The CLD pays special attention to projects of a community or social nature based on the production of goods or services and which look to be self-financing having a formal business base.

If your project contributes to stimulating the social economy, your CLD can help you get it off the ground as long as it meets certain criteria such as it :

• contributes to the local community action plan ;
• aims to produce a good or service benefiting members of an organization or society whose needs have been shown ;
• creates gainful, ongoing and quality employment ;
• generates its own source of revenue which when added to other business revenues creates ongoing employment ;
• contributes to developing a new business or a new service within a social organization.

The selection committee for proposed projects is made up of members of different community organizations in the RCM of Antoine-Labelle.

Finally, the CLD and SADC reached an agreement with the Réseau d’investissement social du Québec. The agreement sets out a fund for market studies necessary for starting up or expanding a business project in the social economy. Expenses incurred to produce the study are also deductible.

Participants pay back this loan when the project is up and running. If the project does not get off the ground, participants do not pay back the loan, however, the market study remains property of the CLD and SADC and can be used by other participants.

For more information, please contact the Local Development Centre (CLD) at (819) 623-1545.