How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $80000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is 2026-09-30T23:59:59Z.

Who are the financial supporters of the Fonds Écoleader — Specific implementation support?

Fonds Écoleader — Specific implementation support is funded by Fonds d'action Québécois pour le développement durable

What are Fonds Écoleader — Specific implementation support's eligibility criterias?

Must be a for-profit or social economy enterprise legally constituted, registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar (REQ) and incorporated under a law of the government of Quebec or Canada. Must have a commercial establishment in Quebec.

Fonds Écoleader — Specific implementation support

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QC, Canada

Écoleader supports sustainable business practices and clean technology

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grant_single|openingDate October 21, 2024
grant_single|closingDate September 30, 2026

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Grant and Funding

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Fonds d'action Québécois pour le développement durable

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The program is designed to support individual projects by companies or cohorts of companies aimed at implementing eco-responsible business practices and acquiring clean technologies. To this end, the envelope provides funding for business coaching by experts listed in the Écoleader Fund directory. In particular, these initiatives can support the implementation of action plans previously drawn up by companies.

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Financial assistance covers up to 75% of eligible project expenses, with a cumulative maximum of $80,000 per enterprise.
Maximum aid amounts: $30,000 per enterprise for eco-responsible business practice implementation projects (up to $200,000 per cohort project); $50,000 per enterprise for clean technology implementation projects (up to $300,000 per cohort project); up to $400,000 for cohort projects involving both categories, plus coordination fees of up to 10% of eligible expenses, capped at $25,000.
Financial support is disbursed in two instalments: an initial 50% upon signature of the funding agreement, and the remaining 50% upon submission and approval of final project deliverables and documentation.

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Expert support for implementing eco-responsible business practices.
Training to enable staff to carry out and sustain new eco-responsible business practices.
Supervision in conducting trials or pilot projects to validate new tools and practices within the company.
Development of operational, strategic, or decision-support tools.
Support for identifying and implementing clean technologies.
Assistance in searching for suppliers of clean technologies, financing mechanisms, and procurement sources.
Needs analysis for preparing calls for tenders related to clean technology adoption.
Technical support for decision-making and addressing specific technical questions related to clean technology deployment.
Engineering work such as preparing decision tools, plans, specifications, reports, user guides, and other documentation needed to implement clean technologies.
Supervision of concrete pilot projects within a company to test clean technologies prior to wider implementation.
Training personnel to use and maintain new clean technologies.
Support in installation, commissioning, and calibration of clean technologies.
Project coordination, including site supervision and verification of installations and actual post-implementation outcomes.

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$ 80,000

Developing eco-design strategies for sustainable packaging solutions

$ 80,000

Implementing a water management system in a food cooperative

$ 80,000

Renewable energy integration for an artisanal bakery

grant_single_labels|admissibility

The applicant must be a for-profit business or a social economy enterprise (such as a cooperative, mutual, or non-profit organization recognized under Quebec or Canadian law).
The applicant must be legally incorporated and registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ).
The applicant must have a commercial establishment located in Quebec.
For cohort projects, the cohort must consist of at least three (3) and a maximum of ten (10) member businesses, each meeting the above criteria.
All projects must clearly demonstrate significant and tangible environmental impacts.
Projects must aim to implement eco-responsible business practices or clean technologies within the company or cohort.
For cohort projects, participating businesses' letters of engagement and detailed cost breakdown per member are required.
For start-ups (less than three years old), submission of a business plan including a three-year pro forma budget is required.
For social economy enterprises, submission of recent financial statements and revenue breakdowns covering three years is required.

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For-profit businesses legally incorporated and registered in Quebec
Social economy enterprises (such as cooperatives and non-profit organizations) legally incorporated and registered in Quebec

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Sole proprietorships (self-employed individuals).
Condominium syndicates, associations, and groups of individuals.
Financial services companies and other businesses regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers, including insurance companies and brokers.
Companies constituted as joint ventures according to the Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
Companies listed on the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including experts and subcontractors registered with RENA.
Companies that have failed to meet obligations after formal notice from FAQDD, MEIE, or Investissement Québec in relation to previous financial aid in the past two years.
Crown corporations or companies controlled directly or indirectly by a government (municipal, provincial, or federal), municipal entities, or companies majority-owned by a Crown corporation (except those owned by band councils or Indigenous communities).
Companies under the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Holding companies.
Companies with ethical conduct issues that may tarnish the image of integrity or probity of the Quebec or Canadian governments.
Companies engaged in the following activities: production or distribution of weapons; fossil fuel exploration, extraction, drilling, production, and refining (except for activities supporting transition to a low-carbon economy); gambling and gaming, violent games, combat sports involving any living species, races or similar activities; sexual exploitation (e.g., erotic bars, escort agencies, erotic massage parlors, swingers’ clubs); production, sale, or services related to tobacco or drugs; activities with a primary focus protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (religion, politics, rights defense, etc.).
Professional orders, religious organizations, unions representing individuals or non-business clienteles, political parties, public and private foundations, student associations, and private educational institutions at primary, secondary, or postsecondary levels (regarding non-profit entities).

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Professional fees for external expert services listed in the Fonds Écoleader directory (up to $200/hour, associated with specific activities).
Travel and accommodation expenses related to project activities (maximum $2,500 for individual projects, $5,000 for cohort projects, subject to economic consideration and government rates).
Taxes directly applicable to eligible project expenses.
Training costs necessary for project implementation (up to 50% of total project cost).
Material costs required for the implementation of eco-responsible business practices or clean technology (up to 15% of total project cost; not covering the purchase of clean technology itself).
Communication costs related to the project (up to 10% of total project cost; e.g., development of informational or awareness tools for employee training).
Professional fees directly tied to project reporting requirements demanded by the FAQDD (up to $1,500).
Fees for subcontractors not listed in the Fonds Écoleader expert directory (up to 10% of total project cost, maximum $10,000).
Coordination fees (for companies acting as both coordinator and member of a cohort, with required confirmation letter).
For cohort projects, coordination fees of up to 10% of eligible expenses, maximum $25,000 (including the portion of salary dedicated to the project and up to 10% for administration, calculated on the coordination fee itself).

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The Fonds Écoleader financial support targets businesses located within the Quebec province. The fund supports initiatives aligned with sustainable business practices specific to this geographical region.

Businesses with headquarters in Quebec.
Organizations registered under the Quebec business registry.

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The evaluation and selection of projects for this financial supportare based on specific criteria to ensure alignment with the financial support’s objectives, focusing on the adoption of eco-responsible business practices and clean technologies.

Cohérence et pertinence de la solution proposée, y compris la clarté de la problématique, la justification du projet, la planification judicieuse du projet (échéancier, budget, livrables), et la garantie de réalisation.
Capacité de l’entreprise à encadrer et à assurer la réalisation du projet, détermination du financement complémentaire, et choix adéquat d’un expert pour accompagner l’entreprise.
Retombées potentielles du projet, avec un accent obligatoire sur la démonstration que le projet vise des retombées environnementales significatives et, de façon recommandée, des cobénéfices socioéconomiques et de gouvernance.
Efficience du projet, en évaluant l’adéquation entre la problématique décrite, l’ampleur des retombées attendues et le coût du projet. Le FAQDD se réserve le droit de demander des précisions ou de refuser le projet si les retombées environnementales attendues ne sont pas significatives par rapport au coût du projet.

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Here are additional relevant details for this financial support:

The approval of a project and issuance of the financial support depend on a written confirmation by FAQDD, and any expenses incurred before this confirmation are at the applicant's own risk.
The eligible activities can include both eco-responsible business practices and clean technologies, but separate applications must be submitted for each.
Progress reports and final reporting are integral elements of the funding process, ensuring the project's impacts are documented and assessed.
Coordination fees can represent up to 10% of eligible costs but are subject to specific conditions.