MRC Papineau — Digital Transformation and Development Fund (FADN)

This grant offers financial support to assist businesses in improving their digital presence, accommodating various business structures. The financing modalities are structured to maximize participation while aligning with the types of organizations applying.

• Subsidy of up to $5,000 per eligible business.
• Funding of up to 50% of the project cost or eligible expenses for private enterprises.
• Funding of up to 80% of the project cost or eligible expenses for non-profit organizations and cooperatives.
• Mandatory social economy enterprise certification for non-profit organizations to qualify.

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's profile and business operations.

• The applicant must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Quebec.
• The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
• The applicant must have relevant experience or training related to the project.
• The applicant must commit to working full-time in their enterprise or creating the equivalent of one full-time job per promoter (minimum 35 hours/week for 52 weeks).
• The company must be a privately-owned business legally established in Quebec (corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship).
• The business must be established in the territory of the MRC (Regional County Municipality).
• The business must have been in operation for less than 12 months.
• The business must not have received any grant included in the business support policy in the last 12 months.

Who is eligible?

This grant is designed to support new business creation on the territory of the MRC by providing financial assistance, with a focus on promoting entrepreneurship, economic development, and supporting new business projects.

• The positive impact of the project on the business (25 points): Type of project, level of innovation for the business, real necessity of the current request, added value, etc.
• The positive impact of the project on the region (25 points): Impact on the local community, involvement of the business in the community, seeking local partners/suppliers, maintaining and creating quality jobs, etc.
• The quality of the project (25 points): Quality of chosen experts, relevance of the planned expenses for business continuity, integration of sustainable development criteria, etc.
• The viability of the project (25 points): Necessary human and financial capacity for project realization, motivation of the promoter, realism of the implementation schedule and budget forecasts, etc.

Who is not eligible

This grant excludes certain companies and industries due to their status or main activity. The restrictions ensure that funds are directed to those who have not previously benefited and align with the grant's development goals.

• Private companies in the financial sector.
• Financial cooperatives.
• Social economy enterprises.
• Companies that have been operating for more than 12 months.
• Entities that have received a grant from the enterprise support policy in the past 12 months.
• Companies registered in the non-eligible business register for public contracts.
• Companies that have previously failed to meet financial aid obligations from a ministry or granting body.
• Businesses focusing solely on subcontracting or privatizing operations, where the grant would merely shift economic activity and jobs from one organization to another.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers eligible expenses including capital expenditures, technology acquisitions, and service costs directly related to the project.

• Capital expenditures, including land, buildings, equipment, machinery, and vehicles.
• Acquisition of technologies, software, and software packages.
• Service expenses such as permits, professional fees, consultants, studies, incorporation fees, and patents.

The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant are based on specific criteria with allocated point scores to ensure alignment with the grant’s objectives.

• The positive impacts of the project on the business (25 points): This includes the type of project, its level of innovation for the business, the actual necessity of the funding request, and the added value.
• The positive impacts of the project on the region (25 points): This includes the project’s impact on the local area, the company's engagement within its community, efforts to find local partners/suppliers, and maintaining and creating quality jobs.
• The quality of the project (25 points): This involves the quality of the chosen experts, the relevance of the proposed expenses for ongoing business continuity, and the integration of sustainable development criteria.
• The viability of the project (25 points): This considers the human and financial capacity to execute the project, the promoter's motivation, the realism of the project schedule, and budget forecasts.

Here are additional relevant details for these grants:

• The policy of business support adopted on August 16, 2023, takes precedence over all supporting documents related to that policy.
• The Fonds amélioration et développement numérique offers up to 5,000 CAD as a non-refundable grant, covering 50% of the project cost or eligible expenses for private businesses, and 80% for non-profits/cooperatives.
• Non-profit organizations must obtain a social economy enterprise certification from CDROL to be eligible for the Fonds amélioration et développement numérique.
• All requests must be sent by email to the MRC's specified email address, and only complete applications will be processed.
• Applications are reviewed by an analysis committee before being submitted to the board of directors for a final decision.