With ECO-FINANCING, you can obtain a loan or loan guarantee.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible Businesses

Your business is eligible if it operates in one of the following sectors:

• Manufacturing;
• New economy (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information and computer technologies, aeronautics, aerospace, materials engineering and instrumentation);
• Research laboratories;
• Tourism;
• Recycling;
• Environmental restoration;
• Waste recovery and processing;
• Call centres;
• Aquaculture, sea farming, marine biotechnology and horticultural specialties.

Eligible Projects

• Acquisition of capital assets for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction
• Working capital expenditures, including R&D for GHG reduction
• Expenditures for the qualification, quantification and certification of offset credits (carbon credits)
• Acquisition of offset credits to comply with your business sector standards

Special Requirements

Your business must have a sound financial structure, adequate management, qualified staff and a solid organization.

If your business is granted financing for the acquisition of offset credits, you must provide a reduction plan describing how you plan to regulate your greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with government standards.

For offset credit purchase projects, the offset credit issuer (the seller) must be based in Québec.

FINANCING DETAILS

We can provide a loan or loan guarantee. Our loan guarantee is a guarantee to repay the net loss on a loan granted by a financial institution.

Terms and Conditions

• The minimum amount of the loan or loan guarantee provided by Investissement Québec is $50,000.
• The maximum duration of the financial assistance is 10 years.
• A loan guarantee can cover up to 70% of the net loss, or 75% in outlying regions.*
• The maximum amount provided by the financial institution can be up to 100% of project-related expenses, depending on the nature of the project.
• For loans granted directly by Investissement Québec, the amount provided can be up to 75% of the total project cost.
• Repayment of capital can be deferred for a maximum of two years.
• The usual securities are required and are based on the financing granted.

* Outlying regions include Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Côte-Nord, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Mauricie, Nord-du-Québec, Outaouais (excluding the municipality of Gatineau) and Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

Fees

Commitment and guarantee fees depend on the nature of the project. To find out more about the cost of financing your project, talk to an Investissement Québec advisor.

PROCEDURE

Step 1

Contact an Investissement Québec advisor, who will answer your questions and recommend the product that best suits your needs.

Step 2

The advisor will help you draw up a list of the information and documents you must provide: business plan, project description, financing sought, planned expenses, marketing plan, guarantees, etc.

Step 3

For loan guarantees, submit your application to the financial institution of your choice. The institution will review your file with us, and we will then contact you. For direct loans, submit your application to an Investissement Québec advisor.

May 2010