Community Bond Subscription Fund

PME MTL plans to contribute to campaigns involving the issuing of community bonds through the creation of the Community Bond Subscription Fund. This innovative pilot project is the first of its kind in Québec. The financial support granted to social economy businesses will enable them to develop their business projects and strengthen ties with their respective communities.

Community bonds: A unifying financial lever

Community bonds are debt instruments with a face value, a term and an interest rate, issued by social economy enterprises. Citizens and organizations are invited to buy them and thus participate in their business project.

PME MTL is committed to providing support for established Montréal collective businesses by offering to purchase their community bonds at an equal or lesser amount than the total invested by citizen investors.

The Montréal business support network will consider the following types of projects, among others:

• Leasehold improvements;
• Equipment purchases;
• Research and development related to innovation projects;
• Purchase of a building.

In addition to participating in community bonds campaigns involving collective businesses, PME MTL offers to provide them with support in this approach.

Financial assistance

PME MTL supports community bonds that meet the following conditions:

• Maximum term of 5 years;
• Annual interest rate of between 0.1% and 2%;
• Personal property or real estate guarantee may be required.

Eligibility conditions

Social economy businesses in Montréal that are launching a community bonds campaign must meet the following conditions in order for PME MTL to participate:

• Have completed the pre-start-up phase;
• Have discharged all tax obligations;
• Not be under the protection of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act or be bankrupt within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act;
• Not have submitted an application related to a business project that has benefitted from an intervention pursuant to the Ville de Montréal by-law respecting the Community Bond Subscription Fund.

Projects submitted by the following types of organizations will not be accepted:

• Cooperatives;
• Cohousing or cooperative housing organizations;
• Programs administered by the Government of Québec or Ville de Montréal.

Success factors

The following factors are likely to contribute to the success of a community bonds campaign launched by a collective business:

• Have strong ties with their community;
• Present an attractive project;
• Have a solid business plan;
• Be in a position to borrow from and pay back their lenders;
• Be able to count on the participation of the members of their board of directors;
• Be prepared to manage the community bonds campaign, including sales, repayments, communication, analysis of results, etc.

Social economy businesses can also take advantage of the free support offered by Télescope to ensure the success of their campaign. This non-profit organization, which specializes in accounting, administrative support and financial planning, provides personalized support services.

For more information concerning a campaign involving the issuing of community bonds and how to proceed, please contact your PME MTL service hub today.

Related content

– Financing your social economy project

– Obligations communautaires: le pouvoir de l’investissement collectif et citoyen
(Community bonds: The power of collective and citizen investing)

– l’ampli — Ressources sur la finance participative
(l’ampli – Participative finance resources)