Fonds Écoleader — Biodiversity – Component 2 : Group of companies

• A completed and signed funding application form, including the expert's signed quote entered in the online form.
• Proof that the signatory is authorized to sign and act on behalf of the applicant and the expert organization, unless the signatory is the general manager, president, or vice-president.
• Letters confirming complementary financing, whether a loan or a grant, including confirmation of the public or private funding source.
• For cohort projects, letters of commitment from participating businesses and a breakdown of project costs by category for each cohort member.
• For start-ups with less than three years of existence, a business plan including a three-year pro forma budget.

Who is eligible?

• For Volet 1, legally constituted for-profit businesses registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec and incorporated under a law of the Government of Quebec or Canada.
• For Volet 1, legally constituted social economy enterprises registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec and incorporated under a law of the Government of Quebec or Canada.
• For Volet 2, cohort coordinators may be associations, federations of cooperatives, for-profit businesses, social economy enterprises, non-profit organizations carrying out economic development activities, financial services businesses, or municipalities.
• For Volet 2, each participating cohort member must be a for-profit business or social economy enterprise that meets the program's business eligibility rules.
• Applicants and participating cohort members must have an establishment in Quebec.

Who is not eligible

• Sole proprietorships and self-employed workers, except those operating in the agricultural, fisheries, and forestry sectors that can show minimum revenue of $30,000 through recent audited financial statements less than three years old.
• Conservation organizations or organizations whose primary mission is the acquisition, protection, or management of land for conservation, as well as condominium syndicates, associations, and groups of persons.
• Financial services businesses and other businesses under the Autorité des marchés financiers, including insurance companies or brokers, except financial services businesses may be eligible as cohort coordinators if they meet the program's cohort coordinator conditions.
• Businesses constituted as sociétés en participation, businesses listed on the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), businesses under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, holding companies, and Crown corporations or businesses controlled directly or indirectly by a government, except those owned by band councils and Indigenous communities.
• Businesses that failed to meet obligations linked to previous FAQDD or MELCCFP funding within the previous two years, businesses whose conduct could damage the integrity image of the Government of Quebec, and businesses active in weapons, fossil fuels except low-carbon transition activities, gambling or violent games, combat sports involving living species, sexual exploitation, tobacco or drugs, or rights-advocacy activities.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for biodiversity experts listed in the FAQDD expert directory, including specialized services, design, documentation, and technical studies, up to a maximum hourly rate of $200/h, taxes included; hour banks are eligible only for implementation support.
• Travel and accommodation costs in Quebec related to the project, up to $2,500, or up to $5,000 for a cohort project.
• Training costs, up to 20% of total eligible activity expenses and a maximum of $15,000.
• Material costs for analyses and for implementing biodiversity-friendly business practices, up to 20% of total eligible activity expenses and a maximum of $15,000; communication costs, up to 10% and a maximum of $7,500.
• Professional fees for required project reporting, up to $1,500 for Volet 1; subcontractor fees from organizations not listed in the FAQDD expert directory, up to 30% of total eligible activity expenses and a maximum of $25,000; and, for cohort projects, coordination costs up to 10% and a maximum of $50,000 in financial assistance.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Scientific research, experimental development of knowledge, documentation, and projects mainly focused on information, awareness, or education.
• Projects mainly focused on sales, promotion, or attendance at events; projects to develop a new product, service, or technology; projects limited to creating or updating a training course or tool; projects identical or similar to one already funded by the Fonds Écoleader; projects to structure a market; and projects to create a foundation or seek sponsorships.
• Projects to comply with standards, laws, or regulations; environmental certification or recognition applications, renewals, and related preparation costs; projects focused on cloud solutions, except eligible adaptation followed by a concrete pilot project; climate or decarbonization projects without a direct and demonstrated biodiversity impact; and biodiversity compensation actions.
• Expenses incurred before the application submission date or under prior contractual commitments; capital and amortization costs; operating costs, including office, administrative, telecommunications, software, and platform subscription costs; debt service; legal fees; grant-writing costs; and the portion of taxes recoverable through CTI, RTI, refunds, exemptions, or exonerations of GST or QST.
• Activities carried out outside Quebec, activities for which the company already has the required internal skills, non-invoiced human or material contributions, sponsorships in goods or services, activities unrelated to the project, and philanthropic activities.

• Coherence and relevance of the proposed solution, including clarity of the issue, project justification, sound planning, and likelihood of completion.
• The company's capacity to supervise and deliver the project, including complementary financing and the choice of an appropriate expert.
• Potential project impacts, with significant biodiversity outcomes required and socio-economic or governance co-benefits recommended.
• Project efficiency, including the fit between the issue described, the expected biodiversity impacts, and the project cost.

• Consult the Guide du demandeur, the FAQDD expert directory, and the project submission kit available for the program.
• Complete the funding application form on the Fonds Écoleader - Biodiversité webpage.
• Attach the required supporting information and documents, including the expert's signed quote entered in the online form.
• For a cohort project, also attach the participating businesses' commitment letters and the cost breakdown for each cohort member; start-ups with less than three years of existence must also provide a business plan with a three-year pro forma budget.
• Click Envoyer to officially submit the application within the applicable timeframe.
• Receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt.

• FAQDD reviews the application's eligibility and compliance with the program guidelines.
• Eligible expenses may begin from the date the application is submitted, but funding is confirmed only when FAQDD sends written confirmation, and the applicant assumes the risk of starting the project earlier.
• After confirmation, an agreement is signed between FAQDD, the applicant, and the principal expert, and it cannot be modified once signed.
• For projects that include both Catégorie 1 and Catégorie 2 activities, FAQDD must receive, analyze, and approve an interim report before the project continues and before the 10% interim payment is issued.
• Final payment depends on FAQDD receiving, analyzing, and approving the final report, invoices and proofs of payment, project deliverables, and, for cohort projects, confirmation letters for services received by participating businesses.

• Pre-submission support is available to help applicants interpret the program rules, assess eligibility, and better meet the objectives of the biodiversity envelope.
• Companies may invite FAQDD biodiversity advisors to speak, lead a workshop, run a kiosk, or participate in an event or customized activity.
• A company may carry out more than one project under this envelope, simultaneously or not, if each project differs in nature, objectives, activities, or impacts.
• FAQDD may refer an applicant to another funding program if it considers it more appropriate for the proposed project.