Closed
Source verified July 23, 2026
Support for innovation projects
Supports innovation projects from planning to showcase
Offered by
Funding available
$ 1,500,000
Deadline
March 31, 2024
Opened March 16, 2022
Location
Quebec, Canada
Who can apply
For-profit companies or groups of companies from any sector, legally constituted under the laws of the Government of Quebec or Canada
See full eligibility
Overview
Support for innovation projects helps Quebec companies, social economy enterprises, and innovative high-growth businesses advance innovation through non-repayable funding of 30% to 80% of eligible expenses. Eligible work includes planning studies, prototyping, testing, demonstrations, commercialization planning, and specialized support.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop a new product or service
- Conduct research and development activities
- Access new markets
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Social economy enterprise
- Non-profit
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 250 employees maximum
Audience
- Startups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Research
- Economic, Social and Community Development
- Business Associations
- Professional Associations
- Not Elsewhere Classified
Target groups
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Nonprofits / charities
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Local
- Regional
- Provincial
- National
- International
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Preliminary and necessary planning activities and studies, including project setup with partners, realization plans, international support, market studies, and technical and financial studies
- Proof of concept, product or process development or improvement, design, engineering, and prototyping
- Testing and validation, including prototype tests, pilot production tests, and controlled demonstrations
- Real-world demonstration or scale-up, and technology showcase at an independent partner in Canada or internationally, when the required conditions are met
- Commercialization planning, including IP protection, certification or homologation steps, and specialized support for innovative high-growth companies such as regulatory support and access to research or prototyping labs
Documents Needed
- Completed application form from IQ’s website, with the detailed project description and financing plan attached
- Service offers and partnerships, if applicable
- For an applicant subject to francization rules, a francization certificate or one valid OQLF document: attestation of registration, acknowledgement of linguistic situation analysis, or attestation of program application
- For a for-profit company with more than 100 employees requesting 100,000 $ or more, the declaration of compliance with the Equal Access to Employment Program
- Any other documents required according to the project, including market studies, commercialization plans, and documents showing eco-responsibility
- For a technology showcase, real-world demonstration, or request following a call for projects, the last two years of financial statements, two-year financial forecasts and cash flow projections, and the partnership agreement if applicable
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit companies or groups of companies from any sector, legally constituted under the laws of the Government of Quebec or Canada
- Social economy enterprises under the Act respecting the social economy
- Innovative, high-growth potential companies
- For group projects, an OBNL responsible for project management and follow-up may submit the application on behalf of the companies
Who is not eligible
- Applicants listed, temporarily or permanently, in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including subcontractors intended to perform project work
- Applicants listed on the List of businesses non-compliant with the francization process published by the Office québécois de la langue française, or who failed to meet prior Quebec government aid obligations within the previous two years after formal notice
- State-owned entities, entities controlled directly or indirectly by any government or municipal entity, companies mainly owned by a state-owned company, entities under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and holding companies
- Businesses whose main activity is controversial weapons, fossil fuel exploration, extraction, production, or refining except transition activities to a low-carbon economy, gambling, violent games or combat sports, sexual exploitation, or the production, sale, or services related to tobacco or drugs, except cannabis and industrial hemp interventions under article 3.1.5
Eligible expenses
- Professional fees for specialized services, including subcontracting
- Direct labour costs assigned to the project, including social benefits and mandatory contributions, plus project management labour costs
- Travel and stay expenses related to the project, direct material and inventory costs, equipment costs, equipment and land rental, and studies or documentation
- Animal facility and platform costs, IP protection strategy and rights or licence acquisition, and certification or homologation needed for commercialization
- Exhibition and trade show costs; for OBNL-led group projects or projects involving an innovative high-growth company, project setup and management costs up to 7% or 10% of eligible expenses
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Expenses incurred before the date the complete file is filed and deemed admissible, including expenses under contract
- Debt service, future loan repayments, capital losses, capital replacement, and capital outlays
- Operating expenses for ordinary business activities, recurring fees such as annual subscriptions and software updates, and IP maintenance costs
- Land acquisition or development, building acquisition, construction, and expansion, and transactions between related companies or partners
- Applicable Quebec sales taxes and marketing expenses, except for technology showcases or commercialization plan preparation costs
Selection criteria
- The project’s innovative character and the advantage of the product or process over existing market solutions in Canada or internationally
- Market potential, and for innovative high-growth companies, the pre-commercialization plan
- The strength of current or planned intellectual property rights and the strategy used to maintain a competitive advantage
- The project’s fit with the business model, implementation quality and realism, financing structure, risk level, and the company’s ability to carry it out successfully
- The quality of partners, consultants, public research support, socio-economic impacts, and alignment with ministerial and sectoral priorities and sustainable development principles
How to apply
- Complete the application form available on IQ’s website and attach the detailed project description and financing plan
- Attach service offers and partnerships, if applicable
- If the applicant is subject to francization rules, include the francization certificate or one valid OQLF document: attestation of registration, acknowledgement of linguistic situation analysis, or attestation of program application
- Include the declaration of compliance with the Equal Access to Employment Program when the applicant is a for-profit company with more than 100 employees and the requested assistance is 100,000 $ or more
- Add any other documents required for the project, including market studies, commercialization plans, and documents showing the project’s eco-responsibility
- For a technology showcase, real-world demonstration, or request following a call for projects, include the last two years of financial statements, two-year financial forecasts and cash flow projections, and the partnership agreement if applicable
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are processed and analyzed continuously once the required documents are provided, subject to budget availability and compliance with the program framework.
- IQ and the Ministry may limit the number of selected applications to stay within the available budget envelope.
- Projects and funding requests are approved according to the authorization levels determined by the responsible minister.
- The financial assistance is confirmed by signing a funding agreement between the parties, and the agreement sets the payment terms.
- The beneficiary must submit a results evaluation sheet at the end of the project and may also have to provide a longer evaluation sheet up to three years later; the Ministry may also require an external audit report after completion.
Additional information
- Investissement Québec administers the program in collaboration with the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie.
- The program supports innovation projects at multiple stages, from planning to technological showcase, with priority given to SMEs.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Support for innovation projects Program
What is the Support for innovation projects?
Support for innovation projects helps Quebec companies, social economy enterprises, and innovative high-growth businesses advance innovation through non-repayable funding of 30% to 80% of eligible expenses. Eligible work includes planning studies, prototyping, testing, demonstrations, commercialization planning, and specialized support.
How much funding can be received?
Support for innovation projects Funds up to 80% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,500,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was March 31, 2024.
Who is eligible for the Support for innovation projects program?
To be eligible for the Support for innovation projects program, you must:
Companies must be registered in Quebec, have an establishment there, and actively carry on business there.
Innovative, high-growth potential companies must meet the listed ownership, founder, IP, and incubation criteria.
What expenses are eligible under Support for innovation projects?
Preliminary and necessary planning activities and studies, including project setup with partners, realization plans, international support, market studies, and technical and financial studies
Proof of concept, product or process development or improvement, design, engineering, and prototyping
Testing and validation, including prototype tests, pilot production tests, and controlled demonstrations
Real-world demonstration or scale-up, and technology showcase at an independent partner in Canada or internationally, when the required conditions are met
Commercialization planning, including IP protection, certification or homologation steps, and specialized support for innovative high-growth companies such as regulatory support and access to research or prototyping labs
Who can I contact for more information about the Support for innovation projects?
You can contact Investissement Québec (IQ) by email at soutien.aidefinanciere@invest-quebec.com or by phone at 1 844 474-6367.
Where is the Support for innovation projects available?
The Support for innovation projects program is available the province of Quebec.