Défi OSEntreprendre: Création d'entreprise (Québec Start-up Challenge)
Could you win this award?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
The Défi OSEntreprendre is Québec's province-wide entrepreneurship challenge, run every year since 1998 with more than 300 local and regional organizers and over $500,000 in prizes. Its Création d'entreprise stream is for businesses in their start-up year: you register online, are judged locally, then by a regional jury in an interview, and regional winners compete nationally. National prizes are $8,000 and $4,000 in each of six categories, including one for social economy co-ops and non-profits, plus special prizes such as a $10,000 youth prize for founders 35 and under. Registration for the 29th edition opens in November 2026 and closes March 10, 2027 at 4 p.m.
Eligibility Requirements
- Head office or main business address in Québec
- A start-up that makes its first purchase or sale transaction, as a business holding a Québec enterprise number (NEQ), before December 31, 2027
- Majority owned by people domiciled in Québec, or by Québec-registered businesses that they own
- No sale concluded before April 1, 2026 while already holding an NEQ, except sales made in a documented structured market test, a re-registered NEQ for new activities, or a sole proprietorship that must reuse an existing NEQ for a distinct new business
- Not a takeover, acquisition, succession, merger, new franchise or new branch of an existing business, and not an existing business whose legal status or ownership simply changed
- Every member of the founding team is domiciled in Québec, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and at least 18 years old on March 10, 2027
- Co-ops and non-profits compete in the Économie sociale category; their team must be mostly adults domiciled in Québec who are citizens or permanent residents
- Not a supplier, sponsor or strategic ally of the current edition, not entered in another stream, and not a past regional or national category winner in this stream
- One complete online registration form submitted before the deadline
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Prizes up to $10,000National prizes of $8,000 (1st) and $4,000 (2nd) in each of six official categories; regional prizes of at least $500 per category (amounts vary by region); local prizes depend on the territory. National special prizes: Grand prix de l'entrepreneuriat jeunesse $10,000 (founders 35 and under), Coup de cœur du Scientifique en chef $5,000, Coup de cœur Développement durable $3,000, Coup de cœur Faire affaire ensemble $2,000, Coup de cœur Entrepreneuriat féminin (amount to be confirmed). The separate Réussite inc. stream for past participants awards $3,000 regionally and $12,000 nationally.
- Type
- Award
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Registration opens in November 2026; closes March 10, 2027 at 4 p.m.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
High competition — many applicants
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipCheck the dates before anything else: the business must not have sold anything under its NEQ before April 1, 2026, and must make its first transaction before December 31, 2027, so this edition suits businesses launched in 2026 or launching in 2027.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Sales under the NEQ before April 1, 2026, outside the stated exceptions
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Everything you need to win Défi OSEntreprendre: Création d'entreprise
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 3-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 reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 3
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 4 more application steps
- 1 more required document
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
How Défi OSEntreprendre: Création d'entreprise Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Défi OSEntreprendre: Création d'entre... | National prizes of $8,000 | Easy | Lump Sum | Registration opens in... |
| 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 |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Défi OSEntreprendre: Création d'entreprise