Créavenir
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- The decision is made by your bank or credit union, not the funder. 6 work that way.
- The heaviest thing to produce is a full business plan. 19 ask for that.
- Scored mainly on whether you can afford it and pay it back. 42 lead with that.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Créavenir is Laval Économique's delivery, in partnership with Desjardins Entreprises, of financing for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 starting or consolidating a business in Laval. The package combines a non-repayable grant of up to $5,000 with a line of credit and credit card carrying a limit of up to $16,000 at the prime rate plus 0.5%. Three tracks are covered — a new company, an established company active for less than three years, and the succession of an existing business. The entrepreneur must hold at least 50% of the shares, submit a business plan developed or validated with Laval Économique, and make Desjardins the company's primary financial institution.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be between 18 and 39 years old. Laval Économique presents Créavenir program-wide as being 'For young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39 who want to start a business or consolidate one', and its official program listing gives the same target audience.
- The entrepreneur must hold at least 50% of the shares of the company.
- Be legally incorporated, or in the process of being incorporated.
- Submit a business plan developed or validated with the help of Laval Économique. Financial forecasts are also required to present the project.
- Demonstrate good credit behaviour — Laval Économique states no minimum credit score but requires that 'good credit behaviors must be seen in the contractor'.
- Make Desjardins the company's primary financial institution. The company may hold an account elsewhere, but it must use Desjardins for its day-to-day operations.
- Track-specific — new company: be legally incorporated or in the process of being incorporated, and submit a business plan developed or validated with Laval Économique.
- Track-specific — established company: be legally incorporated; be active for less than 3 years; ensure the maintenance or creation of jobs; and present the business plan produced at the time of the company's launch and for the current year.
- Track-specific — succession of an existing business: be legally incorporated; the project must ensure the maintenance or creation of jobs; and the project must allow the acquisition of at least 50% of the company's share capital.
- Other conditions may apply.
- The business is expected to be in Laval — Créavenir here is delivered by Laval Économique, and the business plan must be developed or validated with its team.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Non-repayable grant of up to $5,000, plus a line of credit and credit card with a limit of up to $16,000 at the prime rate + 0.5% (repayable)
- Type
- Program
- Level
- Municipal
- Deadline
- At all times — continuous intake
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
Below average competition
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe 18-to-39 age range and the 50% shareholding requirement apply across the whole program, not just the succession track — the page's eligibility bullets only spell the age out under succession, but its own heading and Laval Économique's official program listing both describe Créavenir as being for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, and the FAQ states the shareholding rule without qualifying it by track.
Evaluation Criteria
How Créavenir judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 5 documents published by Créavenir: the application form, the applicant guide and the judging criteria, condensed into one brief. Updated 2026-09-07.
5 funder documents
Sign in free: we show which checks your profile already answers and keep your document ticks.
What Créavenir favours
Demonstrate good credit behaviour◦
“Good credit behaviors must be seen in the contractor.”
The form
Contact details
- 1First Nameshort answer
- 2Last Nameshort answer
- 3Company Nameshort answer
- 4Company Addressshort answer
- 5Emailshort answer
- 6Phoneshort answer
- 7Industryshort answer
Project or needs
- 8Project or needswritten answer
In a few words, describe your project or your needs
Business plan
- 9Business plan and financial forecastsupload
Créavenir states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Is the founder young and in charge?
Show them Confirm the entrepreneur is 18 to 39 and holds at least 50% of the shares.◦
- 2
Is the plan and its numbers solid?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Will this borrower behave well on credit?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 4
What is the project and what does it need?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
3 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 9 rules run against your profile, every criterion the reviewer scores, and your draft laid out in this form. On every programme you match.
5 more criteria · 1 more prompts
Do you pass?
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You
Entrepreneur aged 18 to 39
For young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39 who want to start a business or consolidate one.
Entrepreneur holds at least 50% of shares
The entrepreneur must hold at least 50% of the shares.
Submit a business plan
Submit a business plan (developed or validated with the help of Laval Economic)
Your business
Desjardins is primary financial institution
Other conditions may apply, and the company must designate Desjardins as its primary financial institution.
Incorporated or being incorporated
Be legally incorporated or in the process of being incorporated
Active for less than 3 years
Be active for less than 3 years
Launch and current-year business plans
Present the business plan produced at the time of the company's launch and for the current year.
The project
Maintain or create jobs
Ensure the maintenance or creation of jobs
Acquire at least 50% of share capital
The project must allow the acquisition of at least 50% of the company's share capital.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
StackingFinancial leverage for other funding sources
Offer financial leverage to facilitate access to available sources of financing and conventional credit.
From application to money
- Talk to the team firstContact Créavenir team before applying
- Send the contact formComplete intake form with project details
- Submit plan and forecastsSubmit business plan and financial forecasts
- Credit decisionDesjardins makes credit decision
In the funder’s words · 4
- Talk to the team first
- Contact the Laval économique Créavenir team before the financing application.
- Send the contact form
- Complete the intake form with your details and a few words describing your project or needs.
- Submit plan and forecasts
- The team evaluates your needs and helps you complete the business plan and financial forecasts.
- Credit decision
- Desjardins makes the credit decision on the financing.
Every quotation is Créavenir’s own wording; lines marked ◦ are our reading of it. Brief updated 2026-09-07.
Everything you need to win Créavenir
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 9
Eligible Expenses 4
Ineligible Expenses 1
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskHow Créavenir Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Créavenir | up to $5,000, | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | At all times —... |
| 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 |
| Canada Economic Development for Quebe... | Varies | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| PME MTL - Fonds Jeunes Entreprises | Up to $25,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Créavenir