Réseau d'investissement social du Québec

What Réseau d'investissement social du Québec does

Réseau d'investissement social du Québec (RISQ) is a non-profit social investment fund headquartered in Montréal, Canada, founded in 1997 to provide adapted financing to collective enterprises — cooperatives and non-profit organizations (OBNLs) — operating in Quebec's social economy. The organization manages a portfolio of eight financial products spanning the full enterprise lifecycle: the Technical Assistance Fund ($1,000-$10,000) for consulting services, the Émergence Fund (up to $100,000) for pre-startup, the Capitalization Fund ($20,000-$50,000) for operations, Fonds l'ampli ($10,000-$100,000) for community-matched capital campaigns, the Transition Fund (up to $150,000, now expired) for post-COVID recovery, the FICÉS pilot (up to $250,000) offering revenue-based financing for high-growth enterprises, and the Patient Capital loan from Fiducie du Chantier ($50,000-$2.5 million). Distribution is executed through a relay agent network of Liaisons, Guides, and Analysts covering all 17 administrative regions of Quebec, supplemented by partnerships with regional development organizations including CDRQ, CDEC de Québec, and CDR Outaouais-Laurentides.

RISQ's revenue mechanics are hybrid: interest income on loans (5-8% on Capitalization loans, with moratoria and flexible terms adapted to collective enterprise realities) combined with government grant administration fees and direct grants. Notable funding inflows include the $11.5M PAGES 2020-2025 allocation from the Quebec government, $1M from Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon for Fonds l'ampli, and $880K for the PartÉS subsidy program (2026-2027). Since inception, the organization has deployed $45.5M across 1,493 loans supporting 1,103 collective enterprises and 1,486 jobs, with leverage effects of 69% (technical assistance) to 93% (capitalization) — meaning every dollar deployed mobilizes additional capital from partner financiers such as Fiducie du Chantier, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins, and Desjardins Capital. The organization is a founding member of CAP Finance, Quebec's solidarity and responsible finance network, where the Director General currently serves as President.

Name

Réseau d'investissement social du Québec

Legal name

Réseau d'investissement social du Québec

Website

https://fonds-risq.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Réseau d'investissement social du Québec (RISQ) is a non-profit social investment fund founded in 1997 that provides adapted loan products and subsidies to cooperatives and non-profit social economy enterprises across all 17 regions of Quebec, deploying $45.5M cumulatively across 1,103 enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Finance / Community Development Lending

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)

Keywords

• Social finance fund
• Community development lending
• Cooperative financing
• Venture capital social economy
• Non-profit lending services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Revenue: RISQ generates revenue through interest on loans provided to social economy enterprises. The organization offers various loan products with different interest rate structures: Capitalization loans with rates between 5-8% varying by risk level, Emergence loans with potential interest rate reductions for timely project realization, and Transition loans with fixed annual increasing interest rates.
2. Grant Administration: RISQ administers government grants including PartÉS (Programme d'appui pour ressources techniques en économie sociale), a subsidy program covering up to 50% of eligible consulting expenses for social economy enterprises. The organization also received $11.5 million from the government's PAGES 2020-2025 plan for deploying adapted financial tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RISQ is a non-profit venture capital fund established in 1997 that provides adapted loan products, technical assistance advances, and subsidies to social economy enterprises (cooperatives and NPOs) across Quebec. The fund supports the full lifecycle of collective enterprises from pre-startup through consolidation, including specialized products such as technical assistance advances, emergence loans, capitalization loans, community investment matching, patient capital, and innovation financing.

Product overview

RISQ is a venture capital fund established in 1997 that offers a portfolio of 8 financial products designed for social economy enterprises at various stages of development. The product suite spans from early-stage support (Fonds Aide Technique $1K-$10K, Fonds Émergence up to $100K) through growth and expansion (Fonds Capitalisation $20K-$50K, FICÉS up to $250K, Prêt Capital Patient up to $2.5M) to specialized funding (Fonds l'ampli $10K-$100K for community bonds, PartÉS subsidy up to $15K, and the now-expired Fonds Transition). The products are designed as complementary tools that work together with partner organizations including Fiducie du Chantier de l'économie sociale, CAP Finance network, and regional relay agents across Quebec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fonds Émergence: Pre-startup loan fund (formerly Prêt de Prédémarrage) offering up to $100,000 for new collective enterprises in pre-startup phase with interest holidays up to 3 years.
• Fonds Capitalisation
• Fonds Aide Technique
• Fonds L'ampli
• Fonds Transition
• FICÉS
• PartÉS

Products and services

• Subvention PartÉS Subsidy program covering up to 50% of eligible expenses for external technical advisory and consulting services to support social economy enterprises at all development stages. Amounts range from $2,000 to $15,000.
• Fonds Aide Technique Advance of funds between $1,000 and $10,000 to finance consulting and specialist services for studies and analyses necessary for project realization or development of existing collective enterprises. Repayable only if project materializes.
• Fonds Émergence Pre-startup loan of up to $100,000 for new collective enterprises. Features no capital repayment during pre-startup period, interest holiday up to 3 years, and reduced interest rate if project is realized on schedule.
• Fonds Capitalisation Complementary loan between $20,000 and $50,000 per project to support various operational needs of social economy enterprises. Features flexible interest rates (5-8%) based on risk level, fixed throughout repayment period.
• Fonds l'ampli Investment fund of $10,000 to $100,000 matching community investments dollar-for-dollar for capital crowdfunding campaigns by cooperatives and NPOs. Prolongs repayment horizon through conversion to term loan and serves as leverage for other financiers.
• Prêt de Capital Patient – Fiducie du Chantier Patient capital loan between $50,000 and $2.5 million to support operations and real estate investments. Analyzed by RISQ and offered by partner Fiducie du Chantier. No capital repayment required before 15 years, with competitive fixed interest rate.
• Fonds Transition Loan of up to $150,000 for existing social economy enterprises (3+ years) to support transformation and recovery projects following COVID-19 crisis. Financed by MEIE. (Fund has expired as of latest information.)
• FICÉS (Fonds d'Innovation et Croissance en Économie Sociale) Pilot project loan of up to $250,000 for high-growth potential and/or innovation projects. Revenue-based loan with flexible investment duration and repayment adapted to company growth rate, not exceeding a pre-established ceiling.

Quantifiable outcome

• $45.5M invested supporting 1,486 jobs and 1,103 enterprises from 1997-2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chantier de l'économie socialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chantier de l'économie sociale is a non-partisan organization promoting and developing collective entrepreneurship in Quebec. RISQ works closely with the Chantier on co-developing financial products including the Fonds L'ampli, joint impact measurement studies, and collaborative initiatives. The Chantier administers the Fiducie du Chantier which partners with RISQ for larger financing requests.
• CAP FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAP Finance is the network of solidarity and responsible finance bringing together key Quebec social finance actors around a shared vision. RISQ has been a member since its creation in 2009. RISQ's Director General Nathalie Villemure serves as President of CAP Finance's board.
• CDRQ (Coopérative de développement régional du Québec)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial guide for RISQ network, providing guidance to collective enterprises on financing and project development across Quebec regions. Works with RISQ to support regional social economy development.
• CDEC de QuébeccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity economic development corporation serving as Analyst for Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. Processes Technical Assistance and Capitalization applications with complete file support through to RISQ investment committee recommendation.
• CDR Outaouais-Laurentides (Coopérative de développement régional Outaouais-Laurentides)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional development cooperative serving as Analyst for Outaouais and Laurentides regions. Processes Technical Assistance and Capitalization applications for collective enterprises in these regions.
• CDEC de Trois-Rivières (ECOF)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBecame mandataire for Capitalization and Technical Assistance products for Trois-Rivières and surrounding area through partnership agreement with RISQ. Provides local support for collective enterprise financing applications.
• Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)minorOthersAMF recognizes the role of L'ampli system in financial consolidation and regulates community bond campaigns. L'ampli system is a partner of AMF under its Quebec Financial Education Strategy.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fiducie du Chantier de l'économie sociale: Quebec-based patient capital fund for social economy enterprises offering $50K-$2.5M loans. RISQ explicitly partners with and refers clients to Fiducie for larger financing, making them direct collaborators in the same customer segment with complementary product offerings.
• Filaction: Quebec investment fund focused on worker cooperatives and collective entrepreneurship, providing equity and loan capital. Operates in the same social economy segment as RISQ and is a fellow CAP Finance member, making it a direct comparable in cooperative financing.
• Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins: Cooperative financial institution serving social economy enterprises and collective projects in Quebec. Provides deposit, lending, and treasury services — a direct peer in serving the same Quebec cooperative and NPO customer base.
• Fondaction: Quebec labor-sponsored fund investing in cooperatives and social economy enterprises with patient capital and impact mandates. Overlaps with RISQ's collective-enterprise focus and is a fellow CAP Finance board member, serving a directly comparable customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Fonds de solidarité FTQ: Quebec's largest labor-sponsored investment fund with broad SME and impact investment activities. A much larger incumbent in Quebec solidarity finance, with significant overlap in serving cooperatives but covering a wider investment universe beyond social economy.
• Investissement Québec: Quebec government investment agency supporting economic development across all sectors. Functions as a broader incumbent in Quebec business financing, with social economy as one of several focus areas; partner of CAP Finance alongside RISQ.

Emerging players

• Chantier de l'économie sociale: Non-partisan organization promoting collective entrepreneurship in Quebec, co-developing financial products with RISQ (including Fonds L'ampli) and administering Fiducie du Chantier. Functions as a strategic ecosystem partner with overlapping mission but distinct operational focus on policy and ecosystem-building.
• MicroEntreprendre: Quebec organization supporting micro-enterprise development including collective enterprises. A fellow CAP Finance member serving a similar end-customer segment but at smaller scale, representing an emerging player in the social economy support ecosystem.

Others

• CAP Finance: Quebec network of solidarity and responsible finance actors that RISQ co-leads (DG as President). Functions as an ecosystem coordinator rather than direct competitor, but represents the broader institutional framework within which RISQ operates.

Regional players

• VanCity Community Investment Bank: Canadian social finance institution focused on community-focused lending and impact investing, primarily serving British Columbia. Operates a similar mission of financing cooperatives, NPOs, and social enterprises, providing a regional peer comparison to RISQ's Quebec model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RISQ

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Réseau d'investissement social du Québec