The program aims to increase the social, structural, economical, culturally and/or environmental impacts of social economy enterprises in the community. Projects must pursue one or more of the following approaches:   

• Structure building: Formalizing and optimizing processes to boost business efficiency 
• Cooperation: Partnering with other social economy enterprises to share resources or skills 
• Diversification: Strengthening the business model by developing a new activity 
• Spin-off: Replication of a business model, activity or service on 1 or more new sites 
• The program specifically targets companies working in the circular economy, housing, bio-food, sustainable mobility and urban logistics sectors. 

The budget for the program is $800,000 for the 2024-2025 period.

• The maximum amount of the grant is equal to 60% of the actual cost of the project and cannot exceed $200,000.  
• Government assistance (federal, provincial and municipal) may not exceed 80% of the cost of the project.  
• Project duration is a maximum of 24 months.

Enterprise eligibility

To be part of the program, social economy enterprises must meet the following conditions: 

• Be a social economy enterprise within the meaning of article 3 of the Social Economy Act 
• Have its head office or primary place of business in the greater Montréal area 
• Be more than 2 years old on the date the application is submitted 
• Have passed the start-up phase, i.e. 1 year after the date of the first sales 
• Have stand-alone revenues corresponding to a minimum of 40% of its annual revenues, in its last 2 financial statements 
• Not be under the protection of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act  

The following companies are not eligible:  

• Cooperative or not-for-profit organization licensed as an early childhood centre, child care centre or home child care coordinating office under the Educational Childcare Act  
• Perinatal resource centre whose activities are funded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux or the Ministère de la Famille 
• Carrefour jeunesse-emploi 
• Social economy enterprise that carries out any of the following activities: tarot; astrology; pawnshops; dating agency; massage parlour; eroticism (in particular, the sale or rental of erotic prints, films or objects and  the presentation of erotic shows or films, including “peep shows”); war games; personal growth; religion; politics; production, sale and services related to the consumption of tobacco or drugs (with the exception of projects for pharmaceutical grade products approved by Health Canada with drug identification numbers or the ingredients of these products and research and development projects that hold an establishment license from Health Canada); production or sale of arms 

Project eligibility 

To receive funding, the project must: 

• Implement a scaling-up approach, using at least one of the following development strategies: Structure building, cooperation, diversification or spin-off 
• Require financial assistance of more than $100,000  
• Take place within Montréal city limits, although the scope of the scale-up project may exceed this territory 
• Not consist exclusively of the acquisition, construction or renovation of a building 

Eligible expenses 

Expenses must be allocated specifically to the implementation of the project and be carried out within the Montréal agglomeration.  
They must be incurred only after the project has been confirmed by the city, and must fall into the following categories:  

• Remuneration of temporary or permanent staff according to market conditions, after source deductions and contributions made by the company as an employer 
• Professional fees 
• Purchase of equipment 
• Equipment rental fees 
• Site rental fees 
• Costs of obtaining approval or certification 
• Communication and advertising costs 
• Management and administration fees not exceeding 10% of total expenses

Projects will be evaluated based on the following elements: 

Enterprise management capability (30%) 

• Expertise
• Business model  

Quality of development strategy (50%) 

• Structured scale-up project 
• Realistic and quality planning 

Expected impacts of scale-up (20%) 

• Improvement of the company’s economic indicators 
• Implementation of an impact measurement approach  

A 5-point bonus is awarded to projects by social economy enterprises working in the following sectors: 

• Circular economy  
• Bio-food 
• Housing 
• Sustainable mobility 
• Urban logistics 

The pass mark is set at 70%, according to the selection grid in the appendix to the regulations (in French). Grants will be awarded from the highest to the lowest grade, within the total program budget.

The first instalment is equal to 75% of the estimated maximum amount of the grant. It is paid when the city sends a letter confirming that the project is selected.

The balance of the grant is paid on the basis of actual expenditures, after the implementation of the project and submission of all reporting documents. It cannot exceed the estimated maximum amount.

A series of 7 informational webinars are being offered during the eligibility period.  

To find out the dates and register for the session you are interested in:

Voici les documents à fournir en version numérique : 

• Formulaire de demande  
• Lettres patentes ou statuts de constitution 
• Règlements généraux en vigueur 
• Résolution du conseil d’administration autorisant le représentant de l’entreprise d’économie sociale à soumettre une demande d’aide financière et à procéder à toutes les démarches afférentes; 
• Document signé présentant la composition du conseil d’administration et les profils de ses membres, en date du dépôt de la demande selon le modèle fourni par la Ville
• Organigramme de l’entreprise précisant les postes vacants en date de la candidature
• Curriculum vitae des membres de la direction et des personnes en charge du projet 
• États financiers des 2 derniers exercices financiers de l’entreprise
• Le tableau Budget, calendrier, impacts du projet selon le modèle fourni par la Ville
• S’il y a lieu, lettres de soutien des entreprises d’économie sociale partenaires
• Plan d’affaires de l’entreprise présentant des prévisions financières pour les 3 années suivant la demande
• S’il y a lieu, document présentant la démarche stratégique en développement durable
• Le cas échéant, Déclaration de la Charte de la langue française, telle qu’elle apparaît dans le formulaire de demande de subvention

Les dossiers doivent être déposés entre le 1^er mai 2024 à 9 h et le 30 août 2024 à 17 h. 

Les projets retenus et les montants maximaux de subvention attribués seront confirmés en novembre 2024.

You must provide the following documents in digital format: 

• Application form  
• Letters patent or articles of incorporation 
• Current general by-laws 
• Board resolution authorizing the representative of the social economy enterprise to submit an application for financial assistance and undertake all procedures related to the application 
• Signed document presenting the composition of the board of directors and the profiles of its members, as of the date of submission of the application according to the model provided by the city (in French)  
• Organizational chart of the company specifying the vacancies on the date of the application 
• Curriculum vitae of the members of management and those in charge of the project 
• Financial statements for the last 2 fiscal years of the company  
• The budget, schedule and project impacts table (in French) table according to the model provided by the city 
• If applicable, letters of support from partner social economy enterprises 
• Business plan of the company presenting financial forecasts for the 3 years following the application 
• If applicable, document presenting the strategic approach to sustainable development 
• If applicable, Declaration of the Charter of the French Language, as it appears in the grant application form 

Applications must be submitted between May 1, 2024 at 9 a.m. and August 30, 2024 at 5 p.m. 

Successful projects and maximum grant amounts awarded will be confirmed in November 2024. 

The program is open to applications as of May 1.