Closed
Source verified July 11, 2026
QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC)
Supports regional economic diversification and local development
Latest source updateLast Update: July 10, 2026Latest change: The Quebec Regions page now features Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream, replacing the earlier tariff-response focus and adding an interest form for the new call.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: July 10, 2026
Latest change: The Quebec Regions page now features Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream, replacing the earlier tariff-response focus and adding an interest form for the new call.
New featured CED program and interest form
The Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions page now highlights Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream instead of the earlier tariff-response content. The new featured text points to high-impact community infrastructure projects for public benefit, with a new form link for expressing interest and a changed set of featured service links. This is a major scope shift on the page: the previous messaging focused on manufacturing SMEs adapting to tariffs, while the new messaging targets Indigenous projects and invites Quebec NPOs and municipalities/RCMs to submit interest. No funding amount, deadline, or cost-share rate change is visible in the updated content.
Funding available
Up to 90% of project cost
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Quebec, Canada
Overview
Diversify your economy, part of the QEDP, supports SMEs, NPOs and other organizations in Quebec with up to 50% repayable funding for SMEs and up to 90% non-repayable funding for NPOs to promote regional economies. Eligible projects include international tourism marketing, acquisition of community economic facilities, and production equipment or expert services for local entrepreneurship.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase social or community impact
- Increase production or service capacity
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Up to 90% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- Non-financial cooperative
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Rural or Northern Residents
- Startups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Economic, Social and Community Development
- Business Associations
Target groups
- Indigenous peoples
- Rural / Remote communities
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Artists / creatives
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Local
- Municipal
- Regional
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Implementation of a commercialization strategy, including development of promotional tools and participation in events
- Development and enhancement of tourist attractions, festivals, sporting events and cultural productions
- Specifications, studies, diagnoses or action plans in response to economic issues raised by the community
- Acquisition of community facilities or implementation of infrastructure to promote local economic development
- Acquisition of production equipment, hiring of experts or professionals, marketing of products and services, and enhancement of the capacity to innovate and develop new products or processes
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Non-profit organizations (NPOs)
- Economic development organizations, business associations, and organizations tasked with attracting international organizations and foreign investment
- Municipalities and regional county municipalities (RCMs)
- Local businesses and co-ops
- Indigenous organizations
Who is not eligible
- Retail businesses, such as clothing stores, grocery stores or automobile sales and maintenance outlets
- Food services, such as restaurants and cafés, transportation services, housing construction, and daycare services
- Hair and beauty salons
- Nightclubs, bars and cabarets
Eligible expenses
- All costs directly related to the project that are deemed reasonable by CED and essential to the implementation of the project
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- All non-essential costs not directly related to the project
- The refinancing of an existing debt
- The purchase of an asset at a price that exceeds its fair market value
- Amortization expenses
- Goodwill costs
Eligible geographic areas
- economically vulnerable RCM
- Montréal’s East End
- one of the RCMs targeted by CED because it is experiencing slow economic growth
Selection criteria
- The expected results of the project
- The viability of the business or organization
- The technical and financial management capacity and the degree of risk
- The contribution of partners in terms of financial resources or professional services
- For projects involving community economic facilities, whether the project benefits a number of users, is a regional priority, fits in with the region’s development approach, and is carried out in one of the RCMs targeted by CED because it is experiencing slow economic growth
How to apply
- Read the guidelines for this program carefully.
- If you wish to submit a project for collective economic equipment, contact CED.
Additional information
- The program is part of the Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP).
- Applicants that are ineligible are directed to CED’s network of partners in their region who may be able to help.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) Program
What is the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC)?
Diversify your economy, part of the QEDP, supports SMEs, NPOs and other organizations in Quebec with up to 50% repayable funding for SMEs and up to 90% non-repayable funding for NPOs to promote regional economies. Eligible projects include international tourism marketing, acquisition of community economic facilities, and production equipment or expert services for local entrepreneurship.
How much funding can be received?
QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) Funds up to 90% of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) program?
To be eligible for the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) program, you must:
Eligible projects can boost spending by tourists from outside Quebec.
Eligible projects can increase the presence of international organizations or strengthen regional economic activity through local business projects.
Projects involving community economic facilities must be carried out in one of the RCMs targeted by CED because it is experiencing slow economic growth.
What expenses are eligible under QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC)?
Implementation of a commercialization strategy, including development of promotional tools and participation in events
Development and enhancement of tourist attractions, festivals, sporting events and cultural productions
Specifications, studies, diagnoses or action plans in response to economic issues raised by the community
Acquisition of community facilities or implementation of infrastructure to promote local economic development
Acquisition of production equipment, hiring of experts or professionals, marketing of products and services, and enhancement of the capacity to innovate and develop new products or processes
Who can I contact for more information about the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC)?
You can contact Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) or by phone at 1-800-561-0633.
Where is the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) available?
The QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) program is available the province of Quebec.
Is the QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) a grant, loan, or tax credit?
QEPD — Diversify your economy - CED (QC) is a Grant and Funding