Fonds Écoleader — business collaboration

• 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.

• 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).

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

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.