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PSCE – Component 2

Non-repayable support for market diversification

Offered by
Investissement Québec (IQ)

Record updated

Funding available
$ 25,000 - $ 60,000
Up to 50% of project cost
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Quebec, Canada
Who can apply
For-profit businesses legally constituted under the laws of Québec or Canada
See full eligibility

Overview

PSCE Component 2 offers non-repayable funding of up to $60,000 per year to Québec for-profit businesses, non-financial cooperatives, and eligible social economy organizations for projects that diversify or consolidate markets outside Québec. Supported activities include export planning, foreign-market marketing strategies, and trade events or certifications.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$60,000
Minimum funding
$25,000
Maximum share of project costs
50%
Financing goals
  • Increase performance through digital transformation
  • Obtain certifications or accreditations
  • Access new markets
  • Launch or market a product/service

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Quebec
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
From $ 1,000,000 to $ 50,000,000 in revenue
Organisation size
All organization sizes
Audience
All groups
Legal structures
For-profit business, Social economy enterprise, Non-financial cooperative

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 7

Latest changes

PSCE Volet 2 now closed

The PSCE Volet 2 page now says the intake is currently closed and refers applicants to the territory-based opening calendar.

See more

The PSCE Volet 2 page no longer shows the previously announced opening period of September 17, 2026 at noon to October 1, 2026 at noon. It now states that the stream is currently closed and directs applicants to the territory-based demand calendar for the next opening periods.

Official source: investquebec.com
October 7, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • For-profit businesses legally constituted under the laws of Québec or Canada
  • Social economy non-profit organizations within the meaning of the Social Economy Act whose financial viability depends more than 40% on autonomous revenue from their economic activities in the last financial year
  • Non-financial cooperatives constituted under the Cooperatives Act or the Canada Cooperatives Act

Who is not eligible

  • Businesses operating mainly in excluded sectors, including agriculture, mining and oil and gas, utilities, construction, retail trade unless all four retail conditions are met, broadcasting, telecommunications, finance and insurance, real estate and leasing, management of companies, administrative and support services, educational services, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment and recreation, accommodation and food services, other services except public administration, and public administration.
  • Applicants listed, provisionally or definitively, in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including planned subcontractors listed in the RENA for project work.
  • Applicants that are not compliant with the francization process under the Charter of the French language.
  • Applicants in default on obligations related to prior financial assistance from the Minister or a Québec government body within the previous two years, state-owned or government-controlled corporations, or applicants under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
  • Applicants whose main business involves controversial weapons, fossil fuels except activities supporting a transition to a low-carbon economy, gambling, violent games or combat sports involving living species, sexual exploitation or pornography, or tobacco or drug-related products and services, subject to the stated cannabis and industrial hemp exceptions.

Eligible expenses

  • Professional fees, excluding the external expert’s travel and accommodation costs, up to $25,000 in eligible expenses per request.
  • Short-term rental of exhibition space, an office, or premises outside Québec for exhibition or prospecting activities, as well as the purchase of market studies or access to databases.
  • Testing and analysis fees, and purchases of normative documents, required to obtain an approval, compliance, or certification that facilitates exporting.
  • Transportation of goods, shipment of samples, and promotional material required for a trade event outside Québec, as well as registration fees or passes for in-person or virtual trade events outside Québec and access to a business matchmaking platform.
  • Salary for up to 52 weeks, excluding bonuses and fringe benefits, for a new full-time commercial representative in a new position outside Québec, plus advertising, social media publication, newsletter, and search engine optimization costs up to $10,000 per project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Expenses not directly related to the countries and territories eligible for the opening period, and expenses covered by another program under the Fonds du développement économique or the Ministry.
  • Expenses incurred before the application filing date, including contractual commitments, except exhibition space rental costs when the trade event takes place during the project implementation period.
  • Recurring business activities, establishing a foreign office, subsidiary, or joint venture, acquiring a business outside Québec, registering international trademarks, consultant-led client or partner prospecting, or recruiting an agent, distributor, marketing specialist, or e-commerce specialist.
  • Debt servicing, future loan repayment, capital losses or replacement, regular operating costs, capital and amortization expenses, software acquisition or development costs and licence fees, intellectual property costs, land or building acquisition or development, and related-party transactions.
  • Québec sales taxes, chamber of commerce or business network membership fees, meal, travel, and accommodation costs, and hiring an intern.

Eligible geographic areas

  • Québec
  • Latin America
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Oceania

Activities funded

  • Hiring a full-time commercial representative on a market outside Quebec.
  • Preparing an export diagnostic, an export business plan, or an export strategy.
  • Developing and implementing a marketing strategy, including a digital strategy for foreign markets.
  • Participating as an exhibitor or visitor in a trade event outside Quebec, including virtual events.
  • Obtaining an approval, compliance, or certification for a market outside Quebec.

How to apply

  • Read the application guide and verify the eligible countries and territories for the intake period in Annex D.
  • Complete the prequalification form to confirm that your business meets the program criteria.
  • Prepare the export business plan using Annex B.
  • Gather the mandatory documents in French listed in Section 10, following Annex C for expense presentation and Annex A for compliant service offers.
  • Make sure your ClicSEQUR Entreprises account is up to date and registered for the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and Investissement Québec services; allow 24 to 48 hours for access to the form.
  • Complete and submit the application form through ClicSEQUR Entreprises with all mandatory documents, ensuring the expenses relate directly to the eligible countries and territories for the applicable intake period.

Documents Needed

  • A completed financial assistance application form submitted through ClicSÉQUR Entreprises and the signed PSCE consent form with all boxes checked.
  • An export business plan that follows Annex B.
  • Annual financial statements for the two most recent available years, at minimum a compilation engagement; start-ups must also provide two years of forecast financial statements and a balance sheet and income statement dated less than 6 months, with the income statement showing revenue above $1M.
  • Service offers compliant with Annex A and partnerships, where applicable; if a hiring activity is included, the candidate’s curriculum vitae and job description.
  • For businesses that employed 25 or more employees over a 6-month period, valid proof of compliance with francization requirements; social economy businesses must also provide a copy of their bylaws.

Selection criteria

  • 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.

Processing and Agreement

  • Investissement Québec processes applications for eligibility, analysis, and decision on behalf of the Government of Québec.
  • Applications are analyzed only on the basis of the documentation submitted.
  • Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet program requirements are considered non-admissible and refused.
  • After submission, applications go through a compliance review, an assignment notice, analysis, a decision notice, and an offer letter.
  • A final disbursement request must be submitted within 30 days after the planned end date of the project.

Additional information

  • Investissement Québec administers this component on behalf of the Government of Québec.
  • The prequalification form provides only a preliminary confirmation of the eligibility of the business and project and cannot be interpreted as an authorization of financial assistance.

Contacts

soutien.aidefinanciere@invest-quebec.com
1 844 474-6367

Guides for this program

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Frequently Asked Questions about the PSCE – Component 2 Program

What is the PSCE – Component 2?

PSCE Component 2 offers non-repayable funding of up to $60,000 per year to Québec for-profit businesses, non-financial cooperatives, and eligible social economy organizations for projects that diversify or consolidate markets outside Québec. Supported activities include export planning, foreign-market marketing strategies, and trade events or certifications.

How much funding can be received?

PSCE – Component 2 Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $60,000 per project.

Who is eligible for the PSCE – Component 2 program?

To be eligible for the PSCE – Component 2 program, you must: The applicant must be a for-profit business, a non-financial cooperative, or a social economy non-profit organization within the meaning of the Social Economy Act. The business must be registered in Québec, have an establishment there, and actively carry on activities there; social economy non-profit organizations must derive more than 40% of their financial viability from autonomous revenue from their economic activities in the last financial year. The applicant must have revenue greater than $1M and less than or equal to $50M.

What expenses are eligible under PSCE – Component 2?

Professional fees, excluding the external expert’s travel and accommodation costs, up to $25,000 in eligible expenses per request. Short-term rental of exhibition space, an office, or premises outside Québec for exhibition or prospecting activities, as well as the purchase of market studies or access to databases. Testing and analysis fees, and purchases of normative documents, required to obtain an approval, compliance, or certification that facilitates exporting. Transportation of goods, shipment of samples, and promotional material required for a trade event outside Québec, as well as registration fees or passes for in-person or virtual trade events outside Québec and access to a business matchmaking platform. Salary for up to 52 weeks, excluding bonuses and fringe benefits, for a new full-time commercial representative in a new position outside Québec, plus advertising, social media publication, newsletter, and search engine optimization costs up to $10,000 per project.

Who can I contact for more information about the PSCE – Component 2?

You can contact Investissement Québec (IQ) by email at soutien.aidefinanciere@invest-quebec.com or by phone at 1 844 474-6367.

Where is the PSCE – Component 2 available?

The PSCE – Component 2 program is available the province of Quebec.

Is the PSCE – Component 2 a grant, loan, or tax credit?

PSCE – Component 2 is a Grant and Funding