Strategic Financial Education, Outreach and Research Partnerships Program

The main goal of the Strategic Financial Education, Outreach and Research Partnerships Program (the “Program”) is to develop partnerships or provide support to innovative projects or initiatives (the “projects”) that address current or emerging issues and specific needs related to the AMF’s mission.

The projects must contribute to the achievement of the AMF’s mission or goals with respect to financial awareness and education. The AMF ensures that projects are carried out by partners with the expertise and with the networks needed to maximize impact.

The Program also focuses on the establisment or development, at the AMF’s initiative or not, of high-impact or structuring projects. These projects must help increase knowledge about issues of particular interest to the AMF in light of its mission, role or strategic objectives. For example, a project that has lasting and measurable benefits for Québec’s population, target groups or established networks will be favoured over an initiative with more limited benefits.

The Program also enables the AMF to fund its own awareness campaigns. Lastly, the Program is not a sponsorship program.

For more details, refer to the Policy regarding the Program (pdf - 1 MB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on June 28, 2023Politique relative aux activités du Programme de partenariats stratégiques en éducation financière, sensibilisation et recherche. (in French only).

Supporting the AMF’s work on current and emerging issues

The AMF invites persons interested in the Program to read its Strategic Plan (pdf - 1 MB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on April 23, 2021The 2021-2025 plan, which has the wholehearted support of the Advisory Board, not only establishes ambitious and engaging orientations and objectives but will help further a number of major initiatives implemented under the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan while taking into account issues raised in connection with recent changes in Québec’s financial services industry, including those resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic. and Annual Statement of Priorities. This will enable them to evaluate the relevance of their project to the Program before submitting a duly completed application (pdf - 135 KB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on December 15, 2023Formulaire de propositions d’avant projet (in French only) to submit a preliminary project.

The AMF may periodically publicize, and give preference to, the topics or issues that are of particular interest to it. Calls for projects may be announced at such times.

Project submission and assessment process

The submitted preliminary project will first be assessed. If it is selected, the applicant will be invited to submit a more detail project, which will also be assessed, taking into account the announced priorities and the annual envelope available:

1. Preliminary project assessment

2. Detailed project assessment

If the preliminary project is selected:

  • Upon invitation by the AMF only, submission of the application for a detailed project by e-mail to [email protected]
  • Analysis by the AMF of the detailed project against the eligibility criteria
  • Assessment by an AMF committee of the detailed project against the analysis elements

It can take from 10 to 12 months to complete the assessment process.

Insight

The application will only be assessed if it meets all the eligibility criteria.

The applicant and the individuals involved in the project will be required to undergo an integrity and criminal background check.

End of the insight

Eligibility criteria and analysis elements

The applicant can be an educational institution (including a research chair), foundation, professional order, cooperative, non-profit organization, business corporation, partnership or group consisting of several such entities. At the time the application is submitted, the applicant must be duly constituted and have been established in Québec for at least a year.

The applicant cannot be a provincial or federal government department or body, municipality or municipal body. It cannot be authorized by the AMF, or related to a person authorized by the AMF, to practise in one or more sectors that the AMF regulates.

The applicant and the individuals involved in the project cannot have been the subject of a penalty for a violation of a law administered by the AMF or have been convicted or found guilty to a criminal offence.

In selecting the projects that will be supported by the Program, the AMF will assess such criteria as:

FUNDED PROJECTS

The program has entered into agreements the following large projects since its inception in the spring of 2019:

Fonds de recherche AMF en gestion intégrée des risques des institutions financières

The result of a strategic partnership with Laval University, this fund supports multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral basic and applied research projects on collective risk management issues. The AMF has been providing financial support for the projects of this fund since 2008, and the total amount contributed could reach $500,000 by the time the agreement expires.

Financial services law laboratory

Under this agreement, the AMF will provide financial support to the Université Laval Foundation for the establishment of a financial services law laboratory (the Laboratoire en droit des services financiers). The laboratory will carry out teaching and research activities on an integrated basis as part of a financial consumer protection clinic and the Financial Services Law Research Group.The AMF expects to contribute $250,000 over the five-year term of the agreement.

AMF-Finance Montréal Fintech Research Chair

Under this agreement, the AMF is providing financial support to UQAM’s École des Sciences de la gestion for the creation of the AMF-Finance Montréal Fintech Research Chair, a multidisciplinary and interuniversity research unit that will develop cutting-edge foundational and practical knowledge about the issues and impacts of fintech. The Chair is structured to ensure the participation of top fintech specialists drawn from all of Québec’s universities. The AMF and Finance Montréal are each contributing $1 million in support over five years.

Observatoire du droit québécois des valeurs mobilières

The AMF has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with the University of Montréal to support the activities of the Observatoire du droit québécois des valeurs mobilières. The AMF will provide a total of $500,000 over five years to support a group of graduate student researchers and a team of professors. The funds will also be used to provide financial sector stakeholders with forums (seminars, discussion tables and symposia) for deliberating and reflecting on the development of the securities regulatory framework.

Major financial support to consumer associations and ACEFs

Under these agreements, the AMF will provide up to $2 million in financial support over five years to consumer associations and ACEFs so they can carry out additional financial education activities. The financial support ties in with a core AMF objective that has economic and social implications: to encourage Quebeckers to exercise greater vigilance in managing their personal finances and convince them of the benefits of doing so. It also supports a central focus of the strategic partnerships program: the development of high-impact initiatives that will have measurable benefits for Québec’s population.

FinÉcoLab educational program

Under this agreement, the AMF will provide financial support to CIRANO (Centre for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organizations) for FinÉcoLab, a program designed primarily for high school and CEGEP students as an introduction to economic and financial concepts. The financial support from the AMF, consisting of close to $247,000 paid over five years, will be used to update the program, make it available in French and English, and promote it among Québec educators.