PSCE – Component 2

• The applicant must be a for-profit business, a non-financial cooperative, or a social economy enterprise (as defined in Québec’s Social Economy Act), with financial viability based on more than 40% self-generated revenue from its economic activities in the last fiscal year.
• The applicant must be registered in Québec, have an establishment in Québec, and actively operate there (regardless of the incorporating jurisdiction).
• The applicant must have annual revenue greater than $1M and less than or equal to $50M.
• The project must focus on preparing for export and/or consolidating or diversifying markets outside Québec (internationally and in the rest of Canada).
• The project activities must not be recurring activities for the business.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit businesses
• Non-financial cooperatives
• Social economy enterprises (cooperatives and non-profits/OBNL) as defined under Québec’s Social Economy Act
• All industries are eligible except the excluded sectors listed by the program (e.g., agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting; mining/oil & gas; utilities; construction; retail trade with limited exception; broadcasting; telecommunications; finance & insurance; real estate/rental & leasing; management of companies; administrative/support services; educational services; health care & social assistance; arts/entertainment/recreation; accommodation & food services; other services excluding public administration; public administration)

Who is not eligible

• Businesses in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector.
• Businesses in mining and quarrying, oil and gas extraction.
• Businesses in public utilities.
• Businesses in finance and insurance, or in real estate and rental/leasing services.
• Businesses in sectors such as construction, retail trade (unless the specific retail exceptions are met), telecommunications/radio broadcasting, education, health and social assistance, arts/entertainment/recreation, accommodation and food services, other services (except public administration), or public administration.

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees (up to $25,000 in eligible expenses per project; excludes the external expert’s travel and accommodation costs).
• Short-term rental of exhibition space, an office, or other premises outside Québec for exhibitions or prospecting activities.
• Purchase of market studies or access to databases.
• Testing and analysis fees required to obtain an approval, compliance, or certification that facilitates exporting (including environmental certification).
• Shipping/transport costs for goods, samples, and promotional materials needed for an out-of-Québec trade event.
• Salary (up to 52 weeks, excluding bonuses and benefits) for hiring a new full-time export sales representative for a new position outside Québec (one hire per company for the program’s duration).
• Advertising and digital marketing costs (social media publications, newsletters, and search engine marketing such as Google Ads), up to $10,000 in eligible expenses per project.
• Registration fees or passes for out-of-Québec trade events (in-person or virtual).
• Fees to access a business matchmaking platform.
• Purchase of standards documents.

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec (company must be registered in Quebec and have an establishment there).

• Relevance of the project in relation to the company’s business model.
• The company’s capacity to carry out the project, considering its financial and human resources.
• Need for financial assistance to enable the company to carry out the project.
• Potential benefits in Québec in terms of jobs and investments.
• Compliance with government export priorities, where applicable (and the project’s eco-responsibility, where applicable).

• The intake for Component 2 is planned to open from January 15 to 29, 2026 for projects targeting Canada, and future intakes are scheduled by target territory (with dates to be confirmed for several periods).
• The program may be suspended without notice by the MEIE and Investissement Québec to ensure budget availability.
• Investissement Québec administers the program as the Québec government’s mandatary, and it is responsible for processing applications (eligibility review, analysis, and decision).
• Significant changes have been made to the PSCE; applicants are advised to review the updated program sections carefully.