Îles-de-la-madeleine — Business support policy (PSE)

Who is eligible?

• Entrepreneurs and individuals seeking to start or acquire a business
• Private businesses (excluding those in the financial sector)
• Social economy enterprises
• Cooperatives (excluding financial cooperatives)

Who is not eligible

• Private companies in the financial sector.
• Businesses listed in the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics).
• Companies that, in the past two years, have failed to meet their financial obligations linked to previous government aid without just cause.
• Financial cooperatives.
• Businesses or projects with a sexual, religious, or political nature, or that may present reputational risks or controversy for the community or its partners.
• Companies operating in personal care services (e.g., hair salons, esthetics, massage therapy, and related services).
• Traditional liberal professions subject to professional orders (e.g., law firms, notaries, accounting firms, medical or dental clinics, and related services).
• Projects involving the acquisition of fishing licenses.
• Real estate and housing projects (residential and commercial), except for tourist accommodation projects as defined by local regulations.
• Projects in retail or restaurant sectors, unless they provide an essential local service used daily by a significant portion of the local population.

Eligible expenses

• Working capital needs strictly related to the company's operations for the first year, supported by a cash budget.
• Capital expenses such as purchase of land, buildings, equipment, machinery, rolling stock, incorporation fees, and similar expenses (excluding goodwill).
• Acquisition of technologies, software, applications, patents, and similar items.
• Professional fees for preparing financial forecasts for the business plan.
• Professional fees for feasibility studies necessary for the project.
• Expenses for acquiring shares or assets as part of a business succession, including professional service fees directly related to the transaction.
• Professional fees, expertise, and consultant costs required for studies intrinsic to an expansion or diversification project. Professionals must be external and independent from the company.
• Costs for equipment directly related to the project.
• Costs for materials and inventory directly related to the project.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies with their head office or principal place of business located on the territory of the Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

• The analysis committee meets at least four times per year to review applications, depending on fund availability.
• If an application file remains inactive for six months, it may be closed by the authorities.
• Only one project per beneficiary is eligible for funding per management year of the Fund.
• All supported projects require a signed agreement specifying responsibilities and data collection obligations.