ESSOR – Component 1B

• Signed “Identification of the board representative and consent” form
• Detailed project description and financing plan
• Recent strategic plan
• Annual financial statements for the last two years (at least a compilation engagement)
• Service proposals/quotes (offers of service)

Who is eligible?

• For-profit companies legally constituted
• Social economy enterprises functioning collectively as defined by Quebec's Social Economy Act, with at least 40% of their financial viability based on autonomous revenue from their economic activities during the last fiscal year

Who is not eligible

• Companies temporarily or permanently listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including subcontractors involved in the project who are listed in RENA.
• Companies listed as non-compliant with the francization process by the Office québécois de la langue française.
• Companies that have defaulted on financial aid obligations from a Québec ministry or government body in the past two years after being formally notified.
• Crown corporations or companies directly or indirectly controlled by a government (municipal, provincial, or federal), municipal entities, or companies majority-owned by a Crown corporation.
• Companies under protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
• Holding companies (portfolio companies).
• Companies whose ethical conduct could tarnish the reputation for integrity and probity of the Québec government.
• Companies primarily engaged in the production or distribution of weapons.
• Companies involved in exploration, extraction, drilling, production, or refining of fossil fuels (such as oil and thermal coal), except for activities supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Companies involved in gambling, such as casinos, bingo halls, and gaming terminals.
• Companies involved in the production or operation of violent games, combat sports involving living beings, racing, or similar activities.
• Companies engaged in the sex industry, such as erotic bars, escort agencies, erotic massage parlors, swingers' clubs, or pornography production.
• Companies involved in the production, sale, or services related to tobacco or drugs, except for activities related to cannabis and industrial hemp.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees of an auditor-accompanist (member of the Quebec Digital Auditors Consortium or an independent auditor-accompanist).
• Travel expenses in accordance with Quebec government management policy regulations, including transportation, lodging, and meals.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs incurred before the application is submitted, including expenses tied to contracts or commitments made before filing.
• Capital expenditures and depreciation/amortization costs.
• Internal company costs (in-house expenses).
• Debt service and financing-related costs (e.g., loan repayments, capital losses, capital replacement, or any amount paid as capital).
• Sales taxes.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies registered in Quebec
• Companies with an establishment and commercial operations in Quebec

• Investissement Québec analyzes compliant applications as submitted and may request additional information; applicants must respond within the prescribed deadlines.
• The ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and Investissement Québec assess the request based on the program’s objectives and selection criteria; submitting an application does not guarantee funding.
• Investissement Québec may limit the number of selected applications to stay within the available budget.
• If a project is approved, cost overruns beyond the approved amount are not accepted and cannot receive additional financial assistance.
• Once a project is underway, any change request must be sent in writing to Investissement Québec and approved before the expense is incurred; payment requirements are set out in the offer letter.

• A French-language website is required for applicant companies.
• A strategic planning document is required, including SWOT analysis, mission, vision, and main challenges for the next three years.
• All required documents must be provided at application, and incomplete submissions will be rejected without review.
• It is possible that additional documentation may be requested at any point during the assessment process, and timely response is mandatory.