Investment-Ready Industrial Land Certification Program (BNQ 2507-400)

What is the investment-ready industrial land certification program (BNQ 2507-400)?

The investment-ready industrial land certification program (BNQ 2507-400), introduced by the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), sets out the verifications, studies and administrative steps that owners of industrial land, or their representatives, must complete to certify that their land is ready for investment.

Investment-ready industrial land certification facilitates and speeds up real estate transactions. Although future tenants or owners must still carry out the necessary verifications, the certification can reassure them in their decision.

The certificate and relevant information are published on the BNQ website and are publicly accessible. Investment-ready industrial land certification can be transferred following a sale.

The industrial land certification process

The certification process has two stages. The owner must first undergo a preliminary assessment before submitting a complete file for the land to be certified.

1. Preliminary assessment of eligibility for investment-ready industrial land certification (BNQ 2507-400)

The landowner or their representative must provide the following information:

• Proof of ownership of the land
• A document designating the representative, if applicable
• A statement from the owner confirming they are aware that the land must have at least one hectare of developable area
• A letter of support from the municipality
• A document confirming that the land is located outside an agricultural zone
• A statement confirming that the land is not an exceptional geological site

The BNQ will determine whether the land is eligible for the certification program. Once the BNQ declares the land eligible, the next steps are payment and signing the certification contract.

Download the industrial land certification checklists

2. In-depth review of the documents required for investment-ready industrial land certification (BNQ 2507-400)

The amount of supporting documentation to submit is substantial. The professionals at Avizo Experts-Conseils can help you gather the information and carry out many of the studies and analyses required by the BNQ:

• Property titles
• A letter of support from the municipality
• Zoning verification
• Sale or lease price (optional)
• Mining titles and petroleum rights
• Total area and developable area
• Stratigraphy(optional)
• Bearing capacity of the land
• Topography
• Delineation of wetlands and aquatic environments
• A characterization of natural environments(plant and wildlife species at risk)
• An environmental site assessment (ESA)
• An assessment of the capacity of receiving environments
• The capacity of existing electricity distribution networks
• The availability of the natural gas network
• The availability of the water supply network (drinking and process water)
• The availability of the municipal sanitary sewer system for wastewater collection
• The availability of the storm sewer system
• An analysis of road infrastructure, or a description of the work requiredto connect the land to the road network
• Proximity to rail, port and airport networks

What is the developable area for investment-ready industrial land certification (BNQ 2507-400)?

The minimum developable area for land to be eligible for certification is 1 hectare. The developable area is obtained by subtracting the portions of land considered non-developable from the total area of the land.

Portions of industrial land may be considered non-developable because of the presence of:

• Wetlands and aquatic environments
• Plant and wildlife species at risk
• Conservation or compensation areas, or areas of high ecological interest
• Exceptional forest ecosystems
• Existing buildings
• Setback areas and other constraints described in the property’s certificate of location

Validity period and maintenance of the certification

The investment-ready industrial land certificate is valid for 5 years.

Certain supporting documents must be updated annually, such as property titles and the designation of the representative.

Funding available to owners for investment-ready industrial land certification (BNQ 2507-400)

Through its Programme d’appui au développement des secteurs stratégiques et des créneaux d’excellence (PADS), the Government of Quebec offers a grant of up to $500,000 or 50% of eligible expenses when the project proponent is a business.

Eligible expenses may include:

• Professional fees
• Material and communication costs
• Certain travel and accommodation expenses
• Certain space or premises rental costs
• A portion of the project manager’s salary
• Certain follow-up costs

For more information, or to find out how Avizo Experts-Conseils’ specialists can help you, contact us!