PRIMA — INNOV-R SME

Who is eligible?

• Quebec SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)
• Companies established under Quebec or federal laws
• Enterprises operating in production and/or R&D activities in Quebec
• Public research institutions as partners
• Enterprises from various key economic sectors
• Public organizations as partners in collaborative projects
• Enterprises from outside Quebec as partners

Who is not eligible

• Companies listed on the register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts (RENA), including subcontractors registered with RENA expected to perform work related to the project.
• Enterprises failing to meet obligations following a formal notice related to previous financial aid from MEIE or IQ under the Economic Development Fund (FDE) or other IQ equity funds.
• Companies under protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
• Holding companies (portfolio companies).
• Enterprises with unethical behaviors that might tarnish the government's image of integrity and probity by association.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for specialized services, including subcontracted services.
• Direct labor costs associated with the project, including social benefits and mandatory contributions.
• Travel and accommodation expenses related to project execution, in alignment with the Government of Quebec's current management policy handbook.
• Direct costs of materials and inventory.
• Direct equipment costs, calculated based on project duration compared to the equipment's useful life ratio.
• Equipment rental fees.
• Costs for acquiring studies or other documentation.
• Platform fees.
• Costs for preparing an intellectual property protection strategy, obtaining intellectual property rights, or licenses, including patent-related fees.
• Costs for obtaining necessary homologation or certification for commercialization.
• Management fees up to 5% of eligible project expenses, shared between the industrial partner(s) and the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy (MEIE) for the management of the measure.
• Expenses incurred for the final external audit of the project (end of project, conditional for obtaining the 20% withholding).

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses and SMEs established in Québec, Canada

• Financial partners of a project must approve a single budget that presents all activities. Combining a previously funded project with additional activities funded by RSRI is not compliant with the measure's standards.
• Co-financing sources identified must be free of existing commitments.
• An external audit report validating all incurred and paid eligible expenses and collected financing sources is required at the end of each funded project. Absence of this report could result in full reimbursement of the financial aid.
• Communication activities relating to the grant must mention the financial support of the Quebec government under the INNOV-R PME measure and adhere to the guidelines in the Public Communication Guide for beneficiaries of financial aid under the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy.