Loan
Federal
Active
CED Quebec Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)
Loan Range
Up to 50% of costs (SMEs)
Ongoing: accepting applications. The initiative is in effect until March 31, ...
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
New Program
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Financing share
50%
CED Quebec Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) provides up to For SMEs: interest-free repayable financial support of up to 50% of authorized costs. For non-profit organizations: generally non-repayable financial support of up to 90% of authorized costs. CED publishes no dollar minimum or maximum for the initiative. Costs are eligible from the date the application is submitted. CED's temporary initiative under Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy funds Quebec SMEs that develop, commercialize or adopt AI, and non-profits that support them. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
CED's temporary initiative under Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy funds Quebec SMEs that develop, commercialize or adopt AI, and non-profits that support them. SMEs receive interest-free repayable support of up to 50% of authorized costs; non-profit organizations receive generally non-repayable support of up to 90%. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and the initiative is in effect until March 31, 2031.
Eligibility Requirements
- SMEs that commercialize or develop AI technologies or solutions, including start-ups
- SMEs that are ready to adopt AI technologies or solutions
- Non-profit organizations that support SMEs in developing, commercializing or adopting AI technologies
- Indigenous-led businesses and non-profit organizations, including individual businesses
- Delivered by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), the federal agency serving Quebec's regions
- The project must contribute to one of two pillars: AI product development and commercialization by start-ups and growing businesses, or faster adoption or integration of AI by SMEs, including in critical sectors
- Demonstration or commercialization projects: a technology readiness level of 6 or higher
- Costs are eligible from the date the application is submitted
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- For SMEs: interest-free repayable financial support of up to 50% of authorized costs. For non-profit organizations: generally non-repayable financial support of up to 90% of authorized costs. CED publishes no dollar minimum or maximum for the initiative. Costs are eligible from the date the application is submitted.
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Financing share
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing: accepting applications. The initiative is in effect until March 31, 2031.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5
Moderate — standard application process
Competition
3/5
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Difficulty
3/5
Moderate — standard requirements
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipStart with a conversation, not a form: CED's regional business office decides whether the project is eligible before it sends an application form to your Client Space, so call with your business plan or a short project summary ready.
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Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Applicant is a municipality or a public agency such as a health agency, school or school board
+4 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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See what successful applicants for this program actually look like.
Evaluation Criteria
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All 5 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to secure RAII
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
4 docs
Application Steps
1
Contact your regional business office CED's team determines whether the project is eligible, answers questions and guides you through the next steps.
Required Documents 4
✓ Business plan, or a project summary covering: the business (employees, managers, shareholders, products or services, business model, markets, competitive advantages, financial situation) and the project (objectives, activities, total cost and financing, start and end dates, expected benefits)
✓ Recent financial statements
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 2
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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The full guide for this program also covers:
- 4 more application steps
- 2 more required documents
- 5 eligible expenses
- 2 ineligible expenses
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Stacking partner data not yet available.
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable Risk
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How RAII Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about RAII
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Is RAII funding from CED a grant?
Not for businesses. SMEs receive interest-free repayable financial support of up to 50% of authorized costs. Non-profit organizations receive generally non-repayable support of up to 90% of authorized costs.
Who can apply?
SMEs that develop or commercialize AI, including start-ups; SMEs ready to adopt AI; non-profits that support SMEs with AI; and Indigenous-led businesses and non-profits. Municipalities and public agencies such as schools and health agencies cannot apply.
Is there a deadline?
No application deadline is stated. CED is accepting applications, and the initiative is in effect until March 31, 2031.
Can I claim costs I have already paid?
No. Costs are eligible from the date the application is submitted.
How do I apply?
Contact CED's regional business office first. If the project is eligible, CED sends an application form to your Client Space.
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Full Playbook: RAII
5 steps · 4 docs · reviewer insights