When it comes to growth, innovation and creating wealth within the Montréal territory, businesses can rely on the network of experts from PME MTL to assist them in their development thanks to a panoply of resources, financial assistance and support services.

PME MTL interviewed four entrepreneurs to tell their stories and learn about how they fared in 2021. It was a year fraught with difficulties, but also brimming with hope. These four businesses obviously had to rely on their resilience and ingenuity to not only survive, but also to seize new business opportunities. Here’s how they did it!

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A word from the six Executive Directors within the PME MTL network

Once again in 2021, the effects of the pandemic were felt everywhere, and entrepreneurs had to remain flexible to take advantage of every opportunity. The creativity they have shown in relaunching their operations bodes well for the economy of the future.

Throughout this turbulent period, PME MTL has stood firm as a crucial ally for the vitality of businesses within its territory and a key player in sustainable economic recovery. In addition to its mission of providing support and financial assistance, PME MTL was actually the only organization in Québec authorized to administer emergency funds at all three levels of government.

The entire team, which is fully committed to the success of Montréal businesses, was able to perform minor miracles thanks to their unwavering motivation and desire to deliver meaningful assistance to a maximum number of entrepreneurs. This dedication allowed a majority of them to weather the storm.

As a sign of the trust that Ville de Montréal places in us, municipal authorities strengthened our mandate with respect to local economic development during the most recent renewal of our agreement with the City, thus legitimizing our role in contributing to Montréal’s territorial and community development. Thanks to this new agreement, which corrects a lack of consultation with civil society actors, PME MTL will be able to further promote local social economy and for-profit initiatives.

For us, this means adapting to evolving situations and the resulting needs. It means being accessible to entrepreneurs and being constantly committed to providing responses that enable them to launch, grow and consolidate their businesses, and finally, to create the collective and sustainable wealth that is necessary to ensure the development of our living environment.

Annie Bourgoin, Marie-Claude Dauray, Jean François Lalonde, Marc-André Perron, Nathalie Robitaille and Nicolas Roy, Executive Directors of the six service hubs within the PME MTL network.

Consult the Press Release* →

*French only

Highlights

Support

+ 4,400 businesses supported

91 % of businesses that received support were from the private sector and 10% were cooperatives or NPOs, 9% of which are within the social economy sector
 

Support in the form of expertise

Business development phases

Financial assistance

For a second year in a row, entrepreneurs were forced to deal with economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. They have shown resilience in a context where the recovery of activities has been uncertain at times.

In the context of the health crisis, PME MTL continues to be a privileged interlocutor for Montréal businesses, which have faced many challenges, by continuing to manage various emergency funds launched by the governments of Canada, Québec and Montréal, in addition to providing financial assistance through its regular funds.

$98.4M disbursed to businesses within the territory of Montréal
 

Regular funds

$21M in financial assistance disbursed to businesses within the territory of Montréal

$13.7M in loans and $7.3M in subsidies

507 businesses receiving financial assistance
 

Distribution of financial assistance

Sectors of activity of businesses receiving financial assistance through regular funds

25 % of businesses receiving financial assistance through regular funds were in the Accommodation and Food Services, and 19% were in the Manufacturing sector.

Regional Relief and Recovery Fund

Emergency financial assistance of up to $60,000

$14.3M disbursed

Emergency Assistance for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Emergency financial assistance of up to $50,000, with up to 80% loan forgiveness for the Assistance for Businesses in Regions on Maximum Alert

$58M disbursed

Fonds de consolidation des activités commerciales due à la COVID-19

Financial assistance in the form of a grant of up to $10,000

$1.2M disbursed

Recovery Fund for Downtown Bars and Restaurants

Financial assistance in the form of a grant of up to $25,000 for restaurant and bar owners with projects aimed at increasing customer traffic

$4M disbursed

Strengthening of PME MTL’s role in local economic development

In the spring of 2021, Ville de Montréal announced the strengthening of PME MTL’s role in the mobilization of local stakeholders and support for structuring projects, legitimizing the organization’s involvement in the planning, consultation, urban revitalization and development of structuring projects with economic and social impacts. A reminder that the mission of the PME MTL network has always been dedicated to economic development within the territory of Montréal through the provision of support and financial assistance to entrepreneurs.

In light of this, in September 2021, the Ville de Montréal allocated additional funding to the six service hubs that make up the PME MTL network to hire local economic development resources.

One network, six service hubs

The PME MTL network is made up of six non-profit organizations serving businesses on the island of Montréal. The results presented on this page represent a summary of the results from these six organizations.

To consult the results for each service hub: