MTRIC — PSO SME

• Non-repayable financial assistance from CRITM of up to 40% of eligible expenses for projects involving SMEs and up to 20% for projects involving large enterprises, with a maximum of $1,500,000 per project (max $500,000 per year).
• Industrial contribution requirement: minimum 20% of project costs in cash for SME projects, and minimum 40% (cash and in-kind, with a maximum of 50% as in-kind) for large enterprise projects.
• The total public funding for a project may not exceed 80% for SME projects and 60% for large enterprise projects.
• Management fees of 8.5% of the CRITM contribution, up to 3.4% of the total cash cost of the project, are included as eligible expenses.
• Equipment purchases are eligible up to a maximum of 25% of total eligible expenses, with individual equipment value capped at $25,000 before taxes.

• The applicant company must be a regular member of CRITM during the project.
• The business must operate in the metal transformation sector (including extraction, production, finishing, recycling, etc.).
• The company must be legally constituted under Quebec or Canadian law and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Register.
• The project must be associated with eligible metals (such as steel, aluminum, or minerals deemed critical/strategic by the Government of Quebec) or essential non-metallic substances related to metallurgical processes.
• If the company is a SME, it must have its head office in Quebec, employ 249 or fewer employees worldwide, and its staff or subcontractors must predominantly work from Quebec.

Who is eligible?

• Companies involved in metal transformation (Extraction, Concentration, Primary, First, Second and Third Transformation, Finished Metal Products, Metal Recycling)
• Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) legally constituted under Canadian or Quebec law and registered in the Registraire des entreprises du Québec
• Large Enterprises involved in the metal transformation sector
• Eligible research organizations collaborating with the metal transformation industry (universities, CCTTs, recognized research centers)
• Companies associated with critical and strategic minerals (e.g., steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, magnesium, copper, zinc, rare earth elements, and others as identified by the Quebec government)

Who is not eligible

• Companies directly or indirectly controlled by a government, municipal entity, or Crown corporation.
• Businesses listed as ineligible for public contracts in Quebec.
• Companies under the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, wages, and employee benefits directly related to the project.
• Scholarships for students involved in the project.
• Purchase of supplies, consumables, and necessary materials.
• Purchase or rental of equipment (up to 25% of total eligible expenses; maximum value of $25,000 per piece before taxes).
• Professional fees, including limited consulting and subcontracting contracts.
• Travel and accommodation expenses related to project activities (in compliance with government standards; international travel for Quebec researchers and students capped at 15% of total eligible expenses).
• Expenses for disseminating project results and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Intellectual property management and related operating costs.
• CRITM management fees.

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec

• Degree of innovation of the product or process, demonstrating clear novelty compared to existing solutions.
• Capacity and commitment of project partners, including the financial and operational involvement of participating companies.
• Quality and complementarity of the research team and public-private partnership.
• Anticipated technological and commercial impacts for partner companies.
• Contribution to the training of students and highly qualified personnel, and other economic benefits for Quebec.

• All partners in the project must obtain or show progress toward a Certificate of Francisation from the Office québécois de la langue française if they have 50 or more employees.
• Projects involving companies outside Quebec can be eligible provided the project is conducted in Quebec and includes Quebec-based partners.
• CRITM does not claim intellectual property rights but requires partner agreements to address intellectual property and results management.
• Regular updates to program conditions may occur; applicants are advised to confirm details with CRITM during the application process.