Call for collaborative and structuring innovation projects in Quebec's strategic sectors

Description

This call for projects is aimed at groups of companies wishing to carry out, with or without the collaboration of a public research center, an innovation project in one of the four targeted strategic sectors, in connection with the innovation zones designated by the Quebec government: quantum technologies, aerospace, digital and microelectronic technologies as well as the energy transition.

Goals

This call for projects aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Support the implementation of innovation projects aimed at developing a new product or process or significantly improving an existing product or process, from the planning stage to the technological showcase stage.
• Improve the competitiveness and productivity of businesses, particularly SMEs and innovative businesses with high growth potential ( startups ).
• Contribute to the integration of innovation into solutions that will give businesses a competitive advantage and generate maximum economic benefits for Quebec.
• Ensure the development and consolidation of innovation and development efforts in future technological sectors.
• Encourage collaboration between businesses (of all sizes, including innovative start-ups) as well as with the research and innovation communities and municipalities and cities to accelerate the development of innovative solutions in strategic sectors.
• Promote collaborations with partners in innovation zones and the implementation of projects contributing to their strategic development axes.
• Participate in the recognition of Quebec as a leader in responsible development.

Eligibility

To be eligible, projects must focus on the following strategic sectors:

• quantum technologies;
• aerospace;
• digital and microelectronic technologies;
• energy transition.

Eligible customers

Eligible are business consortia involving at least two Quebec companies, including at least one SME or young innovative company.

Eligible innovative young companies

To be eligible as a young innovative company, a company must meet the following criteria:

• Be legally incorporated under current federal or Quebec laws and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar.
• Have its head office in Quebec and employees or subcontractors who work mainly in Quebec.
• Be in the pre-marketing phase and have not made any significant sales.
• Have 250 or fewer employees in Quebec.
• Not belong, in a proportion of 50% or more, to other existing companies or organizations (this criterion does not apply to management companies owned by the founders of the young innovative company).
• Not have been created as part of a concentration, restructuring, extension of pre-existing activities or takeover of such activities.
• Be led by a founder or a team of founders, at least one of whom is dedicated to it full-time (35 hours or more per week).
• Own the rights to use the intellectual property of its product, process or service.
• When submitting your application, be accompanied by an organization that offers incubation or acceleration services and is located in Quebec.
• Have an establishment operating in Quebec intended for the production of goods and services or for internal research and development activities.
• Have assets (including the assets of associated companies) of less than $50 million, calculated on a worldwide basis, for its tax year ending in the calendar year preceding the year in which the application is filed.
• Dedicate a significant portion of its resources to the development of its business, from the design and development of its product or process to its marketing.
• Have a website in French.

View the list of eligible incubators and accelerators .

Eligible SMEs

To qualify as an SME, a business must meet the following characteristics:

• Be legally incorporated under current federal or Quebec laws and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar.
• Have its head office in Quebec and employees or subcontractors who work mainly in Quebec.
• Have 250 or fewer employees in Quebec.
• Not to belong, in a proportion of 50% or more, to other existing companies or organizations.
• Have an establishment operating in Quebec intended for the production of goods and services or for internal research and development activities.
• Own the rights to use the intellectual property of its product, process or service.
• Have assets (including the assets of associated companies) of less than $50 million, calculated on a worldwide basis, for its tax year ending in the calendar year preceding the year in which the application is filed.
• Have a website in French.

Eligible large businesses

In order to be eligible for a structuring and large-scale project, a company that does not qualify as a young innovative company or SME must meet the following criteria:

• Be legally incorporated under current federal or Quebec laws and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar.
• Have an establishment operating in Quebec intended for the production of goods and services or for internal research and development activities and staff or subcontractors working mainly in Quebec.
• Have a website in French.

The management of the consortium is entrusted to aindustrial research sector grouping (RSRI)except for projects resulting from the AI ​​Confidence initiative, which coordinates the planning, monitoring and control of project activities and costs, and reports on them to the government.

Eligible projects

Eligible projects are those that aim to develop an innovative solution (product, service or process), from the planning stage to pre-commercialization (real-life demonstration and technology showcase) and that have the potential for significant short-term benefits. The solution developed may be used to meet the needs of the company or be intended for sale.

In addition, the innovation project must meet all of the following criteria:

• Focus on the development of a new solution or the significant improvement of an existing solution.
• Demonstrate the required degree of innovation, i.e. the solution must present a decisive advantage over existing solutions on the market and in the targeted sector of activity, on a national or international scale.
• Involve technological or business risk or uncertainty for the company.
• Required research and development efforts.
• Demonstrate commercial potential when the product or process is intended for sale.
• Respect at least one principle of theSustainable Development Act.

Approach

Read the Application Guide  (PDF 0.91 MB) .

Complete the financial assistance application form  (PDF 2.15 MB) and check that all documents comply with the requirements of the call for projects.

Contact the RSRI in your research sector to obtain a letter of intent and any other required documents.

Submit, in a single submission, an electronic version of the required documents, duly completed and signed, to the RSRI in your sector. Quantum technology projects must be submitted electronically to PRIMA Québec or PROMPT.

RSRIs must submit project proposals to the government by 4 p.m. on October 30, 2025. The next submission date will be  4 p.m. on April 1, 2026 .