The Minister of Tourism and responsible for Economic Development of Canada for the regions of Quebec, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, as well as Marie-Christine Ladouceur-Girard, general director of the Maison de l’innovation sociale (Emmanuel Delacour/EMM)
The Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (DEC) program, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, announced yesterday the launch of a call for projects for which DEC will allocate an amount of $1 million. The funding granted will support the realization of new innovation projects “ whose economic, social and environmental benefits are clearly intended for the territory targeted by the Initiative to support the economic development of eastern Montreal ».
Recognizing the potential of the eastern part of the metropolis in terms of economic and social development, the Government of Canada announced that it wanted to “ support the economic transformation of this sector (…) by supporting its revitalization, its attractiveness and its sustainable reindustrialization, while implementing an innovative approach to economic development for this territory ».
The minister also announced $95,000 in support for the Maison de l’innovation sociale, an organization specializing in project support and incubation.
These commitments on the part of the federal government go further than those revealed at the Eastern Summit last November, affirms Ms. Martinez Ferrada. “ We had made a commitment to reserve an envelope of $30 million over 3 years for eastern businesses. But here, we go further, because we have $1 million that we add to social innovation », Illustrates the minister. According to the latter, it is justified for CED to provide amounts for social innovation in the post-pandemic context. “ There is a whole question of how we can work together, both public and private, to have a real impact in people’s lives, because if people’s lives are going well, businesses are doing well. » The minister does not exclude that this type of funding from CED could become recurrent in the east, depending on the results of the pilot project.
« The House of Social Innovation would like to highlight the leadership of DEC, which saw the potential of social innovation to resolve the major challenges of the economic environment. We hope other federal departments follow suit “, indicated Marie-Christine Ladouceur-Girard, general director of the House of Social Innovation.
An approach that aims to better meet the needs of the east
The investments announced are part of CED’s regular programs. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions aims to maximize the scope of its support for eligible organizations by promoting projects that are part of a social innovation and local economic development approach.
The supported initiatives must meet the needs of the targeted territory and be carried out over a period of 18 months. The territory concerned includes the area whose western border runs along Papineau Avenue from north to south, from the Rivière des Prairies to the St. Lawrence River. Organizations located outside the area may be considered if the project they are proposing takes place within the defined territory.
« For the east, this is good news. For non-profit organizations that are starting up, because there is a funding gap for them, too. Often, we don’t know which door to knock on to get financing, so that’s good news. », Insisted Marc-André Robertson, general director of HocheLab. His organization could, for example, use the grant to finance its real estate company project in order to take the Saint-Clément church out of the real estate market, in order to give it a second life.
Organizations wishing to submit a project “must demonstrate their roots and commitment to the local community or the specific location where the project will be implemented”, according to information provided by DEC.
This financing and support program for SMEs and NPOs accepts from now until November 29, 2024, the submission of applications as part of the call for projects.
Participating organizations will be able to benefit from funding of up to $50,000. Those selected will have the opportunity to receive support services from the Maison de l’innovation sociale and to benefit from the expertise of specialized resources.
To find out the eligibility criteria and to follow the steps for submitting a project, consult the Call for Projects Guide and the Preparation for Submitting a Funding Request document.
