PSCE – Component 1

• A detailed project description and a completed financial assistance application form
• Financial statements for the last two years, or forecast financial statements for start-ups
• Offers of service and partnerships, if applicable
• Proof of compliance with francization requirements, if applicable
• A copy of the declaration of compliance with the Programme d’accès à l’égalité en emploi, if applicable

Who is eligible?

• For-profit enterprises legally constituted under the laws of Quebec or Canada
• Social economy non-profit organizations within the meaning of the Loi sur l’économie sociale whose financial viability relies more than 40% on autonomous revenues from their economic activities in the last fiscal year
• Non-financial cooperatives constituted under the Loi sur les coopératives or the Canada Cooperatives Act
• Groupings of enterprises
• Applicants registered in Quebec with an establishment there and active operations there

Who is not eligible

• Businesses mainly operating in excluded sectors, including agriculture, mining, utilities, construction, most retail, broadcasting, telecommunications, finance and insurance, real estate, management of companies, administrative support, education, health and social assistance, arts and recreation, accommodation and food services, other services, and public administration
• Applicants registered, provisionally or permanently, in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), applicants not compliant with the francization process, and applicants in default of obligations tied to prior Quebec government financial assistance within the previous 2 years
• State-owned corporations, corporations controlled directly or indirectly by a municipal, provincial, federal, or foreign government, municipal entities, and businesses majority-owned by a state-owned corporation
• Applicants under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
• Applicants whose principal business is in controversial weapons, fossil fuels except transition activities, gambling, violent games or combat sports involving living species, sexual exploitation, or tobacco or drug-related products and services, except certain authorized cannabis and industrial hemp activities

Eligible expenses

• Expenses incurred in Quebec and directly related to the project or activities
• Purchase of market studies or access to databases
• Professional fees, including subcontracted services
• Direct labour costs assigned to the project, including project management, benefits, and mandatory contributions
• Testing and analysis fees and the cost of purchasing normative documents for a homologation, conformity, or certification that facilitates commercialization

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Expenses incurred before the application submission date, including expenses for which contractual commitments were made
• Debt service, future loan repayment, capital loss, capital replacement, or any payment or amount disbursed as capital
• Regular operating expenses of the enterprise
• Capital and amortization expenses, including software acquisition or development costs, licence fees, intellectual property maintenance, land acquisition or improvement, and building acquisition, construction, or expansion
• Expenses related to transactions between related companies or partners, Quebec sales taxes, meal costs, travel and accommodation costs, and intern hiring

• The quality and realism of the project
• The company’s ability to enter a supply chain in strategic sectors in Quebec and export its product outside Quebec
• The potential of the targeted Quebec market for the product or service
• The funding structure, including partner support, the company’s current and anticipated financial strength, and the capacity of the team in place to carry out the project
• The quality and realism of the project implementation plan, and the project’s eco-responsibility where applicable

• Apply only when a specific call for projects for Component 1 is underway.
• Complete the financial assistance application form and prepare a detailed project description.
• Attach the required supporting documents.

• Any application deemed compliant and eligible under a call for projects is analyzed by a selection committee.
• Investissement Québec may limit the number of selected applications or suspend this component to respect the budget envelope and available amounts.
• A first payment of up to 20% may be made upon signature of the grant agreement.
• Subsequent payments are tied to progress reports that include an update on activities carried out and a statement of expenses incurred or paid with supporting documents.
• The final payment, representing at least 15% of the approved assistance, is conditional on submission of a final report, a completed results form for the Ministry, and a statement of expenses incurred and paid with supporting documents.

• This component is now administered directly by the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie.
• It is only accessible when a specific call for projects is underway.
• More information is available in the program’s cadre normatif.
• Incomplete applications may be refused.