Starting a business in Quebec isn't held back by a shortage of support programs. It's held back by how scattered they are, spread across three levels of government, a financial institution, regional organizations and advisory networks. Most entrepreneurs find them too late, once the business is already running and some doors have closed.
Here are the six that come up most often in conversations with the entrepreneurs in our spaces. All are active, and we re-checked each one in September 2026.
1. Réseau accès PME, the free front door
Start here, before you go looking for money. The Quebec government funds one service point per territory, usually hosted by the regional county municipality or the local economic development body, staffed by advisors whose job is to point you in the right direction.
It's free, and this is the person who knows the regional programs you will never find by searching online. Watch the name: the network used to be called "Accès entreprise Québec" and is now Réseau accès PME. Many regional pages still use the old name.
Who it's for: everyone, at every stage. There is no good reason to skip this step.
2. Futurpreneur, for ages 18 to 39
A startup loan of up to $75,000, paired with mentorship that can run up to two years. That pairing is what makes the program valuable: the mentorship isn't an add-on, it's part of the deal.
The condition to watch: your business must have been operating for less than two years. That window closes fast, and it's the most common reason entrepreneurs discover too late that they no longer qualify.
Who it's for: ages 18 to 39, business under two years old. Futurpreneur also runs separate streams for Indigenous and Black entrepreneurs.
3. Créavenir, for when the bank says no
Desjardins built this program specifically for projects with no access to conventional credit. It offers credit up to $16,000 at a preferential rate, a line of credit, a card, and a grant of $3,000 to $5,000 for projects with an innovative dimension.
It's the least known of the six, and probably the most useful for a first venture without significant capital of your own.
Who it's for: ages 18 to 39, business in startup phase of three years or less, with your main account at Desjardins. It's delivered through regional caisses, so terms vary somewhat by territory.
4. Desjardins microcredit, with no age limit
Créavenir's sibling, for anyone past 39. A loan of up to $20,000, on the same underlying principle: a viable project, but insufficient access to traditional credit.
It runs through regional partner organizations, which means your entry point depends on your territory. Your Réseau accès PME advisor will know which one, which is a good illustration of why number one on this list comes before the others.
Who it's for: any age, viable project, limited access to credit. Details on the Desjardins solidarity finance page.
5. Evol, for the larger amounts
This is the only one on the list that finances significant sums, from $20,000 to $450,000, across all 17 Quebec regions. Evol works with businesses at startup and growth stage, as well as succession and acquisition.
Its eligibility condition is distinctive and worth reading closely: the organization finances businesses with diversified and inclusive ownership, meaning a person from a group it considers underrepresented in entrepreneurship holds a strategic position and owns at least 25% of shares and voting rights. The precise criteria are on Evol's site.
Who it's for: projects beyond the reach of microcredit programs that meet the organization's ownership criteria.
6. École des entrepreneurs du Québec, for the skills
The first five give you money or direction. This one gives you method. The school runs structured pathways based on your stage, from "thinking about it" to "already in business", with à la carte workshops, coaching and networking, across all 17 regions.
Two free tools are worth the visit on their own: Projet A for structuring a business plan, and Previsio for building financial projections. If you have to present a file to a banker or an investor, start there.
Who it's for: any entrepreneur who wants to build competence rather than only funding. eequebec.com. Note that its programming is delivered in French.
The order to do this in
The classic mistake is to start with the funding application. Do the opposite.
- Call your territory's Réseau accès PME. It's free, and you come away with the list of regional programs that actually apply to your situation.
- Build your financial projections before any application. Previsio is free. A file without solid numbers gets declined regardless of how good the project is.
- Check the age and seniority windows first. Futurpreneur requires under two years of operation, Créavenir under three. Those dates decide your eligibility before your project is ever assessed.
What none of these programs pay for
None of them will give you an office. And that's often the first fixed cost for an entrepreneur moving out of the kitchen, the one that feels risky because a commercial lease commits you for years while your revenue is still a hypothesis.
That's exactly where coworking does its job. At Hedhofis, it starts at $199 per month for a seat in the open area Monday to Friday, $299 for a reserved dedicated desk available around the clock, and $399 with meeting room credits. You move up or down a tier when your situation changes, with nothing to renegotiate.
We have eight spaces across Quebec: Angus, Brossard, Longueuil, Old Montreal, Quebec City, Royalmount, Sainte-Julie and Trois-Rivières. And before committing, come work a day with us, free and with no credit card. Get in touch to pick the location and the date.
