IT project quotes for Montreal businesses
Courtier TI accepts IT quote requests from Montreal businesses, as it does from businesses across Québec. The Courtier TI team first contacts you to clarify your request, then the IT services firm selected for your project presents its quote and carries out the mandate.
Population of the city of Montreal
1,762,949 residents (2021 Census)
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Census Profile,
Knowledge of French and English
1,018,100 of 1,741,260 people know both French and English (2021 Census)
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Census Profile,
Municipal support for SMBs
PME MTL, the City of Montréal's business support network since 2015, six service hubs
Source: PME MTL, Notre mission page (in French), consulted
Moving an IT project forward in Montreal
Montreal had 1,762,949 residents in Statistics Canada's 2021 Census. It is also a city where both official languages are part of daily life: according to the same census, 1,018,100 of the 1,741,260 residents covered by the question know both French and English. In a quote request, it is therefore useful to state which language the interface of a website or app, the documentation and user training should be delivered in, and whether an English version is added to the French version.
Language is also a compliance matter. Section 52.1 of the Charter of the French language provides that all software must be available in French, unless no French version exists. The Office québécois de la langue française also notes that businesses employing 25 or more people in Québec must register with it and generalize the use of French in information technology. These rules apply everywhere in Québec, including Montreal. Stating your company size and language expectations from the start helps the IT services firm prepare a quote that takes them into account.
The same goes for personal information: Law 25 applies to every business in Québec, including those in Montreal. Our Law 25 guide for SMBs sums up what it changes on the IT side: person in charge of privacy, privacy impact assessments and incident management.
Montreal also has a public ecosystem that supports businesses. PME MTL, the City of Montréal's business support network since 2015, brings together six service hubs and supports private and social economy businesses in every sector. Its hubs serve the boroughs of the city of Montréal as well as other municipalities on the island, such as Westmount, Dorval or Pointe-Claire; the PME MTL website directs each business to its hub based on its postal code. According to the City of Montréal's business support page (in French), PME MTL offers loans and grants to support the start-up and growth of Montreal businesses, along with personalized guidance. In 2022, PME MTL also created the Circuit numérique, a digital transformation support program for Montreal SMBs. Programs change: check the current offer and your eligibility directly with PME MTL before building your project budget.
At the City level, the Service du développement économique supports Montreal businesses in their growth, including through programs and calls for projects. Among them, the open innovation grant program helps emerging businesses develop a matchmaking project with a large organization to commercialize an innovation. Its page also links to tools such as Montréal en statistiques and the Tableau de bord économique, which help place a project in context. Two other organizations round out the picture: the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain, whose mission is to be the voice of Montreal's business community, and Montréal International, the economic promotion agency for Greater Montréal.
Courtier TI does not administer any of these programs and does not replace these organizations. Its role is simpler: helping you describe your IT project and assigning it to the IT services firm whose expertise matches your needs. If your project is part of a funding application, mention it in your request so the quote can set out the scope and deliverables clearly. Describe your project at courtierti.com; the team will contact you.
IT projects in Montreal
IT support / managed IT
User support and fleet management
Cybersecurity
Audits, penetration testing and compliance
AI governance
Usage policy, tool inventory and Law 25
Cloud
Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS and backups
Applications
Mobile and web apps, business software
Web development
Corporate and e-commerce sites, portals
Sample project (fictional scenario)
An aerospace SMB that would like to better protect access to its accounts
Aerospace is one of Greater Montréal's key sectors presented by Montréal International (in French). Imagine an SMB in this sector, with about thirty employees, that machines parts and would like to better protect access to its email, its technical drawings and its remote access. It would describe its project in the form. The Courtier TI team would first contact it to clarify the request: number of users, tools in place, remote access used by staff, language of the training. The request would then be assigned to the IT services firm whose expertise matches the project. Its quote could cover an inventory of accounts, enabling multi-factor authentication, a review of remote access and an awareness session for employees in French. If the SMB accepted the quote, that firm would carry out the mandate.
This scenario is fictional and for illustration only.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an IT services firm located in Montreal for my project?
Not necessarily; it depends on the project. Remote support, cloud work or app development can be done remotely, while work such as cabling or workstation installation takes place at your premises. State in your request where the work needs to take place: the Courtier TI team takes this into account before assigning your request.
Can I submit my request in English?
Yes. The service is bilingual: you can fill out the form in English or in French. Also state the language of the deliverables, for example a bilingual website or French documentation, so the quote takes it into account.
Does my business have to use software in French?
The Charter of the French language provides that all software must be available in French if a French version exists, and the Office québécois de la langue française states that businesses with 25 or more people must generalize the use of French in information technology. These rules apply everywhere in Québec. For your specific situation, check with the Office; Courtier TI does not provide legal advice.
Is there support for digital projects of Montreal SMBs?
PME MTL, the City of Montréal's business support network, offers guidance as well as loans and grants. Programs and criteria change: check your eligibility directly with PME MTL. Courtier TI does not administer these programs.
My business is in Westmount, Dorval or elsewhere on the island: can I submit a request?
Yes. Courtier TI accepts requests from Montreal businesses as it does from businesses across Québec, whether you are in a borough of the city or in another municipality on the island. For PME MTL programs, your business's postal code determines which service hub to contact.