Self-Employment Support

The Self-Employment Support Program offers technical and financial support (wage subsidy) upon business start-up for income security or employment insurance recipients. The RCM des Sources business service is the authorized agent on behalf of the Local Employment Centre (CLE) in Asbestos. They greatly contribute to project assessments, business plan elaboration coaching, company start-ups as well as post-start-up follow-ups. Over the years, such business development program remained an important tool for the RCM des Sources self-employed people.

The admissible applicant:

  • is an income security recipient;
  • is an employment insurance recipient;
  • is without employment and financial assistance;
  • is a worker with unstable employment.

The project:

  • demonstrates reasonable levels of viability and profitability;
  • benefits from the promoter’s down payment which is equivalent to 15% of overall payments;
  • must have its head office located on the RCM des Sources territory.

The promoter must:

  • have an entrepreneur profile;
  • work full time for the company on a full-year basis;
  • have skills or a certain experience in relation to the project;
  • hold the majority of the company shares (51%);
  • be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant and be a permanent resident of Quebec.

Financial Assistance

For eligible income security or employment insurance recipients, Emploi-Québec financial assistance will take the form of an allowance equivalent to the current minimum wage, based on a 40-hour work week.
Employment insurance recipients maintain their benefit rates if these are greater than the allowance. Corporate revenues generated during the given participation period will belong to the company and will not reduce the allowance amount.
Workers with unstable employment as well as certain candidates without any income support may benefit from technical support.
The allocated financial assistance will be granted for up to 30 weeks. An 8-week period is normally allocated for the elaboration of a business plan as well as reception of the project’s funding, if it meets all the eligibility criteria.

Technical Support

  • Analysis of the entrepreneurial and project potential;
  • Individual support for the business plan elaboration and implementation;
  • Technical advice and follow-up during the preparatory and start-up phases;
  • Possibility of upgrading training.

Excluded Projects

  • Companies controlled by a third party other than the recipient (e.g.:franchises)
  • Companies from a highly-competitive sector, that are saturated or insignificant according to the local action plan

Procedures

The project must be presented and authorized by the Approval Committee with regard to the business plan elaboration as well as the business preparatory and start–up phase approval.

For further details: http://emploiquebec.gouv.qc.ca/%20citoyens/demarrer-son-entreprise/soutien-au-travail-autonome/