IQ ESSOR — Investment Feasibility and Digital Diagnostics (Volet 1)

IQ ESSOR — Investment Feasibility and Digital Diagnostics (Volet 1)

Funds Quebec for-profit companies conducting feasibility studies or digital diagnostics to prepare major investment projects.

Eligibility · Quebec, Canada

IQ ESSOR Volet 1 is a non-repayable government grant administered by Investissement Québec (IQ) on behalf of the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE). It sits under the ESSOR program umbrella, which has four volets supporting Quebec company growth. Volet 1 covers preparatory work before a major investment: feasibility studies (sub-volet 1A, up to $50,000 at 50% of eligible costs) and digital transformation work including digital diagnostics and plan development (sub-volet 1B, up to $20,000 at 50%) and digital plan implementation (sub-volet 1C, up to $50,000 at 50%). The program runs until March 31, 2027 with rolling intake.

Eligibility is open to for-profit companies (entreprises à but lucratif) registered and operating in Quebec. For sub-volets 1B and 1C, companies must also have at least $2.5M in revenue and 250 or fewer employees. Most business sectors are eligible. Excluded sectors include primary industries (except greenhouse farming and major processing projects), mining, real estate, financial services, healthcare, education, arts/entertainment, accommodation/restaurants (except tourism-linked projects), and public administration. Construction companies are eligible only for productivity-related projects.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the IQ online prequalification form at investissementquebec.my.site.com/prequalification/s/essorvolet1. After prequalification, the company downloads the guide for the relevant sub-volet (1A, 1B, or 1C) and submits through the Quebec government ClicSEQUR portal. Processing takes roughly 15 weeks (6 weeks conformity check + 15 days advisor assignment + 20 days decision). Eligible costs are professional fees, specialized information purchases, and travel costs per government norms. The project must start within 3 months of authorization and complete within 12 months.

Key caution: IQ or MEIE can suspend intake without notice if the budget envelope is exhausted. Companies with multiple establishments planning similar projects in multiple entities must pre-validate conditions with IQ before submitting.