leasing; construction except productivity-growth projects; utilities; management of companies and enterprises; health care and social assistance; educational services; public administration; finance and insurance; arts, entertainment and recreation; telecommunications services; broadcasting; accommodation and food services except accommodation services tied to a tourism project; and other services except public administration
  • Applicants, including planned subcontractors for project work, that are listed provisionally or permanently in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA)
  • Businesses that are not compliant with the francization process under the Charte de la langue française, including businesses listed on the OQLF list of non-compliant enterprises
  • Applicants that failed to meet obligations tied to prior Quebec government financial assistance within the previous two years, are state-owned or directly or indirectly government-controlled, or are under protection of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
  • Businesses whose activities involve controversial weapons, fossil-fuel exploration, extraction, drilling, production or refining except activities aimed at a transition to a low-carbon economy, gambling, violent games or combat sports involving living species, sexual exploitation or pornographic material, or tobacco or drug-related products and services except the specified Health Canada-authorized cannabis and industrial hemp activities

Eligible expenses

  • Capitalizable capital expenditures directly related to the project, including the acquisition, construction, fitting out or expansion of buildings
  • Capitalizable expenditures for the acquisition and implementation of equipment or software
  • Expenses related to a major technological transition, including cloud computing, business intelligence and artificial intelligence
  • Working capital expenses required for an investment project when the assistance takes the form of a loan guarantee, a repayable financial contribution or a forgivable loan, up to 20% of total eligible expenses
  • Eligible payroll expenses consisting of the cumulative increase in payroll over the first three years following the project start date for new permanent jobs created by the project

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Expenses incurred before the filing date, including expenses for which the organization or business has made contractual commitments
  • Expenses incurred more than 24 months before project approval, including expenses for which the organization or business has made contractual commitments
  • Amortization expenses and internal company expenses
  • Debt service, repayment of future borrowings, capital losses, capital replacement, or payments or amounts disbursed as capital
  • Sales taxes and the acquisition of motor vehicles, except specialized vehicles required for the company’s production process

Eligible geographic areas

  • MRC de Charlevoix
  • MRC de Charlevoix-Est
  • MRC de Portneuf

How to apply

  • Contact your account manager to apply.
  • If you do not have an account manager, contact the Service d’accueil et d’information at 1 844 474-6367 or complete the form at the bottom of the page so an account manager can be assigned in your region.

Processing and Agreement

  • Applications are analyzed on a continuous basis, and only projects that successfully pass the eligibility and program analysis stages may receive financial assistance.
  • Investissement Québec processes applications in collaboration with the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and is responsible for administering the assistance and payments.
  • Any approved assistance must be covered by a financial assistance agreement setting out the obligations of each party and the payment conditions.
  • Capital repayments are fixed, but they may be variable when the company’s generated funds are seasonal or subject to fluctuations, and the start of capital repayment may be deferred for up to five years from the first disbursement.
  • The company may benefit from capitalized interest for a period of five years following the first loan disbursement.

Additional information

  • Investissement Québec administers this program on behalf of the Gouvernement du Québec.
  • The ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and Investissement Québec may suspend the filing and analysis of applications without notice to preserve the available budget envelope.

Contacts

18444746367

Other components of this program

Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.

Frequently Asked Questions about the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) Program

What is the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project)?

ESSOR Component 2 supports Quebec investment projects by for-profit and social economy enterprises through loans, loan guarantees covering up to 70% of net loss, and in some cases non-repayable contributions to increase productivity and business expansion. Eligible costs include buildings, equipment or software implementation, major technological transition expenses, and certain working capital costs.

How much funding can be received?

ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) Funds up to 25% of admissible expenses, capped at $10,000,000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline for this grant program is April 1, 2027. Applicants must submit their complete application before this date to be considered for funding.

Who is eligible for the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) program?

To be eligible for the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) program, you must: The applicant must be a for-profit business or a social economy enterprise registered in Quebec; a foreign business must be registered in Quebec and commit to operate there within 12 months after project authorization. The project must be an investment project with at least $100,000 in eligible expenses for production capacity growth in Quebec, modernization, or technological transition. Except for seasonal-activity businesses, the project must show productivity growth potential, and certain projects by existing businesses must increase fixed assets by at least 20% unless an exception applies.

What expenses are eligible under ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project)?

Investment projects with at least $100,000 in eligible expenses to increase a company’s production capacity in Quebec, including the creation of a new business, the establishment in Quebec of a foreign business, or the expansion of an existing business already established in Quebec Projects to modernize an existing business already established in Quebec Technological transition projects Projects carried out under ministerial or government strategies that aim to increase productivity

Who can I contact for more information about the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project)?

You can contact Investissement Québec (IQ) or by phone at 18444746367.

Where is the ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) available?

The ESSOR – Component 2 (Productivity Project) program is available the province of Quebec.