Support Program for Isolated Communities

Who is eligible?

• Municipalities and municipal bodies, including regional county municipalities (MRC) and municipal organizations
• Indigenous band councils and Indigenous communities
• Corporations of northern villages, northern villages, and Inuit landholding corporations
• Non-profit organizations (NPOs) operating in Quebec

Who is not eligible

• Companies appearing on the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA).
• Companies under protection from the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
• Applicants that have previously had a funding agreement with RECYC-QUÉBEC terminated in the two years preceding the application.
• Applicants in default of obligations to any public ministry or organization, such as those listed on a registry of contractors with unsatisfactory performance.
• Applicants in non-compliance with environmental regulations.
• Federal and provincial ministries and governmental organizations (though they may act as technical or financial partners in eligible projects).

Eligible expenses

• Professional fees for external consultants.
• Direct costs associated with conducting diagnostics, analyses, or studies.
• Salaries for the promoter’s workforce directly involved in planning and implementing the project and preparing reports.
• Expenses for specialized subcontractors directly involved in the project.
• Purchase of recovery, sorting, conditioning, or valorization equipment.
• Delivery fees for equipment.
• Purchase of supplies, equipment, or space for project realization, including storage infrastructure for project-relevant residual materials.
• Purchase or rental of pre-treatment or in-situ treatment equipment for recycling of the project-relevant residual materials.
• Costs related to data measurement (e.g., scales).
• Purchase or rental of transportation equipment directly related to the project, provided these expenses do not exceed 40% of the total admissible costs.
• Modification of the building housing the residual materials management installations.
• Communication expenses (graphics, promotional material).
• Transportation costs for residual materials for valorization purposes relevant to the project (for a maximum of 70% of admissible costs).
• Expenses related to expense verification.
• Non-reimbursable portions of GST and QST.

Eligible geographic areas

• Municipalities or indigenous entities located north of the 49th parallel, and north of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is the application area of the Société du Plan Nord.
• Territories north of the 55th parallel, including the category I and II lands of the Whapmagoostui Cree.
• The MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent area, including the Innu communities of Unamen Shipu (La Romaine) and Pakuashipi.
• The MRC de Caniapiscau area, including the category I and II lands of the Naskapis of Kawawachikamach and the Innu community of Matimekosh-Lac John.
• Indigenous entities in the administrative regions of Mauricie, Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and Lanaudière.
• Areas within the city of La Tuque served by a trench landfill site.
• Areas within the Îles-de-la-Madeleine or Anticosti Island.

• Projects must maintain or improve the management of target materials according to the 3RV hierarchy, prioritizing source reduction, reuse, recycling, and material recovery.
• The funding is administered by RECYC-QUÉBEC and is part of the Plan d'action nordique 2023-2028 (PAN 23-28) coordinated by the Société du Plan Nord.
• A minimum of $14 million is reserved for projects submitted by applicants from the northern territories.
• The program includes measures for communities not affected by the regulations on waste elimination royalties.
• The initiative supports more than 150 municipal or Indigenous entities.
• A model resolution for funding contributions is provided for applicants who invest their own funds.
• The total budget for the program is $19 million, open until funds are exhausted or until March 31, 2027, at the latest.
• The program adheres to the 16 principles of sustainable development established by the Quebec Sustainable Development Act.