Updated June 2026 · Verified against Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement Est. 2005
Grant Federal Active

Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) Funding

Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Maximum Funding
Varies
Ongoing
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
50%
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) Funding offers funding that varies by project. CED provides interest-free repayable contributions to Quebec SMEs covering up to 50% of eligible costs with a 2-year grace period through its REGI Business Scale-up and Quebec Economic Development programs (year-round intake). The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

510 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 12,587 awards since 2006. Typical award: $215.3K. Half of all awards fall between $100K and $500K. Top provinces: Quebec 100%. Covers: All CED-Quebec (ced-dec) direct G&C agreements (all programs — QEDP + REGI + BRG + IDEA-SME + RTRI + RDII + CFP and sub-streams). CED org code = 'ced-dec'. Umbrella entry covering ~16,461 rows. For per-program stats, see catalogIds 215 (REGI BSP), 241 (QEDP), 319 (RTRI), 320 (RDII). Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.

The typical award here is $215.3K — the median of 12,587 awards since 2006. In 2025, 510 organizations were funded.

510funded in 2025
$215.3Ktypical award
12,587awards since 2006

Award size distribution. Half of awards fall between $100K and $500K, with a typical award of $215.3K.

Award sizes middle 50% of awards
$215.3K typical $500K
Top provinces QC 100%

Covers all CED-Quebec programs — including community and non-profit streams.

510 organizations received this grant in 2025. See the 36 most recent — and how much each received. Get Premium — $39/mo

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

CED provides interest-free repayable contributions to Quebec SMEs covering up to 50% of eligible costs with a 2-year grace period through its REGI Business Scale-up and Quebec Economic Development programs (year-round intake). Non-repayable contributions of up to 90% are available to not-for-profit organizations. Retail, food services, transportation, and personal service businesses are ineligible.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Business or organization headquartered or operating in Quebec
  • Not a retail business, food service provider (restaurant, catering), or transportation service company (for most streams)
  • Not a government body or non-profit for most REGI/ESSOR streams
  • Project involves manufacturing, food processing, ICT, life sciences, or innovation activities that generate economic benefit for Quebec
  • Demonstrates capacity to repay the interest-free contribution over the agreed term
Provinces
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup Growth Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Varies
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 50% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook

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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

CED's core SME programs (REGI Business Scale-up) provide repayable contributions — functionally interest-free loans with a 2-year grace period, not grants.

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Rejection Pitfalls 9

  • Ineligible sector — retail, food services, transportation, housing construction, daycare, personal services are excluded from REGI
+8 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Contact your regional CED business office (14 offices across Quebec) to discuss project fit

Required Documents 10

CED Client Space online application form (completed by authorized representative)
Audited or reviewed financial statements for the last 2 fiscal years

Eligible Expenses 14

Ineligible Expenses 7

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

Investissement Quebec (IQ) / ESSOR Program SR&ED Tax Credit (federal + Quebec provincial) NRC-IRAP CanExport SMEs Mitacs Accelerate/Elevate QEDP (for NPOs) + REGI (for SMEs)
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk
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How CED Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Canada Economic Development for Quebe... Varies Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Applications accepted...
Mitacs Accelerate $15,000 per internship unit Easy Advance Payment Ongoing
Quebec R&D Tax Credit (CRIC — Researc... 20-30% tax credit (CRIC) Hard Tax Credit Offset Ongoing
Investissement Québec — Project Finan... Varies Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing

Related Programs

Other programs you might be eligible for

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CED

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Can sole proprietors apply for REGI?
No. REGI requires a business to be incorporated. Sole proprietors must register as a corporation to qualify for CED's core SME programs.
What's the typical award size for a first-time SME project?
$150,000-$500,000 for typical REGI projects. Average across all REGI projects: ~$295,000. Recent awards averaged ~$399K/project.
Do I need to repay the contribution?
Yes, REGI and QEDP are repayable (interest-free) for SMEs. NPOs get non-repayable contributions. Repayment terms: 2-year grace period, then 5-10 years.
Why do most applications get rejected?
Ineligible sectors (retail, food services, transportation), weak economic impact demonstration, or insufficient co-funding capacity for the remaining 50%+ of costs.
Can I stack this with SR&ED?
Yes. SR&ED tax credits (refundable) can layer under CED contributions, offsetting 60%+ of R&D costs without counting toward the 75% government assistance limit.

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