Eligibility

To be eligible, projects must:

• Be designed to create a business in Québec, with a scheduled launch date that is no later than December 31, 2023.
• A business will be considered as being launched if a purchase or sales transaction is made in its name before December 31, 2023. The name of the business must be duly registered in the Registre des entreprises du Québec (REQ), unless it falls under the exceptions listed by the REQ.
• Not have taken in any sales revenues before April 1, 2022 (i.e. had no orders or contracts, either under way or completed, whether or not payment was received, before this date).
• Not be registered in the Doing Business Together section of the current edition of the OSEntreprendre Challenge.
• Be presented on the duly completed registration form before the online registration period closes.

To be eligible, participants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Reside in Québec and have Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.
• Be associated with only one project in the Business Creation section per edition.

1. Are franchises eligible?

The opening of a new franchise is eligible because the franchise owner is financially independent from the franchisor and manages their own company themselves. However, a new franchise opened by the same franchisee is not eligible.

2. Are business expansions eligible?

The creation of a new business or project that consists of the extension or expansion of an existing company is not eligible (e.g. the owner of a clothing store that has already been open for several years decides to open a second point of sale in the neighbouring town, registered under the same number, and to group together certain operations to reduce costs).

3. Is a merger eligible?

Projects that involve the creation of a new business by merging existing businesses are not eligible for the Business Creation section. The same applies to the creation of a new business that involves integrating an existing business. Example: A business that provides administrative services and another business that offers communication services merge to create a new business with value-added services for their clientele.

4. Does a change in legal status constitute a new business?

Changing elements of a company’s legal status (name of company, association, share ownership, etc.) is not enough for a business to be considered “new,” whether due to a change of ownership or not.

5. Can a business project that participated in a previous edition of the OSEntreprendre Challenge register for this edition?

A business that was registered in the Business Creation section in a previous edition of the OSEntreprendre Challenge may register for a subsequent edition so long as it meets the eligibility criteria and did not win a prize in an official category at the regional level or any prize at the provincial level.

6. Is a business buyout or takeover elligible?

No matter the wording, if it involves the continuance of a pre-existing business, the business is not eligible for the Business Creation section of the OSEntreprendre Challenge. However, a business that only buys out or takes over a building or equipment may be eligible (considered to be a new business). In case of doubt, validation from the provincial team is required. OSEntreprendre reserves the right to request additional supporting information or documents in order to evaluate eligibility.

For example, the following are not eligible:

• A business that uses the same name as, or bases its marketing on the established reputation of, a business that has already existed
• A business in which the buyout of shares involves the continuance of already existing activities, such as the sale of the same products and services beyond the buyout date

7. What is the context for sales before April 1, 2022?

• Sales resulting from a market test: If the business recorded sales before April 1, 2022, and if these sales were associated with a structured market test, the project might be considered eligible. The market test must be documented in the registration package: action plan and means chosen, length of the test, established sample, etc.

  Validation by the provincial team is required. OSEntreprendre reserves the right to request additional supporting information or documents in order to evaluate eligibility. 

• Sales resulting from a crowdfunding campaign: Revenues recorded before April 1, 2022, and resulting from a crowdfunding campaign, are acceptable only if the electronic registration form shows that the campaign was used to conduct a structured market test.

• Sales resulting from personal initiatives: Independent revenue generated before April 1, 2022, through personal initiatives (non-established business) and resulting in the launch of a business, may be accepted. For example, this may be a person who offered language courses to acquaintances and then decided to launch an official business. Eligible sales resulting from personal initiatives are not, therefore, associated with an REQ number.

  Validation by the provincial team is required. OSEntreprendre reserves the right to request additional supporting information or documents in order to evaluate eligibility.

• Purchase orders issued before April 1, 2022: A purchase order issued before April 1, 2022, is considered a sale, even if the order has not yet been delivered or the payment cashed. Thus, the application is not eligible for the Business Creation section.

8. Which section should a student register to?

A business project by a student or group of students aged 18 years or over may be entered either in the Scholastic section or the Business Creation section, so long as it complies with all eligibility criteria. However, a project cannot be entered simultaneously in both sections for the same edition of the OSEntreprendre Challenge.

A project that has already been registered in the Scholastic section of the OSEntreprendre Challenge, whether or not it was a prizewinner, may be entered in the Business Creation section in a subsequent edition of the Challenge, so long as the project respects all eligibility criteria.

However, students who have a business plan for a new business, including projects developed as part of a “Starting a Business” program in vocational training, are strongly advised to register their project in the Business Creation section.