We list 30 open programs for Quebec businesses. A new business owner should look at them in the order below.
SADC and CAE loans: $5,000 to $300,000
Quebec's SADC and CAE offices lend $5,000 to $300,000 at Bank of Canada prime plus 2%, with amortization up to 15 years. Terms vary from one office to another, so talk to your local office. The network does the same job Community Futures does in other provinces: it lends to local businesses that banks see as too small or too new.
Local investment funds and microcredit
Fonds locaux d'investissement (FLI) provide up to $150,000 per project over a 12-month period, at up to 50% of eligible costs for a for-profit business. If you need a small amount quickly, MicroEntreprendre lends $2,000 to $20,000 in microcredit. Both are made for the early stage that banks often avoid.
Montreal and other city grants
PME MTL's retail fund pays Montreal retail businesses up to $25,000 per 12-month period, covering up to 80% of eligible costs. We also list city programs in Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Lévis, Trois-Rivières and Drummondville. City programs work in a similar way: only businesses in that city can apply, you pay part of the cost, and you send quotes with the application.
Loans for young and Black entrepreneurs
- Young founders: Youth Strategy lends up to $25,000 per entrepreneur, up to $50,000 when two young people run the same project, with an interest holiday and the possibility of a two-year capital holiday.
- Black entrepreneurs: the Afro-Entrepreneurs Fund lends $50,000 to $500,000.
National programs open to Quebec businesses
Four more programs are open to businesses anywhere in Canada. The Canada Small Business Financing Program backs loans up to $1,150,000 through your own bank, with a 2% registration fee and term-loan interest capped at prime plus 3%. Futurpreneur Canada Side Hustle lends up to $25,000 to owners aged 18 to 39 who keep a full-time income for the first year, and the Futurpreneur Canada Core Start-Up Program combines up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur with up to $50,000 from BDC for up to $75,000 total, with two years of mentorship. BDC's Start-up Financing lends up to $150,000 once you have 12 months of operating history, so it fits your second year.
Three rules before you spend
- Approval comes before purchase. Most cost-share programs will not pay for work you start before approval.
- Cost-share means reimbursement: you pay first and claim it back with invoices, so plan the cash.
- Grants are generally taxable income; borrowed money is not. Ask your accountant before you spend.
Most applications also want written quotes for the work before anything is approved.
For other provinces, see start-up funding province by province.