MRC Coaticook — Vitality Entrepreneurship Fund

• Electronic version of the completed application form
• Business plan for Creation / Relève / Relocalisation projects, including 3-year financial forecasts, a personal financial statement, and the promoter’s CV
• Confirmation of other project financiers
• Latest financial statements of the existing organization or business

Who is eligible?

• Existing businesses with at least one completed financial year
• Cooperatives
• Social economy businesses
• Businesses or clients who have benefited from Arterre services

Who is not eligible

• Businesses in the restaurant sector
• Most retail projects, except a proximity convenience store project that is not eligible under the FRR proximity stores volet
• Private businesses in the financial sector
• Financial cooperatives
• Businesses under supply management or with a quota

Eligible expenses

• Market studies; commercialization, marketing, product presentation, certification; technical support; and professional services
• Consulting fees related to R&D on new products
• Equipment purchases, software acquisition or deployment, and leasehold improvements for transformation, automation, production diversification, or circular-economy projects
• Professional fees, advertising and marketing, association memberships, first website creation, equipment, land or building acquisition, and leasehold improvements for Creation / Relève / Relocalisation projects
• Authorized immigration consultant fees and employment fair registration fees for Recruitment projects

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Taxes and contingency fees, including the reimbursable QST and GST portion
• Expenses incurred before the application is submitted, projects already completed, and costs not directly linked to the project
• Grants, prizes, contests, loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, operating deficits, interest charges, debt repayment, or working-capital replenishment
• General operating expenses, activities covered by approved Government of Quebec budget rules, severance pay, lobbying activities, or legal fees tied to civil or criminal charges involving personal liability
• Costs to move a business or part of its production outside the municipality where it is established, and expenses benefiting an entity in the RENA or that failed its obligations after formal notice linked to prior Quebec government aid

Eligible geographic areas

• MRC of Coaticook

• Expected impact on profitability and productivity
• Relevance and quality of the project
• Technical feasibility, including expertise, competence, partnerships, and regulatory compliance
• At least one full-time job, including the promoter’s job, except in exceptional situations; demonstrated leverage of the MRC contribution; promoter CVs showing management capacity; and a realistic, diverse financing plan
• Eco-responsibility, local purchasing, environmental protection, access to services, resource sharing, and overall project appreciation

• Contact the MRC for information and validation of project eligibility.
• Once eligibility is validated, work with the MRC professional who will assist in preparing the request.
• Submit the application using the form sent by MRC staff.
• After submission, receive an acknowledgment of receipt.

• After submission, the applicant receives an acknowledgment of receipt.
• The MRC’s economic development committee analyzes the request and recommends whether to finance the project.
• The MRC council approves or refuses financing at a regular meeting.
• If approved, a protocol agreement is signed between the promoter and the MRC before the subvention is paid.

• The fund is in effect until annual amounts are exhausted or the program ends.
• Projects must obtain a file-opening number before submitting an application.
• Applicants must provide annual revenue and employee count.
• A funding agreement must be signed before payment is made.