Research Support Program for Research and Innovation Organizations — Support for Research Projects in Collaboration with the Community (PSO, stream 2b)

• Annual business plan
• Annual financial statements
• Progress report, if applicable
• Final report and financial report
• Proof of OQLF francization status, if applicable

Who is eligible?

• Quebec-based research and innovation organizations
• Universities, CCTTs, and public research centers
• Non-profit organizations and social economy enterprises
• Municipalities, cities, and regional county municipalities
• Organizations supporting startups and innovation ecosystems

Who is not eligible

• Organizations registered on the public contracts ineligibility registry
• Companies on the francization non-compliance list
• State-owned or government-controlled companies
• Businesses in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings
• Companies whose main activity is in prohibited sectors such as controversial weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, violence, sex work, tobacco, or drugs

Eligible expenses

• Direct and indirect project costs
• Operating costs for eligible organizations
• Salaries, benefits, and student scholarships tied to the project
• Equipment, materials, professional fees, and subcontracting
• Infrastructure, construction, and related acquisition costs for eligible streams

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Refundable federal and provincial taxes
• Land purchase
• Building purchase, construction, or expansion in some streams
• Costs incurred before application or authorization, where excluded
• Activities linked to prohibited sectors such as controversial weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, violence, sex work, tobacco, or drugs

Eligible geographic areas

• All regions of Quebec

• Alignment with program objectives
• Relevance and overall project quality
• Economic, social, environmental, or technological impacts
• Strategic value of the partnership for international projects
• Capacity to collaborate and build partnerships

• Step 1: Review the program stream and instructions
  • Check the relevant PSO stream and confirm the project type.
  • Consult the related sectoral consortium or ministry resources.
• Step 2: Prepare the application package
  • Prepare the required project and organizational documents.
  • Assemble the information needed for the selected project call.
• Step 3: Respond to a project call
  • Submit the application when a project call is open for the relevant stream.
  • If no call is open, monitor the program for future opportunities.
• Step 4: Follow the funding decision process
  • The Ministry reviews admissibility, analysis, and decision steps.
  • If approved, sign the funding agreement or protocol before receiving payments.

• Applications are reviewed by the Ministry and/or an evaluation committee
• Projects are assessed against program objectives, relevance, quality, and impacts
• Some streams are selected through project calls, while others may be analyzed continuously
• Approved projects require a funding agreement or protocol before payments
• Funding may be adjusted if eligible costs are lower than planned

• Applications are submitted through project calls.
• Selected projects require a funding agreement or protocol.
• Recipients must provide progress, final, and financial reports.
• Recipients must keep supporting documents for several years after the agreement ends.