Financial support for training northern workers

The Programme de formation de la main‑d'œuvre en milieu nordique supports training projects of interest to northern communities.

The Programme de formation de la main‑d'œuvre en milieu nordique applies to projects that will be carried out north of the 49^th parallel, either in Québec's northern territory, or for the benefit of communities or businesses located there.

Projects submitted must:

• respect northern environments;
• be aligned with labour market needs.

The Program is intended to supplement the financing of projects for which the contributions of the community and other government programs are not sufficient. The applicant must demonstrate that a search for complementary financing has been carried out and that recourse to the Programme de formation de la main‑d'œuvre en milieu nordique is necessary for the realization of the project.

Eligible clienteles

The following clienteles are eligible to apply under the Programme de formation de la main‑d'œuvre en milieu nordique:

• incorporated and non‑profit organizations;
• cooperatives with activities similar to a non‑profit organization;
• mutual organizations with activities similar to a non‑profit organization;
• companies legally incorporated in Québec or Canada;
• band councils of Indigenous communities and Indigenous communities;
• northern village corporations, northern villages or Inuit landholding corporations;
• municipalities, regional county municipalities (RCM) and municipal bodies;
• the Administration Régionale Baie‑James, the Kativik Regional Government, the Cree Nation Government and the Eeyou lstchee James Bay Regional Government;
• educational institutions recognized by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec and the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur.

Project categories

To be eligible, the projects must fall within one of the following categories:

1. Hiring by promoters of integration agents to help workers with special needs adapt to their work;                 
   An explanation of adaptation needs must be provided.

2. Elaboration, adaptation or implementation of qualifying training projects that satisfy the practical needs of the communities or businesses in the territory.

Projects must:

• lead to qualifying training;
• be carried out in collaboration with the communities concerned;
• be carried out in collaboration with a training centre recognized by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec and the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur.

Exclusions

Projects must not:

• have been financially supported by the Société du Plan Nord during the three years preceding the application for financial support, unless they present some sort of innovation or novelty;
• have a financing package that already includes a program of the Société du Plan Nord;
• run counter to government policy;
• have already been carried out or launched prior to the submission of the application;
• be submitted by an individual;
• involve infrastructure;
• be submitted by organizations listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts (RENA).

Eligible expenditures

The following expenditures are eligible:

• operating costs necessary for the completion of the project, such as wages and other remuneration and one‑off rent payments;
• cost of purchasing or leasing materials and equipment;
• professional fees, including support fees;
• administrative expenses;
• travel and living expenses.

Non‑eligible expenditures

The following expenditures are not eligible:

• recurring expenditures;
• representation expenses, donations and sponsorships;
• expenses related to the purchase of any motor vehicle that can be registered;
• expenses relating to a project already completed;
• expenditures incurred before the project is submitted;
• expenditures eligible for another form of reimbursement (for example, a tax refund);
• expenditures connected with a project that is inconsistent with established government policy or current laws and regulations;
• expenditures incurred to meet legislative and regulatory requirements;
• deficit of an organization or enterprise, or reimbursement of accumulated debt;
• working capital;
• expenditures planned for after March 31, 2028.

The financial support granted by way of this Program:

• may not exceed 50% of the allowable costs of the project;
• is limited to $200,000 for a training project and $100,000 for a project to hire integration agents.

If your project involves one or more private companies, they must contribute at least 25% of eligible project costs.

The maximum amount of financial assistance, in the form of a non‑repayable grant, will be determined by taking into account all sources of government assistance provided to the project.

The calculation will also take into account the amount received from government departments and agencies that maintain financial assistance agreements with the Société du Plan Nord.

Financial assistance may come from:

• departments and agencies of the Gouvernement du Québec;
• departments and agencies of the Government of Canada;
• partners with intervention funds whose financing is mainly from government sources.

You may apply for funding for the current call for projects by March 27, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

To apply, you must consult the application guide (PDF 351 Kb) first. Then, you must complete the application form (PDF 481 Kb) for financial support and provide the following documents:

• a copy of the most recent financial report of your organization;
• a copy of the resolution by the board of directors authorizing the applicant to submit projects and sign agreements;
• letters of support from other project partners (if any);
• all other documents considered relevant to the assessment of the project.

Projects may be submitted to the Société du Plan Nord using the following e‑mail address: formation@spn.gouv.qc.ca.

You can also send them by fax or by mail to the Société du Plan Nord. The postmark is proof of the date of submission.

If your project is selected, it will be subject to a financial assistance agreement with the Société du Plan Nord. The agreement will specify the terms of payment and the conditions for granting financial assistance, as well as the terms of accountability.

For each payment, you must submit an activity and utilization report for the grant, in accordance with the deadlines set out in the funding agreement.

This report must include:

• a detailed description of the project and the activities carried out with the funding;
• the cost of the project and of each activity carried out;
• the sources of funding and the amounts obtained from each source;
• the number of jobs created, if applicable;
• an appendix containing supporting documents for eligible expenses and a financial report detailing project expenses;
• a report on the project's benefits according to sustainable development criteria.

For certain projects, an audit report of the financial data produced by an accredited external auditor will be required at the time of final submission.

Any questions regarding the Programme de formation de la main‑d’œuvre en milieu nordique can be directed to the Société du Plan Nord at the following e‑mail address: formation@spn.gouv.qc.ca.