CED Quebec — Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP)
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Repayable contributions of up to 50% of eligible costs for Quebec SMEs pursuing community economic development, tourism, and regional diversification projects. Unlike CED's REGI program (which focuses on innovation), QEDP supports local entrepreneurship, tourism experience development, community facility improvements, and social economy initiatives. Non-profit organizations receive non-repayable contributions of up to 90%. Average project: ~$279,000.
Eligibility Requirements
- Small and medium enterprises operating commercially in Quebec
- Non-profit organizations and cooperatives
- Tourism organizations and economic development organizations
- Municipalities and regional county municipalities (RCMs)
- Excluded: retail, restaurants, transportation services, housing construction, daycares, universities
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $50,000 to $500,000 typical
- Type
- Forgivable Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
See how this program compares on approval odds, difficulty, and competition — so you know if it’s worth your time. Unlock with Premium →
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipQEDP is CED's 'other' program — most applicants default to REGI, so QEDP has less competition for SME projects. Your CED regional advisor will suggest QEDP if your project is tourism or community-oriented rather than innovation-driven. Tourism-related projects have the strongest track record. If your project has both innovation and community elements, your advisor can help split across REGI and QEDP.
See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it. Unlock with Premium →
Rejection Pitfalls 6
- Business in excluded sector (retail, restaurant, transportation, housing construction, daycare)
- Project lacks regional economic impact or community benefit
- Insufficient matching funding from non-government sources
See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours. Unlock with Premium →
Success Profile
Quebec-based SME or NPO with a community economic development, tourism, or regional diversification project. Strong regional economic impact case. Has engaged CED regional advisor before submission. Tourism experience development, festival promotion, and Montreal East End projects are particularly well-aligned.
See what successful applicants for this program actually look like. Unlock with Premium →
Evaluation Criteria
Non-competitive eligibility assessment. CED evaluates: (1) economic development nexus — regional diversification, job creation, community economic capacity; (2) regional relevance — alignment with Quebec regional priorities (tourism, social economy, rural diversification, Indigenous development); (3) financial viability and co-funding capacity (50% for SMEs, 10% for NPOs); (4) leverage ratio ($2+ private per CED dollar); (5) project readiness with validated costs and confirmed co-funding; (6) CED advisor positive recommendation.
See exactly what reviewers score on — so you know where to focus. Unlock with Premium →
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 7
Eligible Expenses 9
- Capital construction or renovation for tourism facilities (trails, interpretive centres, heritage restorations)
- Purchase of equipment and infrastructure for tourism or community economic development
- Digital systems: e-commerce, booking platforms, destination marketing digital tools
- Marketing and promotion activities for tourism destinations and regional products
- Market research, feasibility studies, and strategic plans for economic development initiatives
- Training and workforce development tied to specific project activities
- Professional services (project management, consulting, design) directly tied to the project
- Salaries of staff directly dedicated to the project (portion attributed with records)
- Cooperative development costs: bylaws, incorporation, governance, feasibility studies
Ineligible Expenses 9
- Land and real estate acquisition
- Ongoing operating and administrative costs not directly project-attributable
- Routine marketing and general advertising not tied to a specific QEDP initiative
- Expenses incurred before CED approval
- Debt refinancing and existing loan repayment
- Alcohol, hospitality, and entertainment costs
- General administrative overhead not directly project-related
- GST/HST (recoverable via input tax credits for eligible entities)
- Contingency reserves
Intake Periods
Continuous year-round intake. Sub-programs like Tourism Growth Program may have limited envelopes and close when committed. Budget runs April 1 – March 31; Q1 submissions get best budget access.
Deadline Notes
Continuous intake year-round. Some sub-programs (e.g., Tourism Growth Program) have fixed envelopes and may close when committed. Budget follows fiscal year (April 1 - March 31); Q1 submissions get best budget access.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Retail trade businesses (standalone, not tourism-oriented)
- Restaurants and food service (unless tourism anchor in remote region)
- Transportation service companies (unless integral to tourism project)
- Residential housing construction and real estate development
- Licensed daycare and childcare operators
- Universities and CEGEPs (as primary applicants)
- Federal government entities
Get the step-by-step application guide — documents, timeline, and what to prepare. Unlock with Premium →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskLow for NPOs (non-repayable; risk mainly unspent funds returned). Moderate for for-profit SMEs: company sale, project failure to deliver community benefit, or insufficient matching funding materialization may trigger early repayment. Tourism projects with poor visitor outcomes face lower risk than pure commercial projects.
See which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get. Unlock with Premium →
How QEDP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CED Quebec — Quebec Economic Developm... | $50,000 to $500,000 typical | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Investissement Québec — Project Finan... | Varies | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Annual intake window.... |
| Quebec R&D Tax Credit (CRIC — Researc... | 20-30% tax credit (CRIC) | Hard | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
| Canada Economic Development for Quebe... | Varies | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for