Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Governments of Canada, Quebec Join Forces to Launch BizPaL

Free online business permit and licence service saves time, cuts red tape and helps entrepreneurs

QUÉBEC CITY, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Sept. 23, 2014) -

Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture), and François Blais, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, announced the implementation of BizPaL in Quebec in partnership with 11 participating municipalities. This free online application is a directory of the permits and licences required to start or run a business. BizPaL therefore saves business people time searching for information and, as a result, helps them meet their obligations more easily.

BizPaL is managed jointly by the federal, provincial and territorial governments and the participating municipalities. There are currently 11 participating municipalities in Quebec: Cowansville, Laval, Matane, Mont-Tremblant, Port-Cartier, Québec, Rivière-du-Loup, Saint-Apollinaire, Sorel-Tracy, Thetford Mines and Warwick. The governments of Canada and Quebec encourage all municipalities to join BizPaL to ensure its success.

In Quebec, BizPaL is accessible through the Businesses section in the Québec Portal (www.gouv.qc.ca). Services Québec Businesses is a one-stop shop for easy access to government programs and services.

Quick facts

  • BizPaL is an innovative service that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to information on the permits and licences they need to establish and run their businesses.

  • BizPaL is a unique partnership between the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.

  • In Canada and Quebec, over 99 percent of businesses are either small or medium-sized and contribute significantly to job creation, economic growth and the GDP.

Quotes

"Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, our government has demonstrated a commitment to helping our entrepreneurs succeed. BizPaL is an essential and accessible tool that reduces the administrative burden on small business owners, saving them time and money so that they can continue creating jobs and economic growth."

- Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture)

"The Government of Quebec is fully committed to creating a competitive business environment for small and medium-sized businesses. In all regions, SMEs contribute significantly to Quebec's economic vitality by creating thousands of sustainable jobs and generating billions of dollars in benefits every year. BizPaL complements the government's efforts to support business people and simplify the paperwork related to their enterprises."

- François Blais, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity

Related Products

- Backgrounder

Associated links

- BizPaL website

- Quebec BizPaL website (in French only)

Follow us on Twitter: @industrycanada, @EntreprisesQc (French only)

BACKGROUNDER

BizPaL simplifies access to information on permits and licences for Canadian businesses

BizPaL is an online service that benefits Canadian businesses by helping them identify which permits and licences they require and how to obtain them. Entrepreneurs simply select the business activities they plan to undertake, and BizPaL then automatically generates a list of all required permits and licences from all levels of government, along with basic information on each. The list also includes links to the various government websites where entrepreneurs can learn more and, in some cases, apply online.

BizPaL also benefits governments by making it easier for them to provide businesses with accurate information on permits and licences. To date, 10 provinces and 3 territories are participating in BizPaL, with more than 700 municipalities offering the service. Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for a complete list of participating jurisdictions.

Industry Canada is the lead federal department for BizPaL, supporting the centralized functions of the service. The Government of Canada is fully committed to creating a competitive business environment that supports innovation and reduces red tape. BizPaL has contributed to the government's success in reducing the paperwork burden on small businesses.

The success of BizPaL is due in part to the multi-jurisdictional partnership among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. The partnership operates under a shared governance and costing model with collaborative decision making. Each jurisdiction is responsible for adding and maintaining its own information in BizPaL.

This interactive, smart permit and licence search tool is featured on the Quebec BizPaL website (www2.gouv.qc.ca/entreprises/portail/quebec) (in French only). Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for additional information.

Contact Information:

Laurence Gagnon d'Entremont
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of State (Small Business and
Tourism) (Agriculture)
613-943-6183

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
media-relations@ic.gc.ca

Julie White
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Employment
and Social Solidarity
418-643-4810

David McKeown
Communications Branch
Quebec Ministry of Employment
and Social Solidarity
418-646-0425, ext. 61087