Grant Consulting Practice in Montreal
We work with businesses in Montreal and across Quebec by phone and videoconference. Canadian Funding Partners is an independent advisory firm. We help 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 those firms.
The Island of Montreal has Quebec’s densest concentration of technology firms, corporate headquarters, and advanced manufacturing operations. This concentration creates intense regional competition for public budgets allocated through Services Québec, Investissement Québec, and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED). Securing government support requires rigorous technical documentation, quantifiable economic benefits, and strict compliance with prior-approval requirements.
We do not have a walk-in office in Montreal. We work by phone and videoconference, with businesses from Ville-Marie, the Mile-End, and Saint-Laurent to Anjou and the West Island.
Programs That Matter in Montreal
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Greater Montreal, public funding centres on four primary programs:
| Program | Administering Authority | Funding Nature | Rate or Cap | Key Factor in Montreal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFOR (Business Stream) | Services Québec | Non-repayable grant | Generally up to 50%, 75% in enhanced streams, 100% for literacy | Negotiated regionally |
| CDAE | Investissement Québec & Revenu Québec | Tax credits | 30% of wages (23% + 7% in 2025; 22% + 8% in 2026 under the CDAEIA, which replaces the CDAE) | Minimum 6 eligible IT employees; annual sector certification |
| PME MTL | PME MTL (City of Montreal) | Direct grants and honor loans | $5,000 to $50,000 grant | Delivered locally across six borough service poles |
| REGI | Canada Economic Development (CED) | 0% repayable contribution | Up to 50% of project costs | Patient capital (24-month moratorium); production salaries excluded |
Workforce Training Measure (MFOR)
Administered by Services Québec through regional business offices (including Décarie, Sainte-Catherine Est, and Crémazie), the Mesure de formation de la main-d’œuvre (MFOR), Quebec’s workforce training measure, can fund part of trainer fees and instructional design. Support generally reaches up to 50% of eligible costs, 75% in enhanced streams, and 100% for literacy, including employee wages up to $25/hour. Francization is not eligible.
E-Business Tax Credit (CDAE)
For Montreal software development and digital media firms, the Crédit d’impôt pour le développement des affaires électroniques (CDAE), Quebec’s e-business tax credit, offsets technical payroll at 30% of eligible salaries. For a fiscal year starting in 2025, this is a 23% refundable tax credit and a 7% non-refundable credit. For fiscal years starting after December 31, 2025, the CDAEIA replaces it, with 22% refundable and 8% non-refundable in 2026, subject to the statutory base exclusion threshold.
PME MTL and CED Regional Financing
The PME MTL network provides territorial grants up to $50,000 alongside subordinate low-interest loans for local commercialization and business transfers. At the federal level, CED supports capital expenditures, advanced equipment acquisitions, and foreign market development through 0% interest repayable contributions, structured with a 24-month post-completion moratorium followed by five-year straight-line repayment.
Decision Rules, Stacking, and Montreal Worked Example
Strategic grant advisory structures applications across multiple tiers so that one funding stream does not inadvertently disqualify another.
Decision Rules by Project Scope
- Machinery and Enterprise Software: Apply to CED under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program for a 0% loan covering up to 50% of eligible capital costs.
- Workforce Upskilling: Apply to Services Québec for MFOR before signing training contracts or issuing purchase orders.
- Software Development Payroll: File annual tax claims for CDAE through Investissement Québec and Revenu Québec, or claim SR&ED where technological uncertainty exists.
- Local Commercial Expansion: Engage the local PME MTL borough pole to access non-repayable territorial development grants.
Worked Example: Modernization Plan for a Montreal SME
Consider a Saint-Laurent SME combining advanced manufacturing and industrial IoT software that undertakes a $300,000 modernization project:
| Project Component | Expenditure | Program Leveraged | Potential Funding | Mechanics and Stacking Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated manufacturing cell & ERP | $140,000 | CED (REGI Program) | $70,000 | 0% repayable loan (counted at 50% toward provincial cap) |
| Robotics training | $40,000 | Services Québec (MFOR) | Up to $30,000 | Non-repayable grant (up to 75% for new equipment or technology; francization is not eligible) |
| Export strategy & market entry study | $20,000 | PME MTL | $10,000 | Direct non-repayable municipal grant |
| Embedded software engineer payroll | $100,000 | Revenu Québec (CDAEIA) | $24,314 | CDAEIA tax credit, 22% refundable + 8% non-refundable: ($100,000 − $18,952) × 30% for one employee, assuming the company meets the minimum |
| Combined Project Total | $300,000 | Coordinated Package | Up to $134,314 | Up to 44.8% total public assistance |
Under Quebec public funding rules, repayable financial assistance is discounted by 50% when calculating provincial stacking limits. Consequently, the $70,000 CED repayable contribution counts as only $35,000 of government assistance toward the provincial ceiling. Check with your accountant how the contribution affects your tax credits.
Target Industries in Montreal
Montreal’s economic ecosystem features key industry clusters that benefit from dedicated program priorities and enhanced assistance rates:
- Information Technology, AI, and Gaming (Mile-End, Cité du Multimédia, Downtown): High concentration of software engineering qualifying for CDAE payroll credits, enhanced MFOR rate of up to 75% for IT training, and targeted CED digital economy initiatives.
- Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing (Saint-Laurent, Dorval, Anjou): Plant automation and robotics integration funded via CED 0% repayable contributions, workforce training grants of up to 75% from Services Québec for new equipment, and ongoing R&D support through federal and provincial SR&ED tax credits.
- Life Sciences and Health Technologies (Technoparc Montréal, Health Innovation Hubs): Medical device prototyping, biomanufacturing scale-up, and clinical trials combining specialized sectoral grants with refundable R&D tax credits.
- Logistics, Wholesale, and Clean Technology (East Montreal, Airport Corridor): Supply chain digitalization, warehouse automation, decarbonization investments.
How to Reach Us
To review your company’s investment roadmap, hiring plans, or training projects in Montreal, there are two ways to start:
- Preliminary Online Assessment: Fill in our assessment form. We read your request and reply by email with next steps.
- Direct Email Inquiry: Send a project brief to support@canadianfundingpartners.ca. Our team reviews your materials and follows up by email.
Meetings take place by phone or videoconference, at a time that suits your schedule.
See where we work and how we work. Montreal employers planning staff training can read our page on MFOR in Montreal, and new businesses can start with Quebec startup grants.
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 do not represent any government department or funding agency, and we do not guarantee approvals for discretionary grant programs.
Our role is to structure defensible, fully documented funding applications that align precisely with government criteria. We handle technical scoping, financial modeling, multi-program stacking optimization, and post-approval compliance reporting. Our structured advisory process prepares files for the funding your project may qualify for while safeguarding your cash flow and audit readiness.
Frequently asked questions
Why hire a grant consultant in Montreal instead of applying internally?
Professional grant advisory helps structure applications for funding that covers part of eligible costs. In Montreal, direct programs such as CED apply their own prior-approval and technical eligibility rules, while CDAE is claimed yearly as a tax credit. An advisor can help prevent procedural errors, check stacking limits, and coordinate technical and financial documentation across programs.
What fee structure does a government funding consultant use in Quebec?
Depending on the program, fees are an agreed amount or a percentage of the funding actually obtained. At Canadian Funding Partners, the scope and fees are set out in a written agreement before any paid work starts. No legitimate advisory firm guarantees approvals for discretionary programs, as final funding decisions remain under the statutory authority of ministerial review committees and regional business advisors.
What are typical approval timelines for business grants in Montreal?
Timelines vary by program, so check each program's published service standard. CDAE tax credits are claimed annually after corporate fiscal year-end. Direct programs have their own rules on when costs can begin, so start before you sign supplier contracts or begin training activities.
Can I meet you in person?
Calls and video meetings are how we work today. If an in-person meeting matters for your project, tell us in your assessment request.
Official sources
- Investissement Québec — CDAEIA detailed fact sheet (fiscal years starting after December 31, 2025) — replaces the CDAE; 22% + 8% in 2026, 21% + 9% in 2027, 20% + 10% from 2028
- Investissement Québec — CDAE detailed fact sheet (fiscal years starting before January 1, 2026) — 24% + 6% in 2024 and 23% + 7% in 2025
- Québec.ca — Développer les compétences de votre main-d'œuvre (Mesure de formation de la main-d'œuvre, volet entreprises) — Services Québec intervention framework and eligible training expenditure rules
- Investissement Québec — Crédit d'impôt pour le développement des affaires électroniques (CDAE) — sector eligibility criteria and annual IT workforce certification guidelines
- Revenu Québec — Formulaire CO-1029.8.36.DA, Crédit d'impôt pour le développement des affaires électroniques — corporate tax provisions, base exclusion thresholds, and statutory rates
- Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions — Funding Programs and Services — REGI program parameters and terms for 0% interest repayable contributions
- PME MTL — Funds and Support for Montreal Businesses — City of Montreal territorial grant funds and local non-dilutive loan mechanisms
Verified against official sources on .
Canadian Funding Partners Inc. is an independent advisory firm and does not administer this program. Rates, ceilings and eligibility are set by the administering authority and change. Confirm current terms with the official source before relying on them.