Get a repayable contribution to cover up to 50% of the costs of a project that supports the economic development of an official-language minority community in Quebec through a range of activities.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Economic Development Initiative – Official Languages grant, the following criteria must be met: 1. SMEs in an RCM outside the Greater Montréal region where English-speakers constitute more than 5% of the total population. 2. NPOs in an RCM with a population that includes more than 500 English-speakers. Ineligible clients include retail businesses (such as clothing stores, grocery stores, automobile sales and maintenance outlets), food services (restaurants and cafés), transportation services, housing construction, daycare services, hair and beauty salons, nightclubs, bars, and cabarets. For further information or to discuss specific project eligibility, contact the funding agency.

Who is eligible

- SME in an RCM outside the Greater Montréal region where English-speakers make up more than 5% of the total population - NPO in an RCM whose population includes more than 500 English-speakers

Who is not eligible

Retail businesses (e.g., clothing stores, grocery stores or automobile sales and maintenance outlets) Food services (e.g., restaurants and cafés) Transportation services Housing construction Daycare services Hair and beauty salons Nightclubs, bars and cabarets

Eligible expenses

- Design of products and services - Acquisition of equipment, IT tools, and technologies - Facility development, construction, modernization, or expansion - Recruitment or use of specialized resources to promote official languages in Quebec’s French-speaking business community

Eligible projects & activities

Development of strategies Networking and business contacts Information, consulting, and support services Implementation of a commercialization strategy Design of products and services Acquisition of equipment, IT tools, and technologies Facility development, construction, modernization, or expansion Recruitment or use of specialized resources

Eligible geographic areas

SME in an RCM outside the Greater Montréal region where English-speakers make up more than 5% of the total population NPO in an RCM whose population includes more than 500 English-speakers

Evaluation & selection criteria

- the economic benefits for an official language minority community (OLMC) - the project’s contribution to the Initiative’s objectives and expected results - alignment with CED’s mandate and priorities - the incentive nature of the assistance and the demonstration of the financial need required for the project to be able to go ahead, taking into account other existing funding sources - the proponent’s management capacity - the viability of the business or organization - the degree of risk - the impact on the competition - the availability of CED funding

How to apply

The steps to apply for this grant are as follows: 1. Refer to the Project Submission Guide. 2. Contact the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions for more information.

Additional information

Sure, here are some additional points that applicants should know about the funding opportunity in bullet points: - Projects must demonstrate economic benefits for official language minority communities (OLMCs). - The funding is aimed at kickstarting innovative or entrepreneurial projects, fostering partnerships, and diversifying economic activities in OLMCs. - Eligible clients include SMEs in regions outside Greater Montréal with English-speaking populations over 5%. NPOs in regions with over 500 English-speakers are also eligible. - Retail businesses, food services, transportation services, housing construction, daycare services, hair salons, and nightclubs are generally ineligible for funding. - Projects are assessed based on their alignment with the funding initiative's objectives, the proponent's management capacity, and the viability of the business or organization. - Financial assistance is generally repayable for SMEs and non-repayable for NPOs, with funding amounts up to 50% and 90% of authorized costs, respectively. - Clients should refer to the Project Submission Guide for detailed information on how to submit their projects.

Documents and links