MRC de Bonaventure — Financial support for businesses

• The business project must be located within the territory of the MRC de Bonaventure.
• The applicant must be supported by an MRC de Bonaventure business advisor (projects “accompanied by a business advisor” are the ones covered by the available funding streams).
• The project must be submitted through the MRC de Bonaventure online project submission form.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit enterprises
• Collective enterprises (cooperatives and non-profits with commercial activities)
• Social economy enterprises
• Enterprises in priority sectors: agriculture and food production; forestry industry; new fisheries and aquaculture; cultural enterprises; knowledge industry; tourism (retaining/attracting vacationers and extending the season)
• Projects related to digital transformation, innovation, 2nd and 3rd transformation (including artisanal transformation), as well as business succession and youth entrepreneurship

Who is not eligible

• Companies or subcontractors registered in the Non-Eligible Companies Register (RENA) for public contracts.
• Companies from the following sectors (unless prior exemption has been obtained from MEIE and FLS-FTQ): armaments; fossil fuels (exploration, extraction, drilling, production, refining), except activities aimed at transitioning to a low-carbon economy; gambling and betting (casinos, bingos, terminals); violent games, combat sports involving live species, races and similar activities; sexual exploitation (erotic bar, escort agency, erotic massage parlor, swinger club, pornography); real estate management and development (except projects aimed at services to tenants/residents, e.g. purchase of equipment or facilities for a better living environment).
• Companies related to tobacco or drugs; and, for cannabis/hemp: recreational products and medical products not approved by Health Canada (as well as certain additional cannabis products such as food ingredients, processed products, topicals, concentrates, tinctures, capsules).
• State-owned companies or companies controlled directly or indirectly by a government (municipal, provincial, or federal) or businesses predominantly owned by a state-owned company (e.g. home care services, perinatal centers, educational services, housing, CJE, MRC, etc.).
• Organizations/entities permanently non-eligible, including: hospital foundations and health cooperatives; educational establishments (schools, school service centers, and associated organizations); for-profit companies in the financial sector; health establishments covered by the Health Services and Social Services Act (e.g. CLSC, hospitals, child and youth protection centers, CHSLD, rehabilitation centers).

Eligible expenses

• Wages and benefits directly linked to the implementation of the project.
• Rent and travel expenses directly related to the project.
• Purchase of data.
• Purchase of materials and equipment necessary for the project.
• Fees for professional services and other contractual services related to plans, studies, analyses, and the development of the project (e.g., business plan, market analysis, feasibility study, external audit, impact study).
• Costs of construction, development, implementation, or setup of the project (when applicable).
• Expenses related to a planning and consultation process with regional stakeholders (salaries, benefits, and fees).
• Administration expenses (up to 5% of eligible expenses).

Eligible geographic areas

• MRC de Bonaventure (projects located on the MRC de Bonaventure territory).

• Economic viability of the business and the project (profitability, repayment capacity, outlook).
• Skills, knowledge, and experience of the promoters, including their management abilities and access to support resources as needed.
• Environmental and societal impacts of the project, particularly the adoption of sustainable business practices in the area.
• Openness toward workers and approach to labor relations.
• Participation of other financial partners (e.g., investment capital, involvement of a financial institution) and contribution to the sustainability of the funds.

• The memorandum of understanding related to a grant is for a duration of 2 years between the MRC and the company.
• In the event of a default on a condition or obligation of the contract, the portion of the grant corresponding to the unused part of the agreement must be repaid to the MRC.
• The composition of the Joint Investment Committee (CIC) must remain confidential.
• Companies with a loan accompanied by a grant from the MRC (or a FLI Relève loan) are subject to a minimum amortization period of 24 months, with fees equivalent to the interest owed in the event of early repayment before this period.