Laurentides Tourism — EPRTNT – Attractions, activities, and amenities

• Financial assistance is provided as a non-repayable contribution.
• Eligible project costs must be a minimum of $30,000.
• The maximum financial assistance per project is $95,000.
• Funding covers up to 50% of eligible project costs for for-profit organizations; up to 80% for non-profits, cooperatives, and municipal entities; up to 90% for Indigenous communities, organizations, or nations; and 20% (or the lowest applicable percentage) for client group consortiums.

• The applicant must be a legally constituted tourism business, cooperative, for-profit or non-profit organization, municipal entity, or recognized Indigenous community or organization operating in Quebec.
• Applicants must be conducting business in Quebec and be in good standing with previous grant commitments, if applicable.
• Accommodation providers must comply with applicable laws and regulations and hold a valid registration number.
• Nature and adventure tourism companies must comply with, or be in the process of complying with, Qualité-Sécurité d’Aventure Écotourisme Québec accreditation standards.
• The proposed project must involve the development, expansion, improvement, or modernization of a tourist attraction, activity, or facility, or the development of new tourism products/services in the Laurentides region.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit tourism organizations
• Non-profit tourism organizations
• Tourism cooperatives
• Municipal entities (municipalities, cities, towns, villages, parishes, townships, county municipalities, metropolitan communities, intermunicipal boards, and related organizations)
• Recognized Indigenous communities, nations, and Indigenous tourism organizations
• Groups consisting of any of the above eligible applicants

Who is not eligible

• Government departments, ministries, and Crown corporations (provincial and federal).
• Applicants listed on the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics).
• Companies not compliant with the francization process of the Office québécois de la langue française.
• Projects from sectors such as hospitality condominiums (condotels), gambling, lodging with fewer than four tourist residences, restaurants and retail businesses, and establishments dedicated to the sale and consumption of alcohol.
• Tourist accommodation businesses that do not hold the required registration number or fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Eligible expenses

• Costs for construction, reconstruction, expansion, layout, adaptation, or conversion, as well as replacement of infrastructure or equipment and launching new tourism experiences.
• Construction and acquisition costs for equipment that enhance attractiveness or workforce retention (e.g., employee accommodation), as long as they are not the project's main expense.
• Fees for recognized professionals, such as design or engineering, technical staff, consultants for project supervision and management, and reporting requirements.
• Fees related to project development (e.g., preliminary studies, business plan, eco-responsible development plan), including some incurred up to two years before applying.
• Expenses for developing, landscaping, and upgrading land and trails.
• Costs for purchasing and installing specialized equipment and furniture.
• Expenses for acquiring boats or mobile equipment that improve the visitor experience.
• Expenses for acquiring necessary land, servitudes, or rights-of-way directly required for the project, excluding transactions with related companies or shareholders.
• Costs to integrate sustainable practices or improve climate change adaptation.
• Surveyor fees for the construction site.
• Quality control costs at the construction site.
• Net taxes (excluding refunded amounts) related to eligible costs.
• Contingency fees (up to 15% of eligible project costs).
• Costs related to integrating art into a building or site, according to the policies for government and public venues in Quebec.

Eligible geographic areas

• Laurentides region, Quebec, Canada

• Alignment with the objectives of the EPRTNT 2025-2027 agreement.
• Structuring nature of the project (attractiveness, project scope, impact, collaboration with partners, job creation, season extension, etc.).
• Innovative aspects of the project.
• Quality of the concept, products, and services offered.
• Financial structure and overall financial plan.
• Relevance (significant tourist clientele, diversification, market position, competitive context, quality of the offer, marketing strategy, networking, etc.).
• Project feasibility (timeline, marketing strategy, business plan or study specification, proponent's expertise).
• Consideration of sustainable development principles.

• A public call for tenders is mandatory for construction contracts of $100,000 or more funded by this grant.
• Projects valued at $150,000 or more for public buildings or sites may be subject to the Quebec government's Policy for the Integration of Arts into Architecture and the Environment.
• Organizations with 25 or more employees over six months must provide proof of compliance with the Office québécois de la langue française.
• Financial assistance of $100,000 or more granted to a for-profit business with over 100 employees must include a commitment to implement an equal access program in accordance with the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.