A subsidy to develop shared workspaces in downtown Montréal

Last updated February 23, 2022
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The Subsidy to Develop Collaborative Workspaces Downtown allows businesses to share workspaces and split costs. SMEs can profit from the many advantages of this lively, creative, world-class business district.

Sharing workspaces: a winning solution

“Sharing space has been trending for some time and has accelerated with the pandemic,” says Luc Guilbauld-Fortin, the city’s economic development commissioner. 

And for good reason: sharing a space with others also enables reducing costs. Companies optimize their investments, while enjoying all the benefits of a downtown office, such as proximity to the workforce and public transit as well as access to research and innovation at nearby educational institutions.

“In a labour shortage situation, shared spaces also promote hybrid employment, which is highly sought after by employees,” adds M. Guilbauld-Fortin.

Up to $100,000 for office conversions

To meet a growing need among SMEs, Montréal launched this subsidy program in collaboration with the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation.

Part of the “Acting Now to Prepare for Recovery” plan, this program provides eligible applicants, whether they rent or own the building, with up to $100,000 to transform downtown offices into collaborative spaces for sharing among businesses. 

Proposals submitted must be for the acquisition of equipment and interior renovations. This includes, for example, purchasing presentation and projection equipment, installing modular furniture that can be used by multiple employees, creating open-plan workstations and renovating common areas.

  • Collègues dans une salle de conférence

Capitalize on the talent of Montréal designers

The program also stands out for its requirement that the design work be done by a design or architectural professional. “A portion of the subsidy amount is earmarked for these professional fees,” says Luc Guilbauld-Fortin, adding that this requirement is an asset of the program. Montréal is a design city and is fortunate to have excellent designers. It’s a great opportunity for contractors to use them.”

How to apply to the program

Are you presently working on converting your workspaces? Would you like to take advantage of this subsidy?

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