◼︎A Platform to Showcase Local Design Initiatives

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As part of the first Montréal Design Week, Archi-Design QC and the Bureau du Design de la Ville de Montréal are joining forces to launch a call for participation aimed at promoting and highlighting creative initiatives from all design disciplines. With the financial support of the City of Montréal, 15 initiatives will be graciously integrated into the official event program (as Official Destinations and/or Events).

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This collaboration facilitates access to the Montréal Design Week program, encourages greater diversity and representation of Montréal design, and thus helps reach a wider audience.

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Montréal Design Week is conceived by Index-Design and organized by Archi-Design QC.

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Please read the following information before completing the PARTICIPATION FORM.

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◼︎Eligible Project Formats

Proposals can take various forms, including:

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• Exhibitions, installations, launches
• Studio visits, open studios
• Creative or training workshops
• Artistic performances
• Talks, discussions, or conferences on design, architecture, or Montréal’s creative scene
• Guided tours of unusual or architecturally significant sites
• Architectural and urban routes
• Public art projects
• Immersive case studies (guided tours of completed projects)
• Invitations to participate in a collective work
• Any other format fostering discovery, creation, experimentation, and dialogue around design

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◼︎Eligibility Criteria

Projects must:

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• Take place at a physical address located on the Island of Montréal
• Propose an activity promoting one or more design disciplines (graphic design, product design, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, experience design, service design, etc.), planning (heritage, real estate, urbanism, etc.), or creative craftsmanship
• Take place in a universally accessible venue, compliant with safety and accessibility standards (address and opening hours to be provided)

Non-Eligible Projects

• Projects with a strictly commercial purpose (markets, fairs, or direct promotion initiatives for profit)
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◼︎Selection Committee Criteria

Particular attention will be given to projects demonstrating:

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• An interdisciplinary approach and openness to exchanges between practices
• Highlighting emerging creators or collaborations between emerging and more established creatives
• Originality and innovation in approach and process
• A discovery factor, especially of less accessible places or approaches
• Integration of circularity principles (reuse, resource sobriety, new circular practices – more info here)
• Clarity of message, coherence of narrative, and quality of mediation proposed
• Realistic planning and demonstrated feasibility
• Openness to cultural, generational, social, and identity diversity

The selection committee will include representatives from the Bureau du Design de la Ville de Montréal and Archi-Design QC.

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◼︎Benefits of Participation

Selected projects will benefit from turnkey visibility deployed throughout Montréal Design Week and its institutional and media partners, targeting an engaged audience in architecture, design, and planning.

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This visibility includes but is not limited to:

• A dedicated page on the official website semainedesigndemontreal.com (in the Official Destinations and/or Events sections)
• Inclusion in official communication tools (program, thematic routes, press kit)
• Connection with media, including a press kit provided to journalists
• Social media posts (Index-Design, Montréal Design Week, Montréal Design Office, Ligne magazine)
• Professional photographic coverage
• Two free access passes to the Grand Quai Expo, the flagship event of Montréal Design Week
• Other visibility opportunities linked to the event ecosystem

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◼︎An Economic Development Lever

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• Increase the visibility of the venue, approach, or organization
• Reach new audiences and professional, cultural, and citizen communities
• Position the project within a structuring context

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◼︎A Contribution to Collective Outreach

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• Actively participate in promoting Montréal design, its know-how, and its vibrancy
• Help recognize design as a cultural, economic, and identity force in Montréal
• Engage in a collective dynamic that supports the future of local creation

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◼︎Participation Details

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• Application deadline: February 19, 2026, 11:59 PM
• Announcement of selected projects: week of February 23, 2026
• Selected projects and initiatives will have their registration fees for the Montréal Design Week program covered (value: $2,990). Any organizational costs related to the implementation of the project or initiative remain the responsibility of the project leaders.
• Submission form: PARTICIPATION FORM
• Participant commitment: provide a short post-event report (positives, improvements, learnings) and attendance data (audience types, approximate visitor numbers) via an evaluation form after the event

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◼︎How to Submit Your Project

You will need to provide:

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• A description of the event
• The address of the venue hosting the event
• A visual of the event
• A visual of the venue
• Any additional inspirational visuals to support and illustrate the project

Submit your project by completing the online form before February 19: PARTICIPATION FORM

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For questions, contact: semainedesign@index-design.ca

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