Femtech Funding in Quebec: Does Your Women’s Health Technology Qualify?

Femtech Funding in Quebec: Does Your Women’s Health Technology Qualify?

If you’re building a women’s health technology in Quebec, funding can feel out of reach—especially if your product sits between medical devices, digital health, and research. The MEDTEQ+ – Femtech program was created to close that gap. It offers up to $1.5 million in non-repayable funding for collaborative projects that improve women’s health through innovation.

This guide explains what counts as femtech under the program, who is eligible, and how to tell if your project fits.

---

How the MEDTEQ+ Femtech Program Works

The MEDTEQ+ – Femtech initiative supports research, development, and validation of health technologies designed specifically for women. It is run by MEDTEQ+, Quebec’s medical technology innovation consortium, and targets projects that help the healthcare system adopt better tools for women’s care.

Funding amount and duration

• Up to $500,000 per year
• Maximum of $1.5 million per project
• Project length: up to 3 years
• Non-repayable grant

Where the project must take place

• The project must be carried out in Quebec
• Partners must be active in Quebec’s health innovation ecosystem

---

Does Your Femtech Project Qualify?

To access femtech funding in Quebec through MEDTEQ+, your project must meet all of the following criteria.

1. Your technology must address a women’s health need

Eligible projects focus on women’s health challenges, including:

• Access to reproductive health services
• Screening and diagnosis of female cancers
• Perinatal and post-natal care and follow-up
• Mental health interventions tailored to women (for example, eating disorders)

If your solution improves outcomes specifically for women—not just healthcare in general—it may qualify as femtech under this program.

2. Your technology type must be eligible

The program supports:

• Regulated medical devices
• Healthcare IT systems and digital health technologies

Wellness apps without a clinical or healthcare system use case are unlikely to qualify. The focus is on technologies that can be validated, adopted, or integrated into care delivery.

3. You must apply as a consortium

This is not a solo startup grant. Your project must include:

• At least one industrial partner (such as a company developing or commercializing the technology)
• At least one academic or clinical partner (university, research centre, hospital, or clinic)

4. Industry partners must fund part of the project

• Partner companies must contribute at least 40% of eligible project expenses

This shows MEDTEQ+ that industry is committed to bringing the technology to market or into real-world use.

5. A Quebec SME cannot be the main driver

One detail that often surprises applicants:

• The project must not significantly involve a Quebec SME

This program is structured around larger collaborative research and validation efforts, not early-stage SME-led product development.

Tools like GrantHub’s eligibility matcher can help you quickly confirm whether your business structure and partners line up with programs like MEDTEQ+ Femtech.

---

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Applying without a clinical or academic partner
   MEDTEQ+ requires collaboration. Letters of intent or informal discussions are not enough.

2. Submitting a general health tech project
   The women’s health focus must be clear and central, not a secondary benefit.

3. Underestimating the 40% industry contribution
   Cash and in-kind contributions must be documented and realistic.

4. Assuming any startup qualifies
   If your Quebec SME is the main project lead, this program may not be the right fit.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the MEDTEQ+ Femtech grant repayable?
No. The funding is non-repayable, provided you meet the program’s terms and reporting requirements.

Q: How much funding can one project receive?
Projects can receive up to $500,000 per year, to a maximum of $1.5 million over three years.

Q: Are digital women’s health platforms eligible?
Yes, if they qualify as healthcare IT systems and address a defined women’s health issue within the healthcare system.

Q: Is a Quebec SME required to apply?
No. In fact, the project must not significantly involve a Quebec SME as the primary driver.

Q: How long can a funded project run?
The maximum project duration is three years.

After the FAQ, it helps to know that GrantHub tracks hundreds of active grant programs across Canada—including specialized Quebec innovation funding—to help you see what matches your business profile.

---