Support Policy For Businesses

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the types of organizations and their sector of operation.

• The applicant must be a cooperative.
• Eligible entities include private non-profit businesses operating within the social economy sector.
• The applicant can be a private incorporated company, excluding those in the financial sector.

Who is eligible?

Who is not eligible

This grant is focused on supporting specific sectors and types of businesses. Restrictions exist to maintain a strategic focus on sectors that align with the grant’s objectives.

• Private businesses in the financial sector.

Eligible expenses

This grant aids in the expansion or start-up projects for businesses, focusing on key sectors with significant growth potential and innovative development. The eligible projects concentrate on enhancing infrastructure, leveraging technology, and fostering job creation in various domains.

• Tourism projects that diversify offerings and generate growth.
• Innovative industrial, commercial, agricultural, and scientific initiatives that create permanent and quality employment.
• Capital asset improvements including leasehold improvements and related professional fees.
• Collaborative efforts in developing informational tools like websites, including translation costs.
• Analysis projects utilizing specialized expertise for initiating significant growth projects.
• Procurement of technologies such as software, patents, excluding R&D activities.

The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant are based on specific criteria with allocated scores to ensure alignment with the grant’s objectives.

• Growth-generating impact of the project (local priority, tangible benefits, job creation).
• Financial structure and package of the project (proponent’s contribution, rigorous search for financing, applicability of the assistance requested, financial health of the proponent, reliable, realistic financial data, self-financing prospects) and the long-term financial viability of the business.
• Relevance of the project (targeted clientele, uniqueness of the project, competition, quality of the offer, innovation).
• Feasibility of the project (realistic timeline, marketing and communication strategy, quality of the business plan).
• Proponent’s expertise and experience.

The grant aims to support private and social economy businesses in their expansion or start-up projects, giving priority to initiatives with significant growth-generating impacts and with special attention to certain demographics and industries.

• Non-repayable grant with a maximum amount of $20,000, which can increase to $40,000 for projects with significant growth impacts.
• Assistance rate up to 80% for social economy businesses and 50% for private for-profit businesses.
• Projects selected are subject to a memorandum of understanding detailing disbursement conditions and obligations.
• Priority is given to business succession projects and proponents aged 18 to 35, particularly in industrial and high-tech sectors.