Summary#
The city council adopted Montréal’s position in favour of a $500,000 grant to Microcrédit Montréal for its 2026–2029 project, Le microcrédit au service de l'entrepreneuriat inclusif. It also supported the draft agreement setting the grant’s payment terms. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. The stated goal is to improve access to business support and financing for entrepreneurs who have limited access to traditional credit.
- The proposed grant would fund awareness, training and business support activities, as well as work to diversify Microcrédit Montréal’s income.
- City staff list targets including reaching 415 women and 250 recently arrived immigrants with information about entrepreneurship and support services, and supporting 200 women entrepreneurs to start or grow a business.
- The planned grant payments are $150,000 in 2026, $50,000 and $100,000 in 2027, $100,000 and $50,000 in 2028, and $50,000 in 2029.
What it means for you#
- Entrepreneurs: If the grant is approved, Microcrédit Montréal would use it for services aimed at entrepreneurs and self-employed people with limited access to traditional financing. The material does not give individuals a right to receive a loan or other service.
- Women entrepreneurs and recently arrived immigrants: They are among the groups named in the project’s targets. The targets are expected results, not guaranteed outcomes.
- Taxpayers: The proposed expense is assigned to the agglomeration, not solely to Montréal proper.
Money#
The proposed public grant is $500,000 over 2026–2029; no estimate of the project’s net public cost is given.
- City staff list a total project budget of $1,952,606 and describe the Ville’s contribution as 25%.
- The grant is budgeted under the economic development service’s 2025–2029 agreement with Québec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy. Staff say the agglomeration would cover 100% of the expense.
What is unclear#
- The draft agreement’s detailed payment conditions are not included.
- The material does not define terms such as “recently arrived” or explain how the targets will be measured.
- It does not say how much of the project’s work will provide loans versus other forms of support.
Case for#
- The project is designed for entrepreneurs who may have difficulty obtaining traditional credit, and combines financing access with training and business support.
- City staff say the work complements existing entrepreneurship services and aims to increase economic inclusion.
Case against#
- The material does not explain how progress against the targets will be checked or what happens if they are missed.
- A possible trade-off is using public money for one organization’s services while the material gives little detail on how those services compare with other available support.