Ask which amount the project claims, on what designation basis, and for the evidence behind it. Then verify the current figures and criteria against the official program materials directly.
Do not take the reduced figure on trust
A reduced qualifying amount depends on the investment falling within a targeted employment area or a qualifying infrastructure category as currently defined, and that is a factual question about a specific location under current rules. Projects have an obvious incentive to present themselves as qualifying, so ask for the designation evidence rather than the assertion. Confirm the amounts themselves from the official program materials at the time of the decision, since legislation has changed both the figures and the criteria before.
Remember also that the capital must be at risk in the enterprise: funds held in reserve, however firmly earmarked, do not count toward the requirement. Getting these answers in writing before committing is straightforward and rarely refused by a serious project. Hypothetical example: an investor is considering a composting-equipment project that advertises a reduced qualifying amount because of its location.
The first review should produce the project address, designation evidence, the governing investment category, and a job-creation outline tied to the business plan. Official designation material settles the amount question; the offering documents settle where capital goes and what the enterprise proposes to do. Verify both before wiring funds.
The common failure is relying on a sales deck that uses a broad regional description while the actual enterprise operates elsewhere or under different assumptions. A decision-ready review asks whether the capital will truly be placed at risk in the required enterprise and whether the promised job model matches the filed project.