PRIMA — Call for Projects

Who is eligible?

• Collaborative projects between industry and the research community
• Companies involved in transportation and infrastructure
• Energy sectors
• Environmental projects
• Textiles industry
• Electronics companies
• Health sectors
• Universities
• Public research centers
• Companies with R&D or production activities in Quebec
• Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with less than 250 employees
• Large companies with a presence in Quebec
• Industries involved with micro/nanoparticles, fibers, engineered wood, biomaterials, concrete, polymer, and composite materials
• Organizations related to additive manufacturing and advanced materials processes
• Entities focusing on the circular economy
• International companies as secondary industrial partners
• OBNLs as secondary industrial partners, if conditions are met
• Startups with adequate R&D, production capabilities, and compliance with program requirements
• Foreign and Canadian companies as additional partners

Who is not eligible

• Companies with their primary activity involving production or distribution of weapons, except under specific contexts as defined by export control regulations.
• Entities engaged in the exploration, extraction, drilling, production, and refining of fossil fuels, such as petroleum, except activities aimed at transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
• Businesses involved in gambling activities, including casinos, bingo halls, and electronic gaming terminals.
• Enterprises engaged in violent games, combat sports involving living beings, racing, or similar activities.
• Establishments associated with sexual exploitation, such as erotic bars, escort agencies, erotic massage parlors, swinging clubs, or those producing pornographic material.
• Companies involved in the production, sale, and services related to the consumption of tobacco or drugs, except interventions related to cannabis and industrial hemp as specified in the normative framework for 2024-2027 for the PSO of MEIE.
• Organizations with outstanding legal protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
• State-owned enterprises or those controlled directly or indirectly by a government, or companies majority-owned by a state entity.
• Entities listed on the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA) or those failing compliance with francization processes as published by the Office québécois de la langue française.
• Any company that has breached obligations related to financial aid from a Quebec government ministry or agency within the preceding two years.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, treatments, and social benefits for students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, professionals, and technicians.
• Student scholarships.
• Materials, consumables, and supplies.
• Purchase and/or rental of equipment (with purchase under $25k before tax, otherwise should be rented).
• Travel and accommodation expenses within limits, including expenses for international travel by Quebec researchers and students (but not exceeding 15% of total eligible expenses).
• Translation and drafting costs for legal documents for partnership consolidation (maximum $10,000).
• Animal facility and platform fees.
• Subcontracting fees with identified subcontractors not listed in RENA.
• Professional fees with justifications for external services.
• Knowledge dissemination costs, including listing and relevance of conferences.
• Monetary compensation for project participation.
• Prototype development.
• Management and exploitation fees of intellectual property.
• Non-refundable portion of taxes.
• Management fees of PRIMA Québec calculated outside the R&D budget and must be paid by the industrial or other private monetary sources.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies with a presence in Québec, specifically involved in research and development (R&D) or production.
• Organizations based in Québec, including universities, CCTT (centres collégiaux de transfert de technologie), or public research centers.
• Projects involving large companies with a presence in Québec (R&D or production).
• SMEs established in Québec with R&D or production activities.
• Entities registered or holding a place of business in Québec.

• Management fees for the project are a significant consideration, divided between the industrial partners and MEIE, with specific percentages for SMEs and large businesses.
• Participation requires membership in PRIMA Québec for all industrial, academic, or public research center participants.
• Hydro-Québec can be considered as a partner industrial entity under specific conditions related to project themes and partnerships.
• Adherence to language regulations is necessary, as companies must have their websites in French and comply with francisation requirements if they have 50 employees or more.
• The project must comply with criteria on circular economy objectives, which will become mandatory in future calls; however, exceptions may be requested.
• A contribution in kind is considered differently for SMEs and large enterprises, especially in calculating industrial participation.
• Ineligible participants include those listed on specific Quebec government non-compliance registries, involved with state-controlled entities, or focused on non-aligned activities such as weapon production and certain types of gambling or exploitation sectors.
• Projects should address the establishment of intellectual property agreements among partners to secure funding.
• Funding decisions are under the discretion of the MEIE and subject to budgetary constraints, availability of complementary funding and a signed intellectual property agreement.
• Complementary funding applications should be aligned with PRIMA's deadlines to avoid potential rejection due to prolonged decision processes.