Step 1: Obtain information	Step 5: Selection
Step 2: Submission	Step 6: Agreement and implementation
Step 3: Acceptability	Step 7: Verification
Step 4: Project evaluation

Step 1: Obtain information

Contact the Foundation before investing time and energy preparing a project presentation. We can offer you some practical tips and guidelines for preparing your grant application. Feel free to call or send us an e-mail. You must carefully read all the terms and conditions for our grants, especially the list of the types of projects and expenses that are not eligible for funding, and the grant agreement that you will be required to sign if your project is accepted.

Step 2: Submission

The Foundation must receive, by February 1 or September 15 of each year (the postmark will serve as proof):

• two hard copies of your project presentation document and the Grant Application Form

• one electronic copy of the project presentation and Grant Application Form (on a CD).

Step 3: Acceptability

Your project will be briefly analyzed to determine its eligibility according to the following criteria:

• compatibility with the Foundation's mission, objectives and principles
• completeness of the information required
• completeness of the list of legal or administrative approvals and agreements needed to implement the project.

Step 4: Project evaluation

If your project is deemed eligible, the Foundation will analyze it on the basis of the following four evaluation criteria: relevance of the project submitted, design quality, implementation guarantees and expected benefits.

A dozen Québec experts who work in relevant areas of expertise for each project analysis (plant and animal species, land use, urban planning, awareness, education, rehabilitation of natural environments, etc.) assist the Foundation with this task. These experts advise the Foundation on the relevance, feasibility and sustainability of projects.

The Foundation also consults Hydro-Québec's regional branches regarding the level of community support for the organization and the project, as well as the project's compatibility with local land use and socioeconomic development plans (including compatibility with Hydro-Québec facilities and property, if applicable).

Step 5: Selection

Projects that have been analyzed are presented to the Foundation's Board of Directors for approval. The Board members examine them individually on their merits, taking the principle of equity into consideration in making their selection. If several projects that meet all the evaluation criteria are similar or come from the same region, the Board may decide to reject certain projects for the year in question.

Subject to this condition, the projects accepted are generally those that are most compatible with the mission, objectives and principles of the Foundation, until its annual budget of $1.5 million is exhausted.

After the Board meetings, which take place within eight weeks of the closing dates, you will be notified in writing of the Foundation's decision regarding your project. A project deemed eligible but rejected by the Board may be resubmitted before the next closing date. Feel free to contact us if you would like further explanation of the reasons your project was rejected, particularly if you plan to submit a new application.

Step 6: Agreement and implementation

• Agreement
  After final approval by the Board of Directors, the organization proposing the project and the Fondation Hydro-Québec pour l'environnement sign a grant agreement that establishes the conditions of their participation and, more specifically, provides for their respective responsibilities, subcontracting, insurance, payment of the grant, communications, and the conditions of implementation. There are four different grant agreements and their terms vary depending on the type of project. This is why it is very important to identify the type of agreement that applies to your project.

  This agreement becomes the contract binding the two parties and defines the terms and conditions under which the organization will carry out the project. Any organization that submits a project to the Foundation must first study the standard contract that it will have to sign if the project is accepted. The approval in principal of a grant application by the Foundation's Board of Directors does not oblige the Foundation to sign a grant agreement with the organization should the latter not accept the terms and conditions within a reasonable period of time after being notified of the project's approval.

  The Foundation is responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the agreement.

• Implementation
  The project must be carried out in accordance with the agreement signed by the parties. The organization may entrust all or part of the project to a third party. As a signatory to the agreement, however, the organization retains sole responsibility for the project and remains the exclusive contact for the Foundation.

  The Foundation reimburses project expenses upon receipt of the appropriate form with vouchers. A reimbursement request form will be given to the organization when the grant agreement is signed. The organization is free to determine the frequency with which it submits requests for reimbursement, according to the nature and scope of the project. Advance funds not exceeding 50% of the total grant awarded by the Foundation can be made available once the official agreement is signed.

Step 7: Verification

The final payment, equal to 10% of the grant, will be made after submission of the project report (described in the agreement). The report must contain a section on the project objectives achieved as measured by the environmental and social indicators stated in your grant application. It must also provide an update on key information given in your application: actual project start and end dates, total project cost, funding actually obtained, expenses incurred, and work completed. The report should also provide the inauguration date and location of the project, along with a preliminary guest list for the event.

A resolution by your organization must be attached to the report, discharging the Foundation for the grant amount awarded, subject to receipt of the final payment of 10%. For projects that receive funding of more than $25,000, the project audit report by a chartered accountant must also be submitted to the Foundation.

The Foundation will also visit the site to ensure project compliance.