PRIMA — Critical and Strategic Minerals

• Signed letter of intent
• Signed application form
• CVs of the main researchers and academic and industrial collaborators
• Volet 1: signed industrial support letters and proof of the equal-access commitment
• Volet 2: detailed service offer, proof of complementary funding, two years of financial statements, two years of projected financial statements, and, if applicable, a startup cash budget and support letter

Who is eligible?

• Centres collégiaux de transfert technologique (CCTT) constituted as non-profit organizations or integrated into a college.
• Quebec non-profit organizations active in research and development.
• Businesses or groups of businesses with an operating establishment in Quebec dedicated to the production of goods and services or to R-D activities.
• CCTT or OBNL groups made up of more than one CCTT or more than one OBNL, or a CCTT or OBNL in collaboration with a university.
• Start-ups are eligible and must be accompanied by an incubator.

Who is not eligible

• Quebec government organizations, federal public bodies, and community futures development corporations
• State-owned companies, government-controlled companies, municipal-controlled companies, and companies majority-owned by a state-owned company
• Applicants that are insolvent, bankrupt, in a proposal process, or benefiting from bankruptcy or insolvency law, including where a subcontractor is in that situation
• Applicants or subcontractors listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA)
• Applicants or subcontractors that failed to meet obligations after formal notice linked to a previous Quebec government grant, or that do not meet the required integrity standards

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, wages, employee benefits, and student bursaries
• Materials, supplies, and inventory
• Equipment purchase or rental, direct equipment costs, and platform fees
• Specialized services, subcontracting, travel and stay, knowledge dissemination, and participation in exhibitions and trade shows
• Indirect research costs at 27% for universities, colleges and CCTTs, IP management fees, and audit fees

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Volet 1: teachers' salaries assigned to the project
• Loan repayment, capital loss, replacement of capital, or any capital payment
• Operating expenses for routine activities not related to the project
• Annual subscriptions and software update fees
• Land acquisition or development, building acquisition, construction or expansion, related-party transactions, and the refundable portion of TVQ and TPS/TVH

• Relevance of the project, weighted at 30%, including alignment with program objectives, circular economy strategies, collaboration needs, expertise, mission or business model, and participant complementarity.
• Project quality, weighted at 40%, including a clear and realistic business plan, expected results and timeline, human resources, financing structure, and sustainable development principles.
• Economic, social, or technological impacts, weighted at 30%, including lasting effects, stakeholder buy-in, and local, regional, or national benefits.
• Projects targeting photonics and microelectronics are prioritized and receive an advantage in relevance scoring.
• The project must score above 70%; if scores are tied and the budget is insufficient, the highest total investment is favored.

• Submit a letter of intent before 11 September 2026 at noon.
• Submit the complete application before 23 October 2026 at noon.
• Send the application as a single PDF by email to lydie.chauvire@prima.ca.
• Send the complementary funding application PDF to PRIMA Québec no later than one week after submitting the main funding request.

• PRIMA Québec verifies eligibility after submission.
• Eligible projects are reviewed by an independent scientific and economic committee.
• The board of PRIMA Québec approves projects based on the committee's recommendations.
• Once MRNF authorization is obtained, the subsidy agreement must be signed within 9 months, and the project may start after complete admissibility is confirmed and no later than 9 months after MRNF approval.
• First payments and subsequent disbursements depend on the required post-approval conditions, and final reporting includes a technical report, an industrial appreciation report, and a verification report.

• PRIMA Québec may request additional documents to validate eligibility or assess the project.
• Applicants may contact a PRIMA Québec advisor to confirm whether a project is eligible or to discuss the innovation proposal.