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Education Subsidy from the Quebec Provincial Government (PACME)

The government has launched the Programme actions concertées pour le maintien en emploi (PACME) [collaborative action employment maintenance program]. The objective of this program is to help companies implement such measures as teleworking or to develop the skills of employees who have to stay at home.

Under this program, companies can be reimbursed for 100% of eligible expenses (up to a $100,000 maximum); these include trainers’ fees, equipment purchases and human resources management activities.

Reimbursement calculations will be based on the amount of federal government emergency assistance for which a business is eligible.

Who is eligible?

Businesses and collective promoters; these include:

  • employers;
  • self-employed workers (whether incorporated or not) with employees;
  • employee and employer associations;
  • occupational groups;
  • employer groups;
  • worker groups;
  • collective promoters recognized by the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail [labour market partners board] for the Collective Promoters component of the program:
    • Collective promoters are groups of employers or workers who are able to create employment-related projects and who can supervise or carry out these projects; these groups include the Sectoral Workforce Committees, training mutuals and recognized employer associations, legally established associations of workers, etc.
  • co-ops;
  • social economy enterprises;
  • non-profit and community organizations with an active community presence.

Which expenses are eligible?

  • wages of workers in training (excluding payroll taxes), to a maximum of $25/hour;
  • professional fees of consultants or trainers, to a maximum of $150/hour;
  • indirect expenses for trainers (travel, meals, accommodation, etc.), at actual cost;
  • indirect expenses for workers in training (travel, meals, accommodation, etc.), at actual cost;
  • expenses related to developing, adapting and purchasing instructional and learning materials, at actual cost;
  • expenses for equipment and supplies required to deliver training, at actual cost;
  • expenses for developing and adapting training contents, at actual cost;
  • expenses incurred in transferring classroom-based instruction to online training, at actual cost;
  • registration fees or other fees related to the use of a platform, at actual cost;
  • if applicable, management and administrative expenses (bank fees, equipment, supplies required to carry out activities, etc.) incurred by the delegated organization, up to a maximum of 10 per cent of eligible costs.

How do I apply?

Businesses and self-employed workers must contact a Business Counsellor in their region.

Collective promoters must email their subsidy application forms to: partenaires@mtess.gouv.qc.ca. You can find more details about this category on the PACME’s web page (French only).

Funding is available until September 30th or until the $100M allocated to this program is fully utilized.