This text is part of the special Social Economy section
The government of Quebec is providing financial assistance of 9.8 million until 2025 to the Conseil québécois de la cooperation et de la mutualité (CQCM). This subsidy is granted within the framework of the Partnership Agreement for the Development of Cooperatives (Agreement), in place since 2004.
“This is a very good agreement for the government because each dollar invested in the CQCM generates 9 dollars in turnover,” says Marie-Josée Paquette, the general director of this organization founded in 1940 to defend, promote and promote collective entrepreneurship.
“The 3,000 Quebec cooperatives and mutuals offer a sustainable business model: 64% survive after five years, compared to 35% of Quebec companies. Collective entrepreneurship is a third path that would benefit from being better known. This is our main issue. »
Thanks to the dozen sectoral organizations (housing, forestry, agri-food, financial, educational, health, home help cooperatives, etc.) that it oversees and its regional offices, the CQCM responds to several hundred requests per year for start-up and various services.
There are many great successes. During the pandemic, for example, funeral cooperatives quickly pooled their efforts to offer virtual funeral services. “Currently, we are observing a new trend: that of SMEs grouping together into cooperatives to offer quality services,” she says, citing the case of Ôrigine artisans hôteliers, a cooperative bringing together around forty inns which provide pool their marketing and booking resources.
The paradoxes of success
When it comes to financing, Marie-Josée Paquette is surprising. “There is no real resistance from lenders. Two-thirds of Canadian cooperatives and mutuals are from Quebec, she says. Our financing structure is excellent. »
The real difficulty, she explains, lies rather in the lack of knowledge of collective entrepreneurship among a certain number of intermediaries, starting with the supporting professionals who are lawyers, notaries and CPAs. “Not all professionals know the Cooperatives Act or the business model. We often see cases of groups having difficulty finding a specialist who knows about it. Cooperatives should be included in basic training. »
The situation is all the more paradoxical because Quebec has an institutional support framework that is unique in Canada. “And basically, Quebec’s law on cooperatives is considered a model in Canada and abroad and it is constantly updated. »
In terms of ignorance, there are numerous gaps in local economic development structures. “Many projects are formulated at the MRC level [municipalités régionales de comté], but the MRCs do not know who to contact. »
She explains that the movement also faces resistance in certain ministries. Health cooperatives, in particular, play a vital role in the region, but they all have great difficulty obtaining the desired support from ministries.
This is why the CQCM devotes a good half of its staff resources to education in schools and in Carrefours jeunesse-emploi. “It’s about providing students with a collective enterprise. People don’t know what cooperation is, it’s a big challenge for us. »
The amp to the rescue
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.