Innovation program — Call for First-time Adopter Projects

• Completed and signed financial assistance application form
• Letter of commitment from the incubator or accelerator
• Curriculum vitae of key project personnel
• Financial statements for the last two fiscal years
• Cash flow budget for the next two years

• Be legally incorporated under federal or Quebec laws and registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec
• Have headquarters in Quebec with employees or subcontractors working primarily in Quebec
• Conduct research and development primarily from Quebec
• Be incorporated as a corporation for less than 5 years
• Be in the pre-commercialization phase (developing first product, no regular sales, business model not fully validated)

Who is eligible?

• Young innovative companies (startups) in pre-commercialization phase
• Technology companies with less than 5 years of incorporation
• First-time adopter companies (established companies not in pre-commercialization)
• Companies seeking to partner with potential first buyers for technology development

Who is not eligible

• Companies registered on the Register of Businesses Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA)
• Companies that have defaulted on previous government financial assistance
• Portfolio or holding companies
• Companies in fossil fuel exploration, extraction, or refining
• Companies in gambling, violent games, or adult entertainment industries

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, wages and employee benefits
• Professional fees for specialized services, including subcontracting
• Travel and accommodation expenses according to government standards
• Direct costs of materials and inventory
• Direct costs of equipment (pro-rated based on project duration)
• Equipment rental costs
• Intellectual property protection strategy costs
• External testing and certification costs
• Management fees by the incubator or accelerator (maximum 5%)

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Expenses incurred before the date of submission of the complete application
• Fees paid to the first-time adopter company
• Debt service, loan repayments, or capital replacement
• Operating expenses for regular business activities
• Intellectual property maintenance expenses
• Capital expenses, land acquisition, or real estate construction
• Transaction fees between related companies or partners
• Quebec sales taxes
• Mitacs internships

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies based in Quebec
• Research and development activities conducted primarily from Quebec

• Scientific and technological quality of the project (/30 points)
• Collaboration and expertise for project implementation (/20 points)
• Project feasibility, implementation steps, and financial structure (/20 points)
• Scientific, technological, and social benefits (/30 points)

• All applications undergo eligibility review followed by technico-scientific evaluation
• Evaluation committee meets approximately one month after the submission deadline
• Projects are recommended for funding if they score above 75%
• The Ministry publishes the list of selected projects on its website
• A financial assistance agreement must be signed with Investissement Québec before funding is disbursed

• Projects must be completed within a maximum period of 18 months.
• The funding is conditional on the partner's financing and proper project execution.
• Companies must maintain their intellectual property in Quebec for five years following project completion.
• A final report on project implementation and objective achievement is required.