Quebec Youth Entrepreneur Grants 2026

1. Futurpreneur Canada Startup Program

Canada's only national co-lending and mentorship program for young entrepreneurs starting their first business. The $75,000 ceiling was raised in September 2024. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18–39, with the business operating full-time for 24 months or less, majority ownership (>50%), and personal taxes filed and current. The program includes mandatory mentorship from an experienced business advisor for the full loan period. Futurpreneur operates a bilingual national portal with French-speaking advisors in Montreal and Quebec City.

Insider tip: Submit a draft business plan to Futurpreneur's analyst team before finalizing. They review drafts at no charge and flag weaknesses. This pre-submission review is the single most impactful step available to applicants.

2. PME MTL — Fonds Jeunes Entreprises

A $15,000 grant for legally constituted businesses headquartered on the island of Montreal, operating for less than five years, with the entrepreneur committing to work full-time in the business. The critical structural requirement is that the grant cannot be obtained standalone — you must simultaneously qualify for and receive a PME MTL loan. Retail and restaurant businesses are excluded. Each territorial PME MTL hub has its own CIC meeting schedule, typically monthly. Contact your local hub before preparing documents.

3. BDC Start-up Financing

Complementary start-up financing from the Business Development Bank of Canada for new businesses that do not qualify for traditional bank financing. BDC Start-up Financing can be stacked alongside Futurpreneur's $50,000 BDC co-lend component or accessed independently. Terms typically include lower payments in the first year to accommodate cash-flow constraints during early operations. This is a loan, not a grant, but its entrepreneur-friendly terms make it a standard companion to grant-funded startup capital in Quebec.

4. Canada Summer Jobs

Wage subsidies for employers creating summer jobs for youth. Non-profit and public-sector Quebec employers access up to 100% of the provincial minimum wage; private-sector employers typically receive up to 50%. The 2026 cycle closed on December 11, 2025. The next intake is expected in November 2026 for summer 2027 placements. Positions must run 6–8 weeks, generally May–August, and must be new jobs that do not displace existing employees. Scoring is done within your federal electoral constituency, so competitiveness depends on your riding.

Insider tip: Align job descriptions with 2026 national priorities (affordable housing, green/environmental, digital skills/AI) for up to 30 bonus points. Assign a mentor with 2+ years of experience to strengthen the application.

5. Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Wage subsidies for Quebec employers creating paid work placements for post-secondary students in STEM, business, or related fields. Unlike Canada Summer Jobs, SWPP placements can run year-round. Employers must apply through approved delivery partners rather than directly to the federal government. In Quebec, sector-specific partners include BioTalent for biotech, ICTC for digital, and EMC for manufacturing. Magnet is the largest general-purpose partner. Apply the moment intake opens for your target term.

6. Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESSP)

Funds intermediary organizations (non-profits, community agencies, Indigenous organizations) that deliver youth employment programming for youth aged 15–30 facing barriers. Individual employers cannot apply directly. Instead, Quebec employers should search for YESS-funded organizations in their region — many are community agencies, Indigenous organizations, or employment centres — and offer to host a youth placement through the intermediary. The program runs periodic calls for proposals, with the next expected in 2026.

7. Apprenticeship Service Employer Grant

Grants for Quebec employers hiring new first-year apprentices in one of 39 designated Red Seal trades. The standard grant is $5,000 per apprentice. Employers hiring apprentices from equity-deserving groups (women, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, persons with disabilities, visible minorities) receive a doubled $10,000 per apprentice. The apprentice must be newly registered with the provincial apprenticeship authority. Construction and manufacturing trades are prioritized.

8. Mitacs Accelerate

Connects incorporated Quebec companies with graduate students or postdoctoral fellows for funded R&D collaborations. The company contributes $7,500 in cash, and Mitacs matches it to fund a researcher for 4–6 months. With a 99% approval rate, the real work happens before submission. Invest time in your Mitacs advisor relationship — they will tell you if your project qualifies and help shape the proposal to pass peer review. Ideal for Montreal and Quebec City tech companies with genuine R&D challenges.

9. Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED)

The largest innovation funding source for Quebec's incorporated CCPCs conducting R&D. Budget 2025 raised the enhanced-rate expenditure limit directly from $3M to $6M, meaning the maximum enhanced CCPC credit at the 35% enhanced rate is $2.1M per year. The claim must be filed within 18 months of the fiscal year-end — an absolute deadline with no extensions. CRA's single biggest audit trigger is reconstructed-after-the-fact documentation. Keep weekly or biweekly technical logs during the project, not at year-end.

10. Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Provides advice, connections, and funding to Canadian SMEs undertaking technology innovation. Eligible companies must be incorporated, have 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, and demonstrate genuine technological uncertainty in their R&D project. IRAP is a relationship program: the quality of your Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) relationship is the single most important success factor. Never start R&D before approval — IRAP cannot fund retroactively. Quebec companies in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières can access IRAP through the NRC's regional offices.

11. CanExport SMEs

Funds export market development for Quebec SMEs entering new international markets. Applicants must be incorporated, have 3–500 employees, annual revenue between $300,000 and $100 million, and target a market where prior sales are under $100,000 or under 10% of total sales in the last 24 months. For 2026–27, only $3.1M of the $31M budget is allocated to U.S. projects, meaning non-U.S. applications face far less competition per dollar. Target markets covered by Canada's free trade agreements (CPTPP, CETA) are strategically advantaged.

12. Innovative Solutions Canada

Funds Canadian SMEs that solve specific challenges posted by federal departments. Eligible companies must be incorporated, have 499 or fewer employees, conduct majority of operations in Canada, and address a challenge at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1–4. The single most important success factor is directly addressing every Essential Outcome listed in the challenge notice. Evaluators cannot infer anything not explicitly stated in your proposal. Do not reference external websites or supplementary documents; only information in the submission form is evaluated.