Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Quebec

• Completed application form, signed by an authorized person.
• Financial statements for the last two fiscal years and the most recent interim financial statements.
• A work plan or project schedule with the main activities, milestones, and detailed budget.
• Documents showing the impact of tariffs on the business, such as revenue declines, higher costs, or lower profitability.

Who is eligible?

• Manufacturing SMEs with fewer than 500 employees.
• Businesses located and operating in Quebec.
• Businesses adversely impacted by the economic context caused by tariffs and able to demonstrate it in concrete terms.
• Businesses that have been in operation for at least three years and generated revenues of $2 million or more during the last completed fiscal year.
• Businesses that were viable before March 21, 2025.

Eligible expenses

• Costs that are essential to the project and directly related to the eligible activities.
• Costs incurred up to 12 months prior to receipt of the signed application may be eligible retroactively, for applications submitted no earlier than 21 March 2025, if the need for financial assistance is justified.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• All costs that are not essential and not directly related to the project.
• Debt refinancing.
• The purchase of assets at a price that exceeds fair market value.
• Amortization costs and goodwill.
• The purchase of land.

• The structuring nature of the project, meaning it results in a significant and lasting change in the company’s operations beyond a marginal improvement and aims to enhance competitiveness or support market diversification to reduce vulnerabilities arising from the uncertain economic environment.
• The extent of the impact on the SME due to the economic context, including turnover derived from direct or indirect exports, the proportion of inputs affected by customs duties, rising production costs, loss of revenue, and loss of profitability.
• Whether the business belongs to sectors significantly affected by tariffs, including the steel, automotive, copper, aluminum, wood, and food processing sectors.
• The business’s economic significance within the regional or sectoral economy, including number of jobs, turnover, strategic supplier role, or status as a major employer in a region.
• Reasonable costs, relevance of the financial package, and ability to deliver the project in the short term.

• Submit a financial assistance application to CED under RTRI.

• CED will process applications on an ongoing basis until the budget allocation has been fully utilised.
• Any application that does not meet the eligibility criteria will be automatically rejected.

• This initiative is part of REGI.
• It is a temporary measure for manufacturing SMEs adversely impacted by the economic context caused by tariffs.
• The initiative was extended to continue helping manufacturing SMEs adapt to a changing economic environment through investments that promote market diversification and improved productivity.