Call for projects - University Accelerators and Incubators Fund

Our Fonds Accélérateurs et incubateurs universitaires provides subsidies to support the commercialization of your business project. To make this new financial assistance available to as many people as possible, PME MTL Centre-Ville and PME MTL Grand Sud-Ouest organize calls for projects to finance commercialization projects.

Eligible projects

• The tests and trials of an innovation in a real context
• Validation of target markets during the development of innovation
• Marketing
• First sales
• Starting a new business

Ineligible projects

• Research and development
• Entrepreneur(s) salary
• Purchase of materials (IT, inventory ...)
• Moving or landscaping
• Financing of working capital

Evaluation criteria

All eligible projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Market potential demonstrated by sales
• Level of innovation compared to existing products/services
• Viability of the business model
• Economic benefits (estimated income, jobs, etc.)
• Business growth perspective related to the marketing plan presented
• Soundness of the entrepreneurial profile
• Preferred sectors of activity* :
  • Transport and mobility
  • Creative and cultural industries
  • Digital industries
  • Clean technologies
  • Life sciences and health technologies

* To learn more about the preferred sectors, visit the Commercialization of innovations page.

Eligibility conditions

To qualify for a grant from this university accelerator and incubator fund, a company or its executives must meet the following conditions:

• Be legally incorporated and registered in the Québec Business Register (REQ) 
• Having a business establishment in Montréal and having its head office in Québec
• Operate a business with less than 5 years of existence;
• Majority shareholders must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or hold a Québec selection certificate (certificat de sélection du Québec - CSQ)
• Ensure a down payment of at least 10% of the total cost of the project;
• Be supported by one of the accelerators or incubator of the following universities and provide proof of admission in 2022 within the following:
  • Concordia
  • ÉTS
  • HEC Montréal
  • McGill
  • Polytechnique Montréal
  • Université de Montréal
  • UQAM

Conditions for awarding grants

In order to obtain a subsidy from the PME MTL University Accelerators and Incubators Fund and prior to its disbursement, the beneficiary must sign an agreement with PME MTL specifying that if the company ceases its activities or transfers them out of Montréal within a 24-month period following the signing of the agreement, the grant will have to be repaid in proportion to the number of months remaining until the end of this period.

Submit an application and required documents

Each applicant will have to submit the following documents:

• This downloadable document, containing the financial structure of the project and a summary of your financial statements.
• Your business plan
• The financial statements for the last 2 years, if possible
• The financial forecast for the next 2 fiscal years
• Proof of admission to the University Incubator or Accelerator
• The curriculum vitae of the entrepreneur(s). If you have more than one document, please group them into a PDF file
• Proof of payment of government remittances (GST/QST, DAS, Taxes) for both levels of government (documents available on ClicSÉQUR & CRA websites).
• Any additional documents that are useful for understanding the project and its analysis

The application period is from July 1 to August 31, 2022.