ESSOR – Component 1B

• The completed and signed Identification du représentant du CA et Consentement form
• A detailed project description and financing structure
• A recent strategic planning document and the ADN 4.0 self-diagnostic report available on ClicSÉQUR
• Annual financial statements for the last two years, including at least one compilation engagement, and the service offers
• If applicable, the auditor-accompanist’s CV when the person is not accredited, valid OQLF francization compliance proof for businesses with 25 employees or more in Quebec for 6 months, and the general by-laws for social economy enterprises

Who is eligible?

• For-profit businesses legally constituted and registered in Quebec
• Social economy enterprises within the meaning of the Loi sur l’économie sociale that are registered in Quebec
• Foreign businesses registered in Quebec that will carry on activities in Quebec no later than 12 months after project authorization
• Businesses in all sectors for projects involving the acquisition and implementation of digital solutions that require a digital diagnosis
• Only businesses with 250 employees or fewer and annual revenue of at least $2.5 million

Who is not eligible

• Businesses listed, provisionally or permanently, in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including project subcontractors listed in RENA
• Businesses that are not compliant with the francization process under the Charte de la langue française or that appear on the OQLF list of non-compliant enterprises
• Businesses that, in the 2 years before the application, failed to meet obligations tied to previous Quebec government financial assistance after formal notice
• State-owned enterprises, businesses controlled directly or indirectly by a municipal, provincial, or federal government or by a municipal entity, and businesses under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
• Businesses whose main line of business involves weapons, fossil-fuel exploration, extraction, drilling, production or refining except low-carbon transition activities, gambling, violent games or combat sports involving live species, sexual exploitation, or tobacco- or drug-related products and services except the stated pharmaceutical-grade cannabis and industrial hemp exceptions

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for external consulting firms
• Costs for purchasing specialized information, such as statistics and market analyses relevant to the project
• Travel and accommodation expenses in accordance with the Quebec government’s applicable management policies

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs incurred before the application filing date, including expenses tied to contractual commitments, and costs incurred more than 24 months before the project approval date
• Capital expenditures and amortization or depreciation costs
• Internal company expenses
• Debt servicing, repayment of future borrowings, capital losses, capital replacement, or any payment made as capital
• Sales taxes

Eligible geographic areas

• Côte-Nord
• Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Bas-Saint-Laurent
• Capitale-Nationale: MRC de Charlevoix, Charlevoix-Est and Portneuf

• The project’s relevance, including its contribution to the program objectives and to the company’s emergence, growth, and expansion
• The quality of project governance, including the expertise of management and key employees and the company’s financial, human, and technical capacity to deliver the project
• The quality of the project, including the quality of strategic planning and the realism of the proposed financing structure and schedule
• The level of partner financial support and commitment, and the project’s potential effects on the company’s profitability, productivity, and competitiveness
• The incentive or necessity of the assistance, the fit between the project and the company’s business model, and, for applications submitted from 13 March 2026, reduced prioritization for listed activity sectors to respect the available budget envelope

• Complete the online prequalification form to confirm the preliminary admissibility of your business and project.
• Read the program information page and the Guide de présentation des demandes - Volet 1B.
• Register for MEIE services on ClicSÉQUR Entreprises to access the application form.
• Gather the mandatory supporting documents and ensure that all submitted documents are written in French.
• Complete the Programme ESSOR, sous-volet 1B financial assistance application form online through ClicSÉQUR Entreprises and attach the required documents.
• Check the verification list and submit a complete and compliant application.

• Complete applications are reviewed as submitted, and additional information may be requested; applicants must respond within the prescribed timelines.
• A conformity review is conducted first, and an opening notice confirms whether the file is compliant or non-compliant.
• An assignment notice marks the start of the file analysis, followed by a decision notice and an offer letter if the project is approved.
• The assistance may be paid in up to 2 instalments, and the final instalment must represent at least 15% of the approved amount and is conditional on a final report and required program results data.
• Any project change request must be submitted in writing before the expense is incurred and during the realization period set out in the offer letter, and the final disbursement request must be submitted within 90 days after the planned project end date.

• All documents submitted with the application must be written in French.