INNOV-R

 Program details 

In November 2020, the Quebec government announced its Plan for a Green Economy 2030 (PEV 2030). With its policy framework for electrification and the fight against climate change, the government aims to turn the fight against climate change into a major lever for economic development and international influence. To achieve this, the government will rely on the electrification of the economy, the development of other renewable energy resources, and the emergence of forward-looking economic sectors that create quality jobs. The Innov-R program is part of this vast initiative and is aimed at the emergence of innovative collaborative projects that will enable Quebec to achieve its GHG emission reduction targets more quickly.  The INNOV-R program is financed by the Fonds d’électrification et de changements climatiques (FECC) and administered by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE). The purpose of the program is to enable collaborative research projects with a high potential for reducing GHG emissions in Quebec, the results of which will help Quebec achieve its mid- and long-term reduction objectives and targets, particularly for 2030, which is set to reach 37.5% below 1990 levels.  The INNOV-R program is deployed by the Sector-Based Industrial Research Clusters (RSRI), which have been designated by the Quebec government to act as intermediary and funding organizations for collaborative research. Through their mandate, they promote knowledge transfer and the appropriation of innovation by companies in various key sectors of the economy.

Eligible projects 

• Projects eligible for the INNOV-R program must demonstrate a strong potential to reduce GHG emissions in Quebec: 

• At least 50,000 tonnes of CO2 eq reduced or avoided in the first ten (10) years after product, technology, or innovation commercialization.   
• The MEIE/MELCC contribution to the project must be less than $20 per prevented tonne of CO2. 

• Projects must involve at least one Québec-based company with in-house production or R&D activities, and at least one Quebec Public Research Institute (IRPQ) (a university, a College Centre for the Transfer of Technologies, or a Québec-based public research centre). Other partners such as NPOs, government corporations, public agencies, municipalities, companies outside Quebec and others may also be involved in the project. 
• Under the INNOV-R program, only projects with a starting technological maturity level (TML) of 1 to 6 are eligible. To determine your project’s starting TML, please contact Mohammed Boutouba, CRIAQ Project Manager. 

Financial assistance for projects cannot be combined with other financial assistance from the Electrification and Climate Change Fund (FÉCC), Investissement Québec, or the MEIE.  Maximum financial assistance of 40% of eligible expenses with public co-financing (up to a maximum of $500,000 per year, including RIF and management fees), 50% of eligible expenses without other public co-financing (up to a maximum of $499,999 per project).