Why finance a social economy enterprise?
RISQ’s years of investments have proven that social economy enterprises generate positive impacts for communities, both social and economic. The cause and effect relationship between our financing and the social and economic impacts generated by collective enterprises confirms RISQ’s essential role.
Social impacts
linked to RISQ investments
COLLECTIVE SUCCESSES HAVE SHOWN US, RISQ’S investments . . .
- Stimulate economic growth based on human values of democracy and solidarity
- Contribute to the social integration of individuals who have traditionally been excluded
- Create long-lasting employment
- Encourage the emergence of projects from fragile/insecure areas
- Enable a response to needs that are either unmet or poorly met by the market or government.
- Reinforce collective and entrepreneurial viability through
-an adapted financial analysis method
– selection of enterprises that respond to socioeconomic needs
-reinforcement and follow-up of business plans and governance
-partnership, trust, and risk mutualization
-mobilization of finance actors and advisors
Economic impacts
linked to RISQ investments
THE NUMBERS SHOW US that RISQ investments . . .
- Make a positive contribution to Québec’s overall economy
- Generate revenues for provincial public administrations (taxes, duties, and incidental taxes)
- Are a financial lever for collective projects throughout Québec
- Allow most of our financed enterprises to successfully carry out their projects and repay capital and interest to RISQ
- Generate a counterpower to the market for :
– producers
– workers
– intermediate and ultimate consumers
The difference
Arising from collective initiatives, social economy enterprises’ main goal and activity is to produce and sell goods or services that are both financially viable and socially profitable. Doing business as a cooperative or not-for-profit society means . . .
- Responding to social and economic needs, both individual and collective
- Creating and maintaining sustainable jobs
- Basing your operation on the values of solidarity, responsibility, democratic practice, equality, and personal development.
Highlights of an impact study of RISQ’s investments.
Summary of the study
The full study conducted by research teams
from ESG UQAM and E&B Data
THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
From 1997 to 2025, RISQ, an initiator of impacts and successes…
MILLION $ invested
RISQ loans
jobs created or maintained
collective enterprises supported
Supported projects by legal status
Cooperatives
Not-for-profit organizations
Supported projects by enterprises’
level of development
*As at December 31, 2025
Total projects : 1 493
Investments by financial products
Technical Assistance – 557
Pre-startup – 116
Capitalization – Loans – 807
Capitalization – Guarantees – 35
Since 2007
Chantier Trust Loans – 375
Number of joint Capitalization/Trust loans – 204
Number of loans and amounts
invested by sector of activity
*As at December 31, 2025
| Sector of activity | Number | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Health and social assistance | 168 | $4,885,103 |
| Wholesale trade | 14 | $623,500 |
| Retail trade | 156 | $4,781,618 |
| Total trade (wholesale + retail) | 170 | $5,405,118 |
| Manufacturing | 120 | $3,697,715 |
| Collective real estate services | 76 | $2,746,216 |
| Arts, entertainment and heritage | 122 | $3,442,983 |
| Information and communication technologies | 126 | $3,871,989 |
| Development organizations | 50 | $610,658 |
| Professional services | 94 | $2,653,440 |
| Educational services | 48 | $1,270,920 |
| Waste management and recycling | 51 | $1,674,180 |
| Administrative, public and support services | 47 | $1,668,811 |
| Accommodation | 57 | $2,206,224 |
| Agriculture, forestry and others | 47 | $1,504,929 |
| Restaurants, bars, live venues, craft breweries | 77 | $2,642,598 |
| Personal services | 48 | $1,713,849 |
| Leisure and entertainment | 88 | $3,127,799 |
| Associations and citizen groups | 71 | $1,065,619 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 25 | $952,505 |
Number of loans and amounts invested by region
*As at December 31, 2025
| Région | Nombre | Montant |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Bas-Saint-Laurent | 76 | 2 148 835 $ |
| 02 Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean | 83 | 2 702 339 $ |
| 03 Capitale-Nationale | 154 | 4 324 453 $ |
| 04 Mauricie | 67 | 1 911 263 $ |
| 05 Estrie | 73 | 1 951 037 $ |
| 06 Montréal | 537 | 18 018 687 $ |
| 07 Outaouais | 100 | 2 184 246 $ |
| 08 Abitibi–Témiscamingue | 17 | 722 877 $ |
| 09 Côte-Nord | 23 | 709 474 $ |
| 10 Nord-du-Québec | 3 | 145 000 $ |
| 11 Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine | 29 | 1 004 624 $ |
| 12 Chaudière-Appalaches | 52 | 1 353 034 $ |
| 13 Laval | 45 | 1 424 616 $ |
| 14 Lanaudière | 20 | 625 296 $ |
| 15 Laurentides | 66 | 2 445 464 $ |
| 16 Montérégie | 121 | 3 016 583 $ |
| 17 Centre-du-Québec | 27 | 784 928 $ |
SINCE 1997…
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT*
*As at December 31, 2025
557
Number of projects
2 540 300 $
RISQ contribution
8 182 596 $
Investments generated
69 %
Lever effects*
Stages of development
- Pre-startup
- Startup
- Expansion
- Consolidation
SINCE 1997…
Pre-startup projects*
*As at December 31, 2025
Includ FICÉS
116
Number of projects
6 914 600$
RISQ contribution
18 748 459 $
Investments generated
64 %
Lever effect *
Stages of development
- Pre-startup
- Expansion
SINCE 1997…
Capitalization, l’ampli and Transition projects*
*As at December 31, 2025
820
Number of projects
36 017 856 $
RISQ contribution
503 162 641 $
Investments generated
93 %
Lever effect*
Stages of development
- Pre-startup
- Startup
- Expansion
- Consolidation
*The lever effect measures the impact of RISQ financing on the total capital contributions to financed enterprises.
For more information, consult our annual reports.