CED Quebec — Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)
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 — intake windows
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win RTRI — $19
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
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) →
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. Documenting tariff impact is non-negotiable; a letter from a US customer cancelling orders or an import cost analysis showing a specific percentage increase in material costs is far stronger than general narrative about trade uncertainty. The $2M revenue threshold is firm — this program targets mid-market manufacturers, not micro-businesses. If your project combines both productivity and market diversification, apply under the hybrid category for the full $1M cap rather than the $300K diversification-only cap. Repayable contributions at 75% cost-share are available for projects exceeding $1M — contact CED directly.
Success Profile
Quebec manufacturer with 50-499 employees, $5M+ revenue, in sectors like aluminum products, steel fabrication, plastics, wood products, machinery, or food processing that directly exports to the US or buys US-origin inputs. Has documented revenue loss or cost increases since March 2025 tariff imposition, with specific evidence (invoices, customer letters, import records). Pursuing equipment upgrades, automation, or supply chain diversification with contracts and suppliers already identified.
Evaluation Criteria
Assessed on: tangible evidence of tariff impact (revenue loss, cost increases, supply chain disruption — narrative alone is insufficient); project readiness (priority given to projects ready to begin by March 2026); financial viability before March 21, 2025 demonstrated by externally prepared statements; alignment with program objectives (productivity investment or market diversification); organizational capacity to execute within project timeline (completion by March 31, 2028).
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
- Acquisition of equipment, machinery, and automation/robotics systems
- Digitization and technology upgrades for productivity improvement
- Market diversification activities (market diagnosis, development, trade missions, client prospecting)
- Supply chain optimization and strategic partnership development
- Technology showcases and demonstrations
- Professional and consultant fees directly related to project activities
- Incremental labour costs for project implementation
- Market access compliance costs
- Costs incurred up to 12 months before application (no earlier than March 21, 2025)
Ineligible Expenses 8
- Land or building purchases
- Debt refinancing
- Above-market-value asset purchases
- Amortization and goodwill
- Ongoing operational and production costs not directly tied to the project
- Application preparation costs
- Entertainment and hospitality expenses
- Costs incurred before March 21, 2025
Intake Periods
Time-limited intake windows. Initial intake: October 10-31, 2025. Second intake planned for early winter 2026. Repayable contributions (over $1M) available on an ongoing basis. Projects must start before March 31, 2026 and complete by March 31, 2028. Projects ready to begin by March 2026 receive explicit priority.
Deadline Notes
First intake (October 10-31, 2025) is closed. CED Quebec disbursed $64M to 99 SMEs from round 1 (announced April 7, 2026). A second submission period was planned for early 2026 but no date set as of April 2026. Other regional agencies (ACOA, FedDev, PrairiesCan) may still be accepting RTRI applications.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Non-manufacturing businesses
- Companies with fewer than 3 years of operating history
- Businesses with annual revenues below $2 million
- Companies with 500+ employees
- Businesses that were not financially viable before March 21, 2025
- Organizations not located in Quebec
- Non-profit organizations (for this specific stream)
- Businesses that cannot provide tangible evidence of tariff impact
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 — intake windows |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Up to $50 million | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Call-specific — no open... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about RTRI