MRC Beaharnois-Salaberry — Local Investment Fund (FLI)

• A completed, dated, and signed financial assistance application form
• A business plan and/or a detailed project description, as required in the application
• A detailed breakdown of project expenses and the project financing structure, including confirmation of any other financial assistance or financing linked to the project
• Financial statements for the last three years, interim financial statements when required, and forecast financial statements
• A declaration of compliance with francization requirements or a certificate of francization, if applicable, and a declaration of compliance with employment equity requirements or a copy of the equal access to employment program, if applicable

Who is eligible?

• Legally constituted small and medium-sized for-profit businesses under the laws of Quebec or Canada
• Collective enterprises, including cooperatives and non-profit organizations recognized under the Loi sur l’économie sociale
• Businesses operating in the territory of the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, with a head office in Quebec and registered in the Registre des entreprises du Québec (REQ)
• For business transfer projects, persons or groups registered in the REQ under any legal form seeking to acquire a significant interest in an existing business

Who is not eligible

• Applicants listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including planned subcontractors listed in the RENA for project work
• Businesses in Quebec with 25 employees or more for at least six months that are not compliant with the francization process or that appear on the OQLF list of enterprises non-compliant with francization
• Applicants that failed to meet obligations tied to previous financial aid within the two years preceding the application, are under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, or have a history of unethical conduct, environmental non-compliance, or non-respect of labour standards or human rights legislation
• State-owned enterprises, businesses controlled directly or indirectly by a municipal, provincial, or federal government, or businesses majority-owned by a state-owned enterprise
• Businesses in pre-startup, or operating in excluded sectors such as controversial weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, violent games or combat sports involving living species, sexual exploitation, real estate development and management, or tobacco and drug-related activities, subject to the stated FLI exceptions for certain cannabis and industrial hemp activities

Eligible expenses

• Additional working capital required to carry out the project for a maximum period of two years covering the project year and the following year
• Capital expenditures directly tied to the project, including technology, land, buildings, equipment, machinery, rolling stock, and construction, expansion, renovation, and site or premises improvements
• Professional fees incurred before the project, such as feasibility analyses, external audits, or impact studies
• Professional fees directly tied to project implementation, including technology, equipment, machinery, and land or premises acquisition, construction, renovation, and layout
• For business transfer projects, acquisition costs for ownership interests or assets of the target business, and professional fees directly related to the transaction and transfer of management

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Expenses incurred before the application is submitted
• Debt servicing, repayment of future borrowings, capital losses, capital replacement, and any payment or amount disbursed as capital
• Transactions between related companies or partners
• Research and development expenses and expenses tied to the normal operating activities of the business
• Applicable Quebec sales taxes

Eligible geographic areas

• MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry

• Economic viability of the business, including long-term profitability and repayment capacity.
• Knowledge and relevant experience of the promoters, as well as management skills.
• Environmental and societal benefits resulting from the project, with emphasis on sustainable business practices.
• Openness toward workers and appropriate labor relations within the company.
• Involvement of other financial partners, such as financial institutions and promoters’ own investments, to demonstrate financial leverage and commitment.

• Complete, date, and sign the financial assistance application form.
• Prepare the business plan and/or detailed project description, the detailed breakdown of project expenses, and the project financing structure with confirmation of other funding linked to the project.
• Attach the required financial statements, forecast statements, and any applicable francization or employment equity documents.
• Provide any other documents required by the MRC when filing the financial assistance request.

• The MRC is responsible for admissibility screening, analysis, and decision-making for applications.
• Applications are processed and analyzed on an ongoing basis once the required information and documents have been provided.
• Processing is carried out with equitable treatment between businesses, subject to budget availability and compliance with the program rules.
• Applications are first analyzed by the MRC’s service du développement du territoire, and only complete projects showing potential are presented to the Comité d’investissement commun (CIC).
• After a CIC decision, the signatories designated by MRC resolution carry out the administrative, financial, and legal steps required to implement the decision.

• The team can support applicants through all stages of a financial assistance request.
• The page provides a personal balance sheet template and the current FLI-FLS investment policy to help prepare an application.