How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $400000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is 2026-09-30T04:00:00Z.

Who are the financial supporters of the Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration?

Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration is funded by Le Fonds Écoleader

What are Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration's eligibility criterias?

Applicants must be for-profit businesses or social economy enterprises. The cohort must consist of a minimum of 3 companies and a maximum of 10 companies.

Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration

Last Update: May 1, 2025

QC, Canada

Money for green business collaborations in Quebec

Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $400,000
Up to 75% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : July 9, 2024
Closing date : September 30, 2026

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

All industries

Grant Providers

Le Fonds Écoleader

Status

Open

Overview of the Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration program

The Écoleader Fund Program - Stream 2 offers up to $300,000 in funding to projects fostering collaboration among businesses to adopt eco-responsible practices and prepare for clean technology acquisition. Eligible activities include studies, action plans, and implementation support to enhance business sustainability and reduce costs. Maximum financial assistance per company is $30,000.

Financing terms and conditions

Financial assistance can reach up to $40,000 per company for projects aimed at adopting eco-responsible business practices, with a maximum of 75% of eligible expenses covered.
For preparation for the acquisition of clean technologies, funding is available up to $45,000 per company for studies and action plans, and up to $15,000 per company for complementary support, totaling a maximum of $60,000 per company, with a maximum of 75% of eligible expenses.
The maximum financial assistance per project is $200,000 for either eco-responsible business practices adoption or clean technology acquisition preparation.
Projects that combine both categories may receive up to $300,000 in funding per project.

Eligible projects & activities

Implementation of projects bringing together multiple companies to adopt eco-responsible business practices.
Preparation activities for the acquisition of clean technologies, including studies and action plan development.
Concrete action planning to support the adoption of eco-responsible business practices within a collaborative business cohort.
Support and guidance in implementing eco-responsible business practices.
Studies and plans specifically aimed at the potential acquisition of clean technologies.
Complementary support prior to acquiring clean technologies.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 250,000

Cohort project for adopting eco-friendly practices and preparing for clean technology

$ 25,000

Action plan to adopt eco-friendly business practices for a Social Economy Enterprise

$ 50,000

Implementation support for eco-friendly practices for an NPO

$ 45,000

Feasibility study and action plan for clean technology

$ 40,000

Study and implementation of eco-responsible business practices for a Financial Cooperative

$ 45,000

Study for acquisition of clean technology for a For-Profit Company

Eligibility criteria of the Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration program

The applicant must act as a cohort coordinator (association, group, federation of cooperatives, for-profit enterprise, social economy enterprise, non-profit organization engaged in economic development, or municipality) or as a participating business.
Participating businesses must be for-profit enterprises or social economy enterprises seeking to adopt eco-responsible business practices or prepare for clean technology acquisition.
The application must involve a cohort of between 3 and 10 businesses.
The project must aim to support the adoption of eco-responsible business practices or the preparation for acquiring clean technologies through shared experiences and resources.
The project must demonstrate cost efficiency per business and show economies of scale.
Projects must be submitted by a designated cohort coordinator responsible for administrative management.

Who is eligible?

For-profit companies
Social economy enterprises
Associations
Cooperative federations
Economic development non-profit organizations (NPOs)
Municipalities

Eligible expenses

Costs for conducting studies and analyses aimed at adopting eco-responsible business practices (up to $20,000 per business).
Expenses related to the development of concrete action plans in eco-responsible business practices (up to $10,000 per business).
Expenses for support in the implementation of eco-responsible business practices (up to $10,000 per business).
Costs associated with studies and action plans for the potential acquisition of clean technologies (up to $45,000 per business).
Complementary support expenses related to the acquisition of clean technologies (up to $15,000 per business).

Eligibility criteria of the Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration program

Yes, there are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant program, which focuses on the adoption of eco-responsible business practices and the preparation for the acquisition of clean technologies. The criteria ensure that projects are relevant, feasible, and beneficial for multiple companies within a cohort.

Admissibility of the applicant (coordonnator, experts, and cohort members)
Relevance and alignment of the project goals with eco-responsible practices or clean technology acquisition
Feasibility of the project plan and timeline
Cost efficiency and demonstration of economies of scale
Detailed budget and financial strategy
Commitment and letters of engagement from cohort members
Potential impact and benefits for the participating companies
Comprehensive and coherent project documentation

How to apply to the Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration program

Consultation of key documents

Consult the Applicant's Guide – Section 2 to find out about the eligibility criteria and the eligible expenses.

Contacting an expert

Contact an expert listed in the School Leader Fund's Directory of Experts.

Project Development

Develop with your expert the project you wish to carry out and submit.
The expert can use various guides to ensure that their submission contains all the necessary information.
The submission must be written in the online form, accompanied by a service offer document as supplementary documentation.

Collection of cohort information

Gather the necessary information about each member of your cohort.
Complete the Financial Setup Grid – Cohort to detail the costs by categories for each member.

Completion and submission of the application form

Make sure you have all the necessary information and fill out the Financial Aid Application Form.
Send the URL link of the form to your expert so they can complete the relevant sections for their service offer.
Gather all required documents, such as a sample check, proof of signature authorization, letters of private or public funding (if applicable), and letters of commitment from cohort members.
The form will only be submitted when "Submit the form" is clicked.

Download of the deposit kit

Download, if necessary, the Project Submission Kit containing all the mentioned documents.

Additional information

Additional relevant information for the grant application includes:

The date by which all projects must be completed is January 31, 2025.
All supporting documents indicating the project's implementation must be submitted by February 28, 2025, with no extensions granted for final report submission.
Coordination roles can be filled by various organizations, including profit and non-profit entities, as long as they are involved in economic development activities.
The financial support provided is capped at 75% of eligible expenses.
If an applicant is a start-up with less than three years of legal existence, a business plan and pro forma budget are required.
Social economy enterprises must provide financial statements from the past two years and a self-declaration form if pertinent.
Incomplete applications could lead to the rejection of the project.
A form's URL link for completing the application is valid for 28 days once saved for later.
Applicants should be aware that criteria can be reviewed at any time by program administrators.

Apply to this program

Investment support for feasibility studies in Quebec