Closed
Source verified August 6, 2026
Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores
Supports access to local convenience businesses
Funding available
$ 10,000 - $ 150,000
Deadline
February 16, 2026
Opened December 15, 2025
Location
Canada
Who can apply
For-profit businesses established and operating in Quebec as legal persons.
See full eligibility
Overview
Volet 5 – Commerces de proximité du Fonds régions et ruralité supports for-profit businesses and social economy enterprises carrying out projects in Quebec municipalities with fewer than 20,000 residents to maintain access to local convenience stores. It funds one-time projects to establish, maintain, or improve access to food, building materials, everyday consumer goods, or fuel.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Launch or market a product/service
- Renovate or expand facilities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Minimum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 85% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Social economy enterprise
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Rural or Northern Residents
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Projects to establish, maintain, or enhance the offering of a convenience business.
- Projects that improve geographic access to food.
- Projects that support the supply of building materials, everyday consumer goods, or fuel.
Documents Needed
- A detailed description of project costs, with quotes if applicable.
- A detailed financing plan.
- A resolution from the legal person approving the project and authorizing a representative to submit documents related to the application, if applicable.
- The organization’s general bylaws and letters patent, if applicable.
- Financial statements for the last two years, partner commitment or intention letters, confirmation of financial assistance, and any other document related to the application, if applicable.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit businesses established and operating in Quebec as legal persons.
- Social economy enterprises established and operating in Quebec as legal persons, including cooperatives and non-profit organizations defined under the Loi sur l’économie sociale.
Who is not eligible
- Municipal organizations.
- Non-profit organizations other than social economy enterprises.
- Ministries, budget-funded bodies, Crown corporations, companies controlled directly or indirectly by a provincial or federal government or by a Crown corporation, and private financial sector businesses or financial cooperatives.
- Businesses involved in the production or commercialization of cannabis, and businesses listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including their subcontractors listed in RENA.
- Businesses that failed to meet obligations tied to prior Quebec government financial assistance within the previous two years, or that are under the protection of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Eligible expenses
- Working capital expenses as part of a startup or business turnaround, when the applicant is supported by the MRC development service.
- Equipment, material, building, or land use or rental costs, and the acquisition, design, adaptation, delivery, and installation of equipment or materials.
- Costs to construct a new building or to acquire, improve, or adapt premises, a building, or land.
- Labour compensation directly attributable to project activities, in proportion to that assignment.
- Management or administration costs up to 5%, and promotion and advertising expenses related to the project.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs incurred before the application is submitted, costs related to projects already completed, and any expense not directly related to the project.
- Recurring operating expenses, except for a startup or business turnaround supported by the MRC development service, and professional fees for opportunity or market studies, feasibility analyses, or business or turnaround plans.
- Debt repayment, loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, share purchases, recoverable GST or QST, and expenses tied to activities governed by Quebec budget rules or carried out by a business listed in RENA.
- Projects limited to seasonal products, clothing supply, professional service areas, restaurant or restaurant-delivery offerings, or supplying other businesses such as wholesalers or distributors.
- Expenses related to customer dining or rest areas, agricultural production activities, or the commercialization of tobacco or lottery products.
Eligible geographic areas
- Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, Côte-Nord, Estrie, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Mauricie, Montérégie, Nord-du-Québec, Outaouais, and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
- The project must be carried out in a municipality with fewer than 20,000 residents.
Selection criteria
- Coherence of the project with the objective of the volet.
- Importance of the project for developing or maintaining service supply and its fit with local community needs.
- Technical and financial feasibility, including the quality of the financing plan and the applicant’s ability to complete the project.
- Competition considerations, including whether the project would compete with existing commercial offerings in the territory.
- Prioritization factors include viability, territorial vitality, security of access, territorial complementarity, local mobilization and community anchoring, innovation, and sustainable development.
How to apply
- Contact your MRC’s economic development service or the delegated organization for personalized support.
- Check the submission dates and filing terms before applying.
- Consult the summary of the grant application form to prepare the requested information.
- Complete the online application form.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications submitted outside the scheduled submission periods will not be processed.
Additional information
- A convenience business sells products that meet a community’s daily needs.
- It is adapted to the territory and plays an important role in the durable establishment of populations.
- Everyday consumer goods include staple food products, fuel, personal hygiene and care items, and household cleaning products.
- Examples of projects funded in the first, second, and third calls for projects are available online.
Contacts
Other components of this program
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores Program
What is the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores?
Volet 5 – Commerces de proximité du Fonds régions et ruralité supports for-profit businesses and social economy enterprises carrying out projects in Quebec municipalities with fewer than 20,000 residents to maintain access to local convenience stores. It funds one-time projects to establish, maintain, or improve access to food, building materials, everyday consumer goods, or fuel.
How much funding can be received?
Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores Funds up to 85% of admissible expenses, capped at $150,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was February 16, 2026.
Who is eligible for the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores program?
To be eligible for the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores program, you must:
Applicants must be for-profit businesses or social economy enterprises established and operating in Quebec as legal persons.
The project must be carried out in a Quebec municipality with fewer than 20,000 residents.
The project must establish, maintain, or improve a local convenience business offering access to food, building materials, everyday consumer goods, or fuel.
What expenses are eligible under Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores?
Projects to establish, maintain, or enhance the offering of a convenience business.
Projects that improve geographic access to food.
Projects that support the supply of building materials, everyday consumer goods, or fuel.
Who can I contact for more information about the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores?
You can contact Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) by email at audrey.pichette@mrc-maskinonge.qc.ca or by phone at 819 228-9461, poste 2092.
Where is the Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores available?
The Regions and Rurality Fund — Stream 5 — Convenience stores program is available across Canada.