Social economy

Social economy, as a form of collective entrepreneurship, has gained in popularity. More and more young entrepreneurs are turning to collective businesses to find innovative solutions to social problems and improve the living environments and communities of Montréalers. In fact, there are nearly 2,780 social economy businesses in Montréal.

An organization must adhere to specific guiding principles in order to be considered as a social economy business. Here are just a few:

• Meet the needs of members or the community
• Aspire to economic viability
• Demonstrate independence from the state
• Ensure democratic governance by the members
• Have some capital that is social
• Belong to the community while not belonging to anyone

If you are an entrepreneur interested in starting or growing a collective business, discover how experts at PME MTL can assist you in your endeavours.

Specialized support for social economy businesses

PME MTL stimulates the emergence of collective businesses and supports their growth by offering support throughout all phases of development.  Our experts are proud to offer a support service adapted to the reality of social economy businesses to ensure their proper development and sustainability.

Here are some of the key elements that make up our specialized support service:

• Validation of the business project and the business model
• Assistance with financial arrangement
• Support in the search for financing, and with reaching out to other types of funding organizations
• Support with governance
• Human resources management consulting
• Orientation and paring with partners or specialized social economy organizations

Our funds dedicated to social economy businesses

PME MTL manages funds that support the development of businesses and social economy projects, from pre-startup to growth. These financial tools are also intended to support the emergence of innovative projects that explore new sectors, new ways of doing things, or developing new expertise.

Here is the list of specific funds you could access:

• Fonds de développement de l'économie sociale
• Community Bond Subscription Fund
• Fonds Jeunes entreprises collectives
• INNOGEC fund

Collective businesses have access to all funds managed by PME MTL. You can also visit our financing page to discover other financing methods offered at PME MTL.

To receive more information, do not hesitate to contact your service center.

Most of the services offered by PME MTL are free.