Updated June 2026 · Verified against PME MTL Centre-Est and PME MTL Centre-Ville (City of Montreal / Bureau du design) guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Milestone-Based
Grant Municipal Active

PME MTL — Commerce X Design

PME MTL Centre-Est and PME MTL Centre-Ville (City of Montreal / Bureau du design)
Maximum Funding
$10,000 non-repayable (up to 20% of project cost; minimum...
Ongoing until funds exhausted
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
20%
PME MTL — Commerce X Design provides up to $10,000 non-repayable (up to 20% of project cost; minimum $50,000 project). Non-repayable $10,000 grant for small proximity retailers in Montreal's Centre-Est (Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve) and Centre-Ville (Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Outremont, Ville-Marie, and Westmount) territories to integrate professional design services — graphic, display, commercial, or architectural — into their business. The program covers up to 20% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

Non-repayable $10,000 grant for small proximity retailers in Montreal's Centre-Est (Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve) and Centre-Ville (Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Outremont, Ville-Marie, and Westmount) territories to integrate professional design services — graphic, display, commercial, or architectural — into their business. Minimum project cost of $50,000; grant covers up to 20% of total costs.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Small proximity retailer (street-level storefront) located in PME MTL Centre-Est or Centre-Ville territory only — Centre-Ville covers Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Outremont, Ville-Marie and the city of Westmount; Centre-Est covers Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
  • Business must have street-facing frontage — non-storefront businesses are ineligible
  • Applicant must provide at least 20% of total project costs from own resources
  • Minimum total project cost of $50,000 (grant covers up to 20%, maximum $10,000)
  • Must obtain minimum two quotes per design service category
  • At least 75% of the $10,000 grant must be allocated to professional design fees (not renovation costs)
  • Business plan or project summary including a design component and 3-year budget required
  • Startups and established businesses are both eligible
  • Owner(s) must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or hold a Québec Selection Certificate (CSQ) — via the Fonds entrepreneuriat commercial criteria this call incorporates by reference
  • Business must be legally constituted (incorporated or as a sole proprietorship) and registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ)
  • Business must have its establishment in Montréal and its head office in Québec
  • Occupancy certificate and all other permits required for the project must be obtained
  • No outstanding tax debt owed to the state
  • Applicant must not have already received a PME MTL grant or other financial contribution for the same business project
Provinces
Quebec
Industries
Retail Food Beverage Arts Culture Services
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Easy
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
$10,000 non-repayable (up to 20% of project cost; minimum $50,000 project)
Type
Grant
Level
Municipal
Co-Funding
Up to 20% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing until funds exhausted

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win

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Insider Tip

At least 75% of the $10,000 must go to professional design fees — not renovation labour or materials.

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Rejection Pitfalls 7

  • Business not located in PME MTL Centre-Est or Centre-Ville territory
+6 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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What's in this Playbook

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Submit interest form Complete the 23-field expression-of-interest form at commerce-design.paperform.co (no budget, quotes, or document uploads collected at this stage). Describe your project concept, design service types planned, and business location — a PME MTL team member will contact you afterward.

Required Documents 6

✓ Completed interest form (via commerce-design.paperform.co)
✓ Business plan or project summary with design component and 3-year budget

Eligible Expenses 6

Ineligible Expenses 5

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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Compatible Programs

CDEC or local BIA storefront improvement grants Quebec PDIT (Programme de diversification des industries touristiques) Federal CHPI or CDAP programs
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

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How PME MTL — Commerce X Design Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
PME MTL — Commerce X Design $10,000 non-repayable Easy Milestone-Based Ongoing until funds...
Storefront Improvement Grant Up to $25,000 Moderate Reimbursement Three intake windows:...
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
Commercial Façade Improvement Grant P... Up to $12,500 (50% of costs) Easy Reimbursement Annual Intake
Storefront Refresh Grant Up to $1,000 (50% of costs) Easy Reimbursement Ongoing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about PME MTL — Commerce X Design

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Does my business need to be incorporated to apply for Commerce X Design?
Not necessarily as a corporation — the test is legal registration with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ), which a sole proprietorship (entreprise individuelle) also satisfies. The program targets businesses registered in this way with a street-level storefront in the PME MTL Centre-Est or Centre-Ville territory; informal or unregistered businesses are not eligible.
Can the $10,000 grant cover renovation labour and materials?
Only partially. At least 75% of the grant ($7,500) must go to professional design fees (graphic, display, commercial, or architectural designers). The remaining 25% can cover certain renovation costs directly tied to the design work.
What is the minimum project size to qualify for Commerce X Design?
Your total project cost must be at least $50,000. The grant covers up to 20% of eligible costs, capped at $10,000, so the minimum project cost that maximizes the grant is $50,000.
Is Commerce X Design available to businesses outside the Centre-Est and Centre-Ville PME MTL territories?
No. The program is strictly limited to street-level businesses located within the PME MTL Centre-Est or Centre-Ville territories. Businesses in other Montreal boroughs or elsewhere in Quebec are not eligible.
When is the grant actually paid out?
The $10,000 is disbursed after you have completed at least 60% of the project and submitted supporting documentation (invoices, progress photos). You must finance the first 60% of project costs before receiving the grant.

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