Québec SMEs planning equipment purchases, automation or market development need a funding strategy that can adapt to changing public priorities. In this helloDarwin webinar, Francis Desrochers hosts Florence Chenel, a policy and public funding analyst, and Vincent Desrochers-Gascon, a grants specialist, to examine possible changes under a Parti Québécois government and what business leaders can prepare now.
The recording is in French and was uploaded on October 8, 2026. This recap reflects the speakers’ analysis. Their forecasts about program closures, transfers or expanded support are scenarios, not confirmed changes to eligibility or funding availability.
What this webinar covers
How a review of Québec’s economic development funding could affect SMEs.
Why the Fonds du développement économique (FDE) should be distinguished from Investissement Québec’s own financing.
Possible paths for ESSOR, PSCE, investment and innovation tax credits, and sector-specific support.
How to prioritize applications using project readiness, program uncertainty and implementation timelines.
The FDE question: identify the funding behind each program
The speakers examine the proposed abolition of the FDE and the possible consequences for business assistance administered through it. Their central point is that a change to a funding vehicle does not establish the outcome for every program. Support could be transferred, redesigned, reduced or discontinued.
They also distinguish government-mandated funding from Investissement Québec’s own financing activities. For an SME, the practical question is which organization administers a particular program, what rules govern it and whether an official change has been announced. A broad political announcement alone does not answer those questions.
Four scenarios discussed for affected programs
Transfer: a program could move to a ministry or another administrative structure.
Revised criteria: support could continue with different eligible expenses, business thresholds or funding conditions.
Non-renewal: a program could end when its current framework expires or be replaced by a different program.
Suspension: an intake could stop before the date a business had planned around.
These scenarios are the presenters’ assessment of possible outcomes. They do not confirm that a particular program will close, remain open or reopen on a specified date. Build your plan around verified program information and keep alternatives ready.
ESSOR and PSCE: two planning conversations to revisit
For ESSOR, the discussion focuses on the connection between preparatory work, digital transformation and investment. The presenters expect productivity, automation and robotics to remain important themes, while acknowledging that the program’s future structure is uncertain.
Before preparing an application, review Investissement Québec’s official ESSOR stream 1 information. Its current page describes feasibility studies, digital diagnostics and implementation support. Check the requirements for the relevant substream, the sequence of preparatory work and the timing of expenses.
For PSCE, the speakers discuss market diversification and the possibility of support continuing through a different structure or with tighter conditions. Their analysis does not confirm a future intake calendar or eligible markets.
Use the official PSCE page to identify the appropriate stream and verify its current intake, eligible projects, markets and expense rules. Keep your export plan specific: target market, commercial activities, budget, expected results and the team responsible.
Find funding options for your SME projects
Tell us about your investment plans and timeline. We’ll help you identify relevant grants and funding programs as you prepare the next steps.
Tax credits: separate existing rules from future policy
The webinar considers whether future tax measures could put more emphasis on investment, innovation and productivity. The speakers discuss the C3i and Québec’s CRIC as part of that broader conversation. They do not establish new rates, qualifying costs or effective dates.
For the existing framework, consult Québec’s official CRIC information and the applicable tax authority guidance. The CRIC supports qualifying research and pre-commercialization activities; owning equipment or using AI does not by itself establish that a project qualifies.
Prepare the technical and financial record early. Describe the work, the uncertainty being addressed, the project timeline and the costs. Where tax credits and grants may interact, verify how other assistance affects each calculation before estimating a combined benefit.
Sector priorities and other funding sources
Agri-food, forestry and wood, manufacturing productivity, automation and AI feature in the speakers’ analysis. They also discuss business transfers, tariff-related support and environmental programs. These are areas to monitor, not a list of newly approved grants or guaranteed beneficiaries.
The discussion of regionalization raises another practical issue: businesses may need to follow more than one funding organization. Keep a clear record of provincial, federal, regional and sector-specific options rather than relying on one program name.
Prepare a funding plan around your actual projects
Map your investments: equipment, automation, R&D, export development and any other planned projects.
Document readiness: budget, supplier quotes, business case, expected productivity gains and implementation milestones.
Match each project to current program rules and distinguish grants, repayable funding and tax credits.
Prioritize using real intake dates, prerequisite work, funding relevance and the risk of change. Confirm expense timing before signing contracts or starting work.
Monitor official updates and revise your plan when the administrator publishes a change.
The speakers recommend moving promptly on suitable projects, but their example also shows why “provincial first” is not an automatic rule. In a hypothetical forestry manufacturer affected by tariffs, a relevant federal opportunity could take priority. Your sequence should follow your business situation and the current programs.
Useful moments in the recording
04:39 — Political priorities and the economic outlook
12:21 — Understanding the FDE and Investissement Québec
26:39 — ESSOR, followed by the PSCE discussion
35:27 — Tax credits and other financial assistance
50:55 — Practical recommendations and project planning
57:12 — Hypothetical forestry manufacturer example
Next steps
Watch the recording, list the projects you want to move forward and verify the current rules for each potential funding source. No program closure date, future reopening or award is guaranteed by this recap. The recording explains possible developments; official program pages and published rules determine what you can apply for.
For more on innovation funding, watch helloDarwin’s SR&ED and innovation tax credit webinar. You can also share your project with helloDarwin to identify grants and funding programs that may fit.
Source review: October 9, 2026. The summary uses the helloDarwin recording and current official ESSOR, PSCE and CRIC information. Program availability and conditions can change after that date.
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