CQDM

Their thesis, in full

CQDM (Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery) is a non-profit biopharmaceutical research consortium based in Montreal, not a venture capital fund: it provides non-dilutive grant funding and takes no equity. It pools money from global pharmaceutical members (Alexion, Amgen, Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, Merck, Ono Pharma, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, Servier, Takeda) and from the Quebec and Canadian governments to co-fund collaborative, early-stage R&D that accelerates the translation of discoveries into therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. Funding is awarded through competitive programs (SynergiQC, Quantum Leap, AReNA and the Call for Ideas in Radiopharmaceuticals) built around partnerships between Canadian businesses, SMEs and public research centres, with SynergiQC grants covering up to 40% of eligible expenses and up to 1.5 million CAD over 3 years per project. Founders, SMEs and academic researchers engage by applying to these recurring calls for proposals rather than by pitching for an equity investment. Beyond capital, CQDM supports applicants with project structuring and access to its pharma and government network. For a startup, this is non-dilutive money plus strategic validation, not a financing round.

Questions they usually ask

Have an answer ready for each one before the first call.

1. Does your R&D project map to a clear unmet medical need and to the priority interests of CQDM's pharma members, and which program (SynergiQC, Quantum Leap, AReNA, Call for Ideas in Radiopharmaceuticals) fits it?
2. Do you have the required collaboration in place (a Quebec or Canadian public research centre and/or an eligible business partner) to satisfy the program's partnership criteria?
3. Can you fund the matching share of eligible expenses, since CQDM grants cover only part of the budget and require co-investment from partners?

Follow-on

CQDM goes beyond writing cheques: its scientific-affairs and business-development teams help companies and researchers plan and execute their innovation projects, structure collaborations and navigate program requirements. It also helps businesses access complementary Quebec investment programs such as Investissement Quebec's Innovation and Impulsion funds. Engagement is through competitive calls for proposals, so applicants should approach CQDM as a grant partner and ecosystem connector, not as an equity investor.

Who to talk to

• Véronique DugasPresident and CEO
• Fanny Guimont-DesrochersSenior Director, Scientific Affairs
• Jesse PatersonSenior Director, Strategy and Pharmaceutical Alliances
• Xavier LinkerDirector, Strategic Initiatives
• Alysia MelnychukSenior Director, Accounting and Finance