Closed
Panel innovation platform (PIP)
Last Update: March 4, 2026
Quebec, Canada
Supports innovation in engineered wood and composite panel industries
Grant and Funding
Overview
The Panel Innovation Platform (PIP) provides up to $375,000 per project to support innovation, diversification, and competitiveness in Quebec's next-generation engineered wood and panel industry. Eligible activities include research and development of innovative panels, adhesives, production processes, market studies, and the commercialization of advanced products.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop a new product
- Reduce the ecological footprint
- Selling in a new market
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 375,000 $
- Minimum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : May 15, 2017
- Closing date : March 31, 2026
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Research
- Economic, Social and Community Development
- Business Associations
Target groups
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Nonprofits / charities
- Academia / students
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Provincial
Activities funded
- Development of new, innovative composite panels and engineered wood products.
- Research on alternative raw material sources and processing methods for panel production.
- Creation and improvement of advanced adhesives for panel manufacturing (including bio-based or high-performance adhesives).
- Market studies and environmental impact assessments related to the panel and engineered wood sector.
- Design and pilot-scale production of high-performance, eco-friendly, or multi-property panel products.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 390,000
Innovative molding techniques for composite panels
$ 420,000
Development of thermal and sound insulation panels
$ 300,000
Strategic market analysis for eco-friendly composite panels
$ 400,000
Development of biosourced adhesives for eco-friendly panels
$ 330,000
Optimization of raw material sources for composite panels
$ 450,000
Creation of multi-property eco-friendly panels
Eligibility
- The lead applicant must be a legally constituted research center.
- The project must be submitted jointly by at least one research center (as applicant) and a minimum of two for-profit companies (as collaborators).
- Eligible entities include for-profit companies, groups of for-profit companies, recognized research and teaching centers, and organizations specialized in the panel and engineered wood composites industry.
- The project must be implemented in Quebec and benefit companies and facilities located in Quebec.
- The applicant and its collaborators must demonstrate the technical and financial capacity to carry out the project, and have met any past commitments with the granting body.
Who is eligible?
- For-profit companies legally constituted and operating in the first, second, or third transformation of the panel and engineered wood composites industry
- Groups or consortia of eligible for-profit enterprises
- Recognized research and teaching centers specialized in the panel and engineered wood composites sector
- Specialized organizations within the panel and engineered wood composites industry
Who is not eligible
- Companies or organizations not involved in the panel and engineered wood composites industry.
- Entities that are not legally constituted for-profit businesses or recognized research and educational centers.
- Businesses or groups unable to form a partnership with at least one center of research (as applicant) and a minimum of two collaborating companies.
- Organizations proposing projects not carried out in Quebec or without clear benefits for companies located in Quebec.
Eligible expenses
- Direct material costs required for the project.
- Rental, acquisition, and installation costs for equipment directly related to the project.
- Purchase and development costs of software essential for project completion.
- Sampling and quality control expenses linked to process development.
- Patent application and intellectual property protection fees.
- Costs for reports, studies, or technology transfer rights (licenses).
- Work conducted outside Quebec, if essential and justified (with reasonable proportional limits).
- Consulting and expert study fees (excluding geotechnical studies).
- Expenses related to acquiring scientific articles, reports, or specialized publications.
- Subcontracting costs directly related to the project.
- Direct labor costs, including social benefits and mandatory contributions, up to permitted limits.
- Professional fees as per approved rates.
- Certification and homologation costs, in whole or in part.
- Prototype and system production costs.
Eligible geographic areas
- Quebec
Selection criteria
- Relevance of the project to the platform’s priority research areas and targeted objectives.
- Extent of the potential impact on the industry or market for the innovative solution proposed.
- Anticipated benefits for the industry and for Quebec as a whole.
- Optimal industrial, research, and financial partnership (leverage effect).
- Technical capacity of the applicant and collaborators to carry out the project.
- Clarity and appropriateness of objectives and expected results.
- Appropriate cost-benefit analysis and realistic cost-effectiveness ratio.
- Clarity and quality of the proposed approach or work plan.
- Realistic timeline and project milestones.
- Sufficient means and resources to achieve results within rapid deadlines.
How to apply
1
Preparation of the request
- The research center (applicant) and the companies (collaborators) prepare the project together according to the objectives of the platform.
- Fill out the project submission form provided in the annex.
- Prepare a detailed work plan.
- Obtain and attach letters of support from collaborators indicating their contribution to the project.
- Complete the section on the use of resources outside of Quebec, if applicable.
- Write the project description detailing its importance for the company, the panel industry, and Quebec.
2
Submission of the request
Send the complete request with all attachments to Pierre Vézina by email at pierre.vezina@cifq.qc.ca.
3
Assessment of Eligibility
- The CIFQ, in collaboration with the MFFP, checks the eligibility of the application: completed form, supporting documents included.
- Validation of the eligibility of expenses according to the agreement.
4
Prioritization
The eligible projects are submitted to the Prioritization Committee, which ranks the projects according to their relevance and the objectives of the platform.
5
Final approval
- The Coordination and Approval Committee makes decisions on the funding of projects.
- Representatives of the MFFP may exercise a veto right over proposed projects.
Additional information
- The application process is ongoing and submissions are accepted until December 31, 2025, or until funds are depleted.
- Applicants must submit quarterly, annual, and final reports, including financial documentation, throughout the project lifecycle.
- Participation of out-of-province expertise is allowed only if justified and pre-authorized, but should be marginal and not strategic for Quebec's forest products industry.
- Supporting documents such as partners' letters of support and a detailed work plan must accompany the application form.
Contacts
pip@cifq.qc.ca
418-657-7916
