CED Quebec — Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)
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Who actually receives this funding
5 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 204 awards since 2025. Typical award: $625K. Half of all awards fall between $392.5K and $990K. 99% of recipients are for-profit businesses. Top provinces: Quebec 100%. Covers: CED-Quebec REGI-RTRI — direct contributions to Quebec manufacturing SMEs impacted by US tariffs. 204 rows as of 2026-06-11. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.
The typical CED Quebec award is $625K — the median of 204 awards since 2025. In 2025, 5 businesses were funded; 99% were for-profit companies.
Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Temporary non-repayable contribution of $100,000 to $1,000,000 for Quebec manufacturing SMEs negatively impacted by US/China tariffs and Canadian countermeasures. Supports productivity investments (equipment, automation, digitization), supply chain strengthening, and market diversification projects. Minimum $100K contribution, maximum 50% assistance rate. Projects focused solely on market diversification capped at $300K. Repayable contributions available for projects exceeding $1M at up to 75% cost-share. CED has already disbursed over $12M to 19 projects in the Mauricie, Lanaudiere, and Centre-du-Quebec regions alone.
Eligibility Requirements
- Manufacturing SME with fewer than 500 employees
- Located and operating in Quebec
- In business for at least 3 years
- Generated revenues of $2 million or more in the most recently completed fiscal year
- Was a viable business before tariffs were imposed (before March 21, 2025), demonstrated by financial statements
- Negatively impacted by US tariffs, China tariffs, or Canadian countermeasures with tangible evidence
- Project must start before March 31, 2026 and complete by March 31, 2028
- Minimum assistance amount: $100,000 (implying minimum $200,000 total project)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $1,000,000 non-repayable (50% of eligible costs; $300K cap for market diversification-only projects; $100K minimum)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing - applications processed until the budget allocation is fully utilised
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win RTRI
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipCED gives explicit priority to projects 'ready to begin by March 2026' — have your contracts, supplier quotes, and implementation plan finalized before applying.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
Ineligible Expenses 8
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Applying for RTRI? Our Financial Projections Model ($29) covers the cost-share, matching-fund, and cash-flow math reviewers want to see. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskHow RTRI Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CED Quebec — Regional Tariff Response... | Up to $1,000,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing - applications... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about RTRI