Eligibility

 


You are eligible for the IRP if your organization has its head office and operations in Québec, and is incorporated in the form of a:

 

  • Non-profit organization constituted according to:

Part III on the Québec Companies Act
Or
Part II of the Canada Corporations Act
Or
The Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act

  • Cooperative

– Consumer cooperative
– Producer cooperative
– Workers’ cooperative
– Work-shareholder cooperatives with a majority buyback plan
– Solidarity cooperative

  • Mutual
  • Private for-profit company with a social and/or environmental mission (see glossary for definition)
  • Private for-profit company with a social and/or environmental mission in which an organization or cooperative holds and maintains a majority of the voting shares

Some exclusions apply see application guide.

Your project can be located in any sector of economic activity as long as it meets the needs of stakeholders, a population or a collectivity.

Activities funded under the IRP must be intended to prepare the organization for eventual access to loans. They are not ‘regular’ business development activities or fundraising preparations.

To ensure democratic governance, each organization applying for the IRP must have a Board of directors with at least 3 members.

Eligible expenses

The IRP provides funding in the form of a grant to cover the following expenses:

  • Specialized support service by a qualified professional who acts as an external resource and who is selected by the organization on the basis of a detailed service offer: costs related to customized support, participation in an incubator, an accelerator, etc.
  • Financing of studies carried out by a qualified professional, who acts as an external resource and who is selected by the organization on the basis of a detailed service offer: organizational diagnosis, cost analysis and implementation systems, market research, technical studies, plans and specifications, business plan, marketing plan, development plan, financial forecasts or any other study relevant to the realization of a project
  • Hiring essential internal human resources (project manager, coordinator and others) to carry out the investment readiness project
  • Production of prototypes (including market and product/service tests)
  • Travel, representation and other expenses deemed essential to the completion of the project
  • Research and development (R & D) related expenses for existing SPOs that do not receive any tax credits or subsidies for this purpose
  • Expenses related to the development of the organization’s project: expenses related to the rental of premises, computer equipment, telecommunications costs, supplies and other operating expenses
  • Market solicitation fees
  • Costs related to the bidding process
  • The acquisition of technology, software or software packages, patents and any other expenses of a similar nature

Some expenses are not eligible see application guide.