CIDEP

What CIDEP does

CIDEP is a privately held, Montreal-headquartered professional services firm founded in 2006 that specializes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction and export development on behalf of Economic Development Organizations (EDOs). The firm serves as an in-market representative and physical extension for U.S. state economic development agencies and Western European regional development agencies seeking to attract Canadian investment and support their regional exporters with market entry into Canada. Co-founded by Frédérick Bernard (CEO) and Ludovic Ortuno (COO), both University of Montreal graduates, CIDEP operates from offices in Montreal's Old Port and Toronto's Commerce Court, providing full coverage of the Windsor-Quebec City corridor.

The company's offering is organized around four interconnected service lines: FDI Lead Generation (prospect identification and qualification for EDOs), In-Market Representation (boots-on-the-ground presence at trade shows and prospect meetings), Trade & Export Services (market-entry support for SMEs), and Economic Development Workshops (FDI training and market presentations). The core technology is the team's domain expertise in international trade, economics, and supply chain segmentation, combined with a network of relationships across North American and European target companies, industry associations, and institutional investors. CIDEP operates a boutique, principal-led engagement model with a complete transparency policy where all produced materials belong to the client.

The business model is professional services fee-based, with revenue derived from retainers and project-based engagements with public-sector EDOs and SME clients. Customer acquisition is driven by direct relationship-based marketing, EDO network referrals, and event presence. Notable named customers include the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Arizona Department of Commerce, Enterprise Florida, Business Oregon, Rhode Island Commerce, and Vermont Agency of Commerce, alongside 15+ Western European development agencies such as ADIELOR and Normandie Development. The 2023 partnership with the State International Development Organization (SIDO) extended CIDEP's reach to serve exporters from all 50 U.S. states in the Canadian market.

Name

CIDEP

Legal name

CIDEP

Website

https://cidepiqc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CIDEP is a Montreal-based boutique consultancy founded in 2006 that provides FDI lead generation, in-market representation, and trade/export services to U.S. state and Western European Economic Development Organizations seeking Canadian market access. The firm serves as a physical extension of EDOs across North America and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. FDI Lead Generation Services: Market identification and prospect qualification services for Economic Development Organizations to enable connections with businesses expanding their physical footprint. Generates job-creating projects for EDO clients.
2. In-Market Representation Services: Physical extension services for EDOs where CIDEP professionals act on behalf of clients in targeted markets. Includes trade show support, prospect meetings, and event accompaniment for EDOs and exporters.
3. Trade & Export Services: Personalized business development services for Small and Medium-sized Exporters (SMEs) to assist with market-entry strategies. Includes target market understanding, marketing to key leads, and prospect connections for business growth abroad.
4. Economic Development Workshops: Personalized in-class or in-the-field FDI training covering attraction, expansion, and retention value chain. Also includes market presentations on foreign sectors for exporters.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CIDEP is a Montreal-based boutique consulting firm that provides Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) lead generation, in-market representation, trade and export services, and economic development workshops to Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) and small/medium-sized exporters (SMEs). The firm acts as a physical extension of its clients in Canadian and international markets, qualifying prospects, scheduling meetings, and accompanying clients at trade shows to attract job-creating investment projects and support export market entry.

Product overview

CIDEP offers a unified suite of professional consulting services centered on FDI attraction and export development. The portfolio consists of four interconnected service lines: FDI Lead Generation (prospect identification and qualification), In-Market Representation (boots-on-the-ground presence in Canadian markets), Trade & Export Services (market-entry support for SMEs), and Economic Development Workshops (FDI training and market presentations). These services are designed to work together, enabling Economic Development Organizations to attract investment while simultaneously supporting their regional exporters with international business development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FDI Lead Generation Market identification and prospect qualification service that enables connections between Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) and businesses serious about expanding their physical footprint, with the goal of realizing job-creating investment projects in client territories.
• In-Market Representation Physical extension of EDO services in target markets, with CIDEP professionals acting on behalf of clients to enable introductions to solid leads, generate investment and job creation, and provide full-fledged accompaniment at trade shows and industry-specific events including prospect meetings and office visits.
• Trade & Export Services Personalized business development services for Small and Medium-sized Exporters (SMEs) to assist with market-entry strategies, including target market understanding, marketing to key leads, and connecting with prospects, leveraging CIDEP's network of in-market specialists for local supply chain segmentation.
• Economic Development Workshops Personalized in-class or in-the-field FDI training covering the attraction, expansion, and retention value chain, complemented by market presentations on foreign sectors for exporters to understand regulations, market trends, and business opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted numerous EDOs across North America and Europe with realization of job-creating projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• State International Development Organization (SIDO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CIDEP elected as Canadian Partner of SIDO to act as the Canadian extension of exporters across all U.S. States. This partnership enables CIDEP to provide comprehensive trade development services to exporters from any U.S. state seeking Canadian market entry.
• Business Oregon (Oregon Economic Development Department)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023CIDEP became the Canadian in-market representative for Business Oregon in 2023, providing trade and investment representation services in the Canadian market.
• Rhode Island Commerce CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023CIDEP became the Canadian in-market representative for Rhode Island Commerce in 2023, supporting trade and investment activities in Canada.
• Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community DevelopmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021CIDEP was elected as the first in-market representative for the State of Vermont in 2021, establishing a dedicated Canadian presence for Vermont-based economic development efforts.
• Missouri Department of Economic DevelopmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Missouri began using CIDEP as their local office in Canada for trade services during the 2016-2020 period of steady growth.
• Colorado Office of Economic Development and International TradecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Colorado used CIDEP as their local office in Canada for trade services, supporting Colorado exporters with Canadian market entry.
• Delaware Division of Small BusinesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Delaware utilized CIDEP as their local office in Canada for trade services and export development support.
• Enterprise FloridaflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2010CIDEP became the official representative in Canada for Enterprise Florida, the Economic Development Agency for the State of Florida, and expanded trade and export services to support Florida's exporters with market entry strategies in Canada.
• Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008CIDEP entered the U.S. market and signed a contract to be the Canadian in-market representative for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This was CIDEP's first U.S. client.
• Arizona Department of CommerceflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008CIDEP was selected by the State of Arizona's Department of Commerce as the official state representative in Canada for its trade and investment activities.
• ADIELOR (Lorraine Foreign Investment Development Agency)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006CIDEP established business relations with ADIELOR, one of the first major economic development agencies in France to work with CIDEP upon founding in 2006.
• Normandie DevelopmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006Normandie Development was among CIDEP's first clients in Western Europe since the company's founding in 2006.
• Dunkirk PromotionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006Dunkirk Promotion was among CIDEP's early clients in Western Europe served from the Montreal office.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG: Big Four professional services firm with a Global Location & Expansion Services practice supporting FDI attraction, site selection, and market entry for corporates and economic development agencies. Overlaps with CIDEP on cross-border FDI advisory but competes at the largest end of the market with global bench depth.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate and investment management firm with a dedicated Global Location Strategy / FDI Advisory practice supporting corporates and economic development agencies. Comparable to CIDEP in serving EDO clients with location strategy and FDI attraction, but at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Deloitte: Big Four firm with Global Investment & Innovation Incentives (Gi3) and FDI advisory practices serving EDOs and multinationals. Comparable to CIDEP on FDI attraction and economic development consulting, but with substantially broader capabilities and global delivery network.
• EY (Ernst & Young): Big Four advisory firm with a Global Location Strategy / FDI practice supporting EDOs and corporates on cross-border investment, site selection, and market entry. Directly overlaps with CIDEP's core EDO services but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic coverage.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with a Global Incentives and FDI Advisory practice serving multinationals and EDOs on location strategy, incentives, and cross-border investment. Overlaps with CIDEP on FDI attraction and site selection mandates but operates at vastly larger scale across multiple countries.

Direct peers

• OCO Global: OCO Global is an FDI and trade investment advisory firm supporting economic development agencies and corporates on cross-border market entry. Comparable to CIDEP in serving EDO clients with in-market representation, lead generation, and export development services across multiple geographies.
• Tractus: Tractus is a cross-border investment and FDI advisory firm helping North American and European EDOs attract and retain foreign direct investment. Highly comparable to CIDEP in service scope (market entry, site selection, lead generation) and target customer (EDOs and SMEs), with a similar boutique positioning.
• FDI Center: Boutique FDI advisory firm helping European EDOs attract investment from outside their regions, with similar boutique positioning, in-market representation model, and EDO client base to CIDEP. Highly comparable in scope, size, and service model.
• Conway Consulting: Conway Consulting is a Canadian-based firm providing FDI attraction, business development, and trade services to economic development organizations. Directly comparable to CIDEP's boutique model, government EDO focus, and Canadian market entry mandate.

Others

• fDi Intelligence (Financial Times): Financial Times-owned FDI intelligence, data, and advisory platform serving EDOs and corporates. Not a direct services competitor to CIDEP but is an ecosystem participant that competes for EDO marketing budgets and provides benchmark data CIDEP's clients use to evaluate their FDI performance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cidep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CIDEP