Financial assistance for workforce training in northern communities

• Completed, signed and dated financial assistance form
• Copy of the applicant organization’s most recent financial report
• Copy of the board of directors’ resolution authorizing the applicant to submit projects and sign agreements
• Detailed training plan for qualifying training implementation projects, or preliminary mentoring plan for workplace mentoring projects
• Commitment letters from project partners, when applicable, and any other document deemed relevant to the project’s assessment

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated non-profit organizations
• Cooperatives and mutual organizations whose activities are similar to those of non-profit organizations
• Municipalities, regional county municipalities, municipal-sector bodies, band councils of Indigenous communities, Indigenous communities, northern village corporations, northern villages, and Inuit landholding corporations
• Educational institutions recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec or the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, and government bodies
• Businesses legally constituted in Québec or Canada

Who is not eligible

• Individuals
• Organizations listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts (RENA)
• Applicants who failed to meet their obligations after formal notice in respect of previous financial assistance granted by a ministry or granting agency during the two years preceding the application

Eligible expenses

• Operating costs necessary to carry out the project, including salaries, other remuneration, and occasional rent.
• Internship-related costs for qualifying training implementation projects, including student remuneration, scholarships, subsistence, and supervision.
• Acquisition or rental costs for project-related materials and equipment.
• Professional fees.
• Travel, accommodation, and administration costs directly related to the project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Representation expenses, gifts, and sponsorships.
• Expenses related to the purchase of any motor vehicle that can be registered.
• Expenses for a project already completed or incurred before the project submission date.
• Expenses eligible for another reimbursement, expenses intended to meet legislative or regulatory requirements, and expenses tied to projects that contravene government policies, laws, or regulations.
• Operating deficits, debt repayment, recurrent expenses, working capital, and expenses planned after March 31, 2028.

Eligible geographic areas

• The Québec territory north of the 49th parallel, then north of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence

• Eligible projects are assessed by a selection committee according to the Program’s analysis and the sustainable development criteria in Appendix B, covering the economic, social and environmental sections.

• Consult the application guide before applying.
• Complete the financial assistance application form and provide the required documents.
• Submit the application by email to formation@spn.gouv.qc.ca or by mail to Northern Workforce Training Program, Société du Plan Nord, 900 René-Lévesque Blvd. E, Suite 720, Québec, QC G1R 2B5; the postmark serves as proof of the submission date.

• Selected projects are subject to a financial assistance agreement between the Société du Plan Nord and the promoter setting the payment terms, funding conditions, and reporting requirements.
• For each payment, an activity report and a report on the use of the subsidy must be submitted within the timelines set out in the funding agreement.
• For the final payment, the report must include at least a detailed description of the project and activities carried out, the cost of the project and each activity, funding sources and amounts obtained, the number of jobs created if applicable, supporting documents for eligible expenses with a detailed financial report, and a report on the project’s impacts according to sustainable development criteria.

• If a project falls within the area of responsibility of a ministry or another government body, the Société du Plan Nord requests a relevance opinion from the body concerned.
• The Société du Plan Nord may ask the applicant to demonstrate the contract award conditions used for the project.
• When a project includes professional fees, the Société du Plan Nord may require at least two service offers.
• Information provided may be used by the Société du Plan Nord for research, evaluation, studies, inquiries, statistics, or cost forecasting.