MFOR-E: funding for workforce training projects of $100,000 or more

What MFOR-E is

Under the standard framework of the Mesure de formation de la main-d’œuvre (MFOR), Quebec’s workforce training measure, the financial contribution granted to an employer generally cannot exceed $100,000 per agreement. Projects requesting funding below this ceiling are negotiated and approved directly within the region by a business advisor at the local Services Québec office, formerly known as Emploi-Québec.

When the scale of a workforce training project requires a financial contribution of $100,000 or more, the application shifts into a specialized administrative stream. It falls under the large-scale training projects stream, designated by the ministry acronym MFOR-E (Projets de formation d’envergure).

This change in scale triggers a separate governance model. While your regional Services Québec business advisor remains your primary point of contact, the file must be submitted to the Direction des mesures et services aux entreprises (DMSE). The DMSE is the central directorate within the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale responsible for evaluating large-scale files against provincial operational benchmarks.

MFOR-E is not an independent grant program with separate application forms. It is an elevated review tier within the MFOR framework, designed to assess initiatives carrying substantial financial commitments and broader strategic impact.

Who qualifies for MFOR-E

General eligibility for MFOR-E is governed by section 2.4.1.9 of the official employment measures guide (Guide des mesures et des services d’emploi). Qualifying entities must hold an active Quebec Enterprise Number (NEQ) and maintain a physical operating establishment in Quebec:

• For-profit private businesses
• Consortia and groupings of for-profit private businesses
• Co-operatives
• Non-profit organizations (OBNL)
• Self-employed workers and their associations
• Indigenous band councils and communities

The MFOR-E stream applies sector-specific exclusions that do not apply to regular regional MFOR agreements. The following public and parapublic entities cannot receive MFOR-E funding to train their own internal staff:

• Municipal and paramunicipal administrations, including cities, regional county municipalities (MRCs), transit authorities, and local economic development agencies
• Provincial and federal Crown corporations and parapublic bodies, including Investissement Québec, Hydro-Québec, SÉPAQ, and Parks Canada
• Public and private educational institutions, including school service centres, colleges, and universities
• Public healthcare and social services institutions, including CISSS, CIUSSS, CHSLDs, and Family Medicine Groups (GMF)

A critical distinction applies: these public and parapublic bodies remain eligible under MFOR-E exclusively to act as a delegated body (organisme délégué) or service provider coordinating and delivering training on behalf of participating private-sector businesses.

Participating workers must be active, salaried employees based in Quebec. Section 2.2.1 of the official guide explicitly specifies that teleworkers residing outside Quebec are ineligible for MFOR-E funding. Companies listed on the public contracts exclusion register (Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics, RENA) or employers with outstanding unsettled debts to the Ministry are also excluded.

Targeted projects and sector exceptions

To justify a grant of $100,000 or more under MFOR-E, a project cannot focus solely on routine maintenance or recurring operational instruction. According to section 2.4.1.8 of the official guide, the initiative must support job retention while being directly tied to at least one of three strategic business drivers:

• Business growth, including substantial increases in operational capacity or workforce expansion
• Market development, such as commercial expansion outside Quebec or customer diversification
• Facility modernization, including automated machinery implementation or digital process transformation

Financial assistance rates under MFOR-E follow the standard MFOR eligible costs schedule:

In manufacturing and industrial operations, investments in robotics, automated production cells, or computer numerical control (CNC) equipment frequently qualify for the enhanced 65% rate on external instructor fees and customized instructional materials.

The official guidelines also establish explicit exemptions for large-scale initiatives. Under section 2.4.1.8 of the guide, the standard $100,000 funding ceiling may be exceeded for designated major projects (projets majeurs), online training projects (e-learning), and forestry sector workforce initiatives.

How a large-scale project is evaluated

The evaluation of an MFOR-E application follows a two-tier review process between your regional Services Québec office and the central Direction des mesures et services aux entreprises (DMSE). An employer initiates discussions with their regional business advisor. Once the project budget demonstrates requested provincial funding of $100,000 or more, the regional advisor prepares a preliminary assessment and transfers the submission to the DMSE.

The DMSE reviews the file against five core evaluation criteria:

1. Strategic alignment: The employer must demonstrate a direct causal connection between the training curriculum, capital or software investments, and the long-term retention of Quebec jobs.
2. Financial capacity of the employer: The DMSE verifies that the applicant maintains sufficient working capital to finance its mandatory cost share (35% to 60% of eligible costs), trainee wages during instruction, and non-eligible operational expenses.
3. Pedagogical quality: Training programs must be structured, measurable, and transferable, resulting in formal written certifications or recognized professional qualifications.
4. Trainer independence: Under section 2.4.1.6 of the guide, external training providers must operate at arm’s length, with no familial relationships or conflicts of interest involving company management.
5. Regional socioeconomic impact: Priority is assigned to projects that generate measurable productivity gains or strengthen local supply chains within Quebec.

Because of the two-tier review process involving regional advisors and central DMSE committees, review timelines typically extend over several months. The Ministry specifies no statutory decision deadline. No training activities may commence before the formal agreement is signed; expenditures incurred prior to agreement execution are strictly ineligible for reimbursement.

Structuring an application of $100,000 or more

Assembling an MFOR-E grant application of $100,000 or more demands substantial technical documentation. To plan each step of the process, review our guide detailing how to apply for MFOR.

Several structural requirements must be incorporated into the submission:

• Multi-year scheduling: While standard MFOR agreements are limited to 1 year, section 2.4.1.6 allows an agreement to be extended up to a cumulative maximum of 3 years (36 months). This structure accommodates complex technology deployments rolled out in successive operational phases.
• Cohort organization: Trainees must be grouped into distinct cohorts by job category, department, or operating site. The training plan must specify job titles, instructional hours, delivery schedules, and itemized unit costs for each cohort.
• Consortium administrative fees: When an MFOR-E project is managed by a designated representative or delegated body on behalf of an employer consortium, project administration and management expenses are eligible for reimbursement up to 5% of eligible expenses (section 2.4.1.7).
• Integration with the Quebec 1% training law: Training expenses approved under an MFOR-E agreement qualify as eligible training expenditures under the Quebec 1% training law. These investments directly offset compulsory employer contributions to the provincial workforce skills development fund.
• Stacking with other public programs: MFOR-E training grants combine without duplication with provincial and federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits on distinct technical development, as well as capital investment programs like ESSOR or C3i.

Every expenditure item must be substantiated by detailed quotations from recognized training organizations or documented internal pay scales for qualified in-house instructors.

What Canadian Funding Partners does

Canadian Funding Partners helps businesses identify funding opportunities and coordinate applications with specialist partner firms. Where a file requires accounting or engineering expertise, the work is handled by appropriately qualified professionals at our partner firms. We assist employers in structuring training initiatives of $100,000 or more under MFOR-E.

Our advisory services include:

• Diagnosing MFOR-E eligibility and establishing applicable subsidy rates (40%, 65%, or 100%)
• Structuring the formal training plan (plan de formation) by employee cohort to DMSE standards
• Modeling the budget and vetting third-party instructor quotes against eligible cost limits
• Drafting the business justification centred on growth, modernization, or market expansion
• Managing exchanges with Services Québec advisors and DMSE representatives through to reporting

For English-speaking employers, we bridge the language gap. Advisor discussions and ministerial filings must be in French; we prepare compliant French documentation while collaborating with your team in English.

Canadian Funding Partners is an independent advisory firm. We are not Services Québec and do not guarantee grant allocations. We ensure your submission is complete, compliant, and defensible before ministerial authorities. Book an assessment to review your project.