Program
Provincial
Active
Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program
Investissement Québec
Maximum Funding
Volet 1 (non-repayable contributions, maximum aid rate 50% of...
Ongoing — the program ends March 31, 2027, and IQ reserves the right to suspe...
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Mixed (Advance + Reimb.)
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
50%
Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program provides up to Volet 1 (non-repayable contributions, maximum aid rate 50% of eligible expenses): 1A up to $50,000 per project; 1B up to $20,000 for the duration of the program; 1C up to $50,000 for the duration of the program. Volets 2 and 3 are a loan or a loan guarantee (guarantee covers a maximum of 70% of the net loss), with a non-repayable contribution possible in certain specific cases — no ceiling is published. Volet 4 (global supply chains) and Volet 5 (softwood lumber sawmills) publish no amounts on the program page. The program ends March 31, 2027. Investissement Québec's ESSOR program now runs as five volets: Volet 1 supports studies preceding an investment project (feasibility studies and a digital diagnostic); Volet 2 accelerates productivity projects and business expansion; Volet 3 supports reducing your environmental footprint through clean technologies, renewable energy or green hydrogen; Volet 4 increases your presence in global supply chains; and Volet 5 is for softwood lumber sawmills seeking to raise productivity. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Approval odds: ~30–50% (GrantCompass analysis)
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Eligibility & Details
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Program Description
Investissement Québec's ESSOR program now runs as five volets: Volet 1 supports studies preceding an investment project (feasibility studies and a digital diagnostic); Volet 2 accelerates productivity projects and business expansion; Volet 3 supports reducing your environmental footprint through clean technologies, renewable energy or green hydrogen; Volet 4 increases your presence in global supply chains; and Volet 5 is for softwood lumber sawmills seeking to raise productivity. Volet 1 is the non-repayable money — a maximum aid rate of 50% of eligible expenses, capped at $50,000 per project (1A), $20,000 for the duration of the program (1B) and $50,000 for the duration of the program (1C). Volets 2 and 3 are structured as a loan or a loan guarantee (covering a maximum of 70% of the net loss), with a non-repayable contribution possible in certain specific cases.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a business operating in Quebec
- Must operate as a for-profit business
- Project must fit one of the five volets: studies preceding an investment project — feasibility studies and a digital diagnostic (Volet 1); productivity projects and business expansion (Volet 2); reducing your environmental footprint through clean technologies, renewable energy or green hydrogen (Volet 3); increasing your presence in global supply chains (Volet 4); or raising productivity at a softwood lumber sawmill (Volet 5)
- Volet 1: maximum aid rate is 50% of eligible expenses — 1A up to $50,000 per project, 1B up to $20,000 and 1C up to $50,000 for the duration of the program, all as non-repayable contributions
- Volets 2 and 3: assistance takes the form of a loan or a loan guarantee (covering a maximum of 70% of the net loss); a non-repayable contribution is offered only in certain specific cases
- Management fees of at least 0.5% of the financial assistance granted, and annual guarantee fees of at least 0.5% of the guaranteed amount, are payable by the business
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Volet 1 (non-repayable contributions, maximum aid rate 50% of eligible expenses): 1A up to $50,000 per project; 1B up to $20,000 for the duration of the program; 1C up to $50,000 for the duration of the program. Volets 2 and 3 are a loan or a loan guarantee (guarantee covers a maximum of 70% of the net loss), with a non-repayable contribution possible in certain specific cases — no ceiling is published. Volet 4 (global supply chains) and Volet 5 (softwood lumber sawmills) publish no amounts on the program page. The program ends March 31, 2027.
- Type
- Program
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing — the program ends March 31, 2027, and IQ reserves the right to suspend intake without notice
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Approval Rate
~30–50%
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program
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- 10 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 10-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 10-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 6-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipESSOR has genuine non-repayable money, but only in Volet 1 — the studies that precede an investment project (feasibility studies and the digital diagnostic), capped at $50,000 for 1A, $20,000 for 1B and $50,000 for 1C.
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Rejection Pitfalls 10
- Business not registered in Quebec or lacking active Quebec operations
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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10 steps
10 docs
Application Steps
1
Assess component eligibility Review the ESSOR program guide for your component on investquebec.com. Confirm your sector qualifies, project scope matches the component, and your organization is not excluded.
Required Documents 10
✓ Completed IQ application form (online, in French)
✓ Detailed project description in French (context, objectives, expected outcomes)
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 7
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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6 partners
Compatible Programs
NRC-IRAP (most common pairing
CanExport SMEs (federal, different expense lines
Quebec SR&ED Provincial Tax Credit (CRIC
CED Quebec / Canada Economic Development
BDC
Fonds de solidarité FTQ / Caisse de dépôt et placement
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program | up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — the program... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| BDC Newcomer Entrepreneur Loan | $25,000 to $50,000 | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| 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 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program
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Can sole proprietors apply for Volet 1 grants?
Yes, sole proprietors qualify for Volet 1 (1A/1B/1C feasibility and digital diagnostic grants) as long as they're Quebec-registered for-profits. Must provide French-language documents.
What's the realistic grant amount for digital transformation?
Volet 1B and 1C grants run $20,000–$50,000 at a maximum aid rate of 50% of eligible expenses. Example: a $40K study yields a $20K grant, and reaching the $50K cap requires a $100K study budget. Requires a qualified consultant and French documentation.
When do applications close?
The program ends March 31, 2027 — stated verbatim on the Volet 1 and Volet 3 pages. Intake is rolling until then, but MEIE and Investissement Québec reserve the right to suspend the filing and analysis of applications without notice, so confirm your volet is still receiving applications before you prepare a file.
Which volet should I apply to?
Volet 1 for studies preceding an investment project (feasibility, digital diagnostic) — the only clearly non-repayable path. Volet 2 for productivity and expansion projects, Volet 3 for reducing your environmental footprint with clean technologies, renewable energy or green hydrogen, Volet 4 for growing your presence in global supply chains, and Volet 5 for softwood lumber sawmills raising productivity.
Can I stack ESSOR with NRC-IRAP?
Yes — NRC-IRAP covers R&D diagnostics and ESSOR Volet 1 covers digital feasibility, each up to 50% of their own eligible costs. Investissement Québec publishes no combined ceiling for the pair, so confirm the stacking treatment with your IQ advisor before you budget against both.
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Full Playbook: Investissement Québec - ESSOR Program
10 steps · 10 docs · reviewer insights