Canada Digital
Adoption Program CDAP
Canada Digital Adoption Program CDAP
What is CDAP?
The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), by the Government of Canada, helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technologies to increase their competitiveness. Eligible businesses will receive a grant of 90% of the cost, up to $15,000 to build their digital plan, followed by a 0% loan of up to $100,000 to implement it.
What is CDAP?
The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), by the Government of Canada, helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technologies to increase their competitiveness. Eligible businesses will receive a grant to build their digital plan, followed by a 0% loan of up to $100,000 to implement it.
Why apply?
Why apply?
Two funding opportunities
STREAM 1
The Grow your Business Online grant helps small businesses take advantage of e-commerce opportunities, by providing:
- Access to a network of e-commerce advisors for advice and support
- Up to $2,400 to buy new e-commerce tools
STREAM 2
- Free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- 90% of the cost, up $15,000 to consult a digital advisor and develop a digital adoption plan
- Up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to help implement the digital adoption plan
- Funded work placements for students or recent graduates who can help with digital transformation
STREAM 1
The Grow your Business Online grant helps small businesses take advantage of e-commerce opportunities, by providing:
- Access to a network of e-commerce advisors for advice and support
- Up to $2,400 to buy new e-commerce tools
STREAM 2
- Free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Up $15,000 to consult a digital advisor and develop a digital adoption plan
- Up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to help implement the digital adoption plan
- Funded work placements for stdents or recent graduates who can help with digital transformation
Application process
Create an
ISED My
Business
Account
Verify Your
Identity
Complete the
Digital Needs
Assessment
(DNA)
Confirm
that the SME
meets
eligibility
criteria
Submit
Application
Online
Total processing time: 5-10 business days
Create an
ISED My
Business
Account
Verify Your
Identity
Complete the
Digital Needs
Assessment
(DNA)
Confirm
that the SME
meets
eligibility
criteria
Submit
Application
Online
Total processing time: 5-10 business days
Who can apply
Only an owner or a director (listed in the articles of incorporation) can complete the application form. If you are not listed in the articles of incorporation, unfortunately your application will be rejected automatically. Before applying, your business must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:
- Be incorporated federally or provincially, or be a Canadian resident sole proprietor
- Be a for-profit, privately owned business
- Have between 1 – 499 full time equivalent employees
- Have at least $500,000 of annual revenues in one of the previous three tax years
FAQ
In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced the $4 billion Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) to help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business’s operations. CDAP provides funding and support to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.
The program offers two grants:
The Grow your Business Online program helps small businesses take advantage of e-commerce opportunities.
- You can access a network of e-commerce advisors for advice and support
- You can get up to $2,400 to buy new e-commerce tools
Learn more about the Grow Your Business Online program here.
The Boost Your Business Technology grant helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt new digital technologies.
- Use a free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Get up $15,000 to consult a digital expert and develop a digital adoption plan for your business
- Get up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to implement your digital adoption plan
- Leverage a subsidized work placement to bring on a recent graduate or student to help with your digital transformation.
Learn more about the Boost Your Business Technology grant here.
- Corporate documents as the Program deems necessary (e.g. articles of incorporation, corporate by-laws and related instruments)
- Documents confirming annual revenue levels, such as notices of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Documents confirming numbers of full-time equivalent employees, such as T4 Summaries, deductions for the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance premiums, and income tax from remuneration or other amounts the applicant pays to employees
For additional documentation and assurances needed for the program, please refer to the CDAP program guide
Grow Your Business Online is a grant available to businesses under the Canada Digital Adoption Program. As a consumer-facing small business, you can receive help adopting new e-commerce tools or giving your existing e-commerce presence a boost.
Through the Grow Your Business Online grant, businesses can access:
- A network of E-commerce Advisors to help assess your needs and discover new opportunities
- Microgrants of up to $2,400 to cover the cost of adopting new digital technologies
Stream 1 is administered by different organizations in every province.
A consumer-facing business is a business that sells directly to customers (B2C). Businesses can be a bricks and mortar business, or an online business.
Applications can only be submitted by a small business that meets all of the following criteria:
- Is a for-profit business (including for-profit social enterprises and co-operatives)
- Is a registered or incorporated business
- Is a consumer-facing business
- Can be accessed by consumers or provides in-person services to consumers
- Has at least one employee (other than the business owner) OR at least $30,000 revenue in previous tax year
- Must commit to maintaining a digital adoption strategy for six months after participating in the program
- Must consent to participating in follow-up surveys, sharing information with the Government of Canada (ISED and Statistics Canada) and having the name of the business published as a recipient of funding.
The following types of small businesses are ineligible:
- Corporate chains, franchises or registered charities
- Representatives of multi-level marketing companies
- Real estate brokerages
- Non-profit organizations
Yes. As long as your business is registered or incorporated, and you meet the other eligibility requirements, new businesses are welcome to apply.
No.
No. To be eligible for the grant, your business must have a minimum of one employee on payroll, in addition to the owner.
During the application process you will be asked to submit a Payroll Source Reduction document.
Updated October 2022: This requirement has now been changed to if you have one or more employee OR have had at least $30,000 in revenue in previous tax year.
Businesses should have a government document that confirms the payment of Payroll Source Deductions paid. The employee must have been working at the business for at least three months.
Yes. Businesses will be required to declare that funding received from other programs is not being used to pay the same expense twice.
The goal of the grant is to enable businesses to serve existing customers more effectively and to attract new customers in the digital marketplace. Eligible costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Costs related to the implementation of a digital e-commerce plan (e.g., online reservation/booking tools, online ordering systems, electronic payments);
- Costs related to website search optimization;
- Costs related to the installation of an e-commerce platform (including subscription fees/costs);
- Costs of back-office solutions to support an e-commerce strategy;
- Costs of social media advertising;
Note: plan cannot be strictly social media advertising, it needs to be tied to overall e-commerce implementation plan, and not a standalone item, and, - Hardware/Software is eligible up to a total of 20% of the total grant value (e.g., if that grant is $2,400 hardware/software is eligible up to $480)
All hardware and software requests must be clearly backed up by how the request directly ties to selling products and/or services online
- Costs related to the creation of customer databases.
If you are unsure whether your investment is eligible for the Grow Your Business Online grant, please contact us.
The grant will be provided as a reimbursement. Grant applicants will be required to submit an expense report, coinciding with their pre-approved spending plan and copies of any associated receipts and proof of payment documents.
As part of your grant application, you will be asked to submit a spending plan. Spending plans will be pre-approved.
Your grant reimbursement claim will be submitted through the application portal. You will receive information when you create an account and grant application, and instructions will be provided.
No. Tax charges will not be reimbursed. Grant payments will be issued based on the cost of the expense before taxes.
Yes. You may submit more than one expense and receipt; however, you may only submit one claim package. Multiple claim packages will not be accepted. The grant will reimburse a maximum of $2,400 before taxes.
No. Grant applications must be submitted by the business owner. Grant intake forms and applications submitted by third parties will be denied.
The Boost Your Business Technology grant helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt new digital technologies.
- Use a free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Get up $15,000 to consult a digital expert and develop a digital adoption plan for your business
- Get up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to implement your digital adoption plan
- Leverage a subsidized work placement to bring on a recent graduate or student to help with your digital transformation.
Learn more about the Boost Your Business Technology grant here.
Yes. Eligible businesses can access both streams of the program, subject to approval by the respective delivery agent.
Companies that can demonstrate a minimum of $500K in revenues either in year 2021, 2020 or 2019 are eligible for the Boost Your Business Technology stream. If they do not meet these criteria, they may apply to Stream 1: Grow your business online.
- Canadian privately owned for the profit businesses
- Incorporated provincially or federally, or be a Canadian resident sole proprietor
- 1-499 full-time employees
- $500,000 of annual revenue in one of the previous three years
- Must meet all the requirements to be deemed a Canadian-controlled Private Corporation (CCPC)
The following list of business that are ineligible:
- Business is not a majority or wholly-owned subsidiary or branch or sales office of a multinational corporation (MNC)
- Not a business whose revenue model is designed to be economically dependent on non-commercial sources such as direct government funding or private donations
- Not a government organization or body (other than an Indigenous entity or body) or an entity in which a government organization or body (other than indigenous entity or band) owns equity interests
- Not a not-for-profit entity such as a union, charitable, religious or fraternal organization or business owned by such organizations, nor a business that exists as a fundraising vehicle for charities
- Not a business in which equity interests are held by any current member of the Parliament of Canada or any current member of the Senate of Canada other than a business whose equity interests are publicly traded
- Not a business that promotes violence, incites hatred or discriminates on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability nor does it trade with countries proscribed by the government of Canada
- Not a business that directly or indirectly promotes sexual exploitation or disseminates media content that is sexually explicit
- Not a business that has been determined to have pled guilty to or been convicted of tax evasion or a criminal offence
- Assessment tool determines SME is eligible for Stream 2
- SME get access to CDAP’s digital advisor marketplace
- SMEs reach out to Advisors in Marketplace and find a service provider
- SME and digital advisor agree on cost and scope
- Digital advisor develops digital adoption plan
- Once completed SME requests a grant to cover expenses
Juuga is one of the approved digital advisors for the CDAP program.
Once you’ve completed your digital needs assessment, you will be able to find a digital advisor to develop your digital adoption plan. You will access CDAP’s Digital Advisor Marketplace and select a digital advisor you would like to partner with to develop your digital adoption plan.As the business relationship is only between the applicant and the Digital Advisor, the applicant should ensure that any contractual agreement with the Digital Advisor addresses the scope of work, costs directly associated with the production of the digital plan, and that the Digital Advisor will deliver a Digital Adoption Plan in accordance with the program’s requirements identified in the CDAP digital adoption plan guide.
All enquiries regarding applications for grants under the Boost Your Business Technology stream must be sent in writing to digitaladoption-adoptionnumerique@ised-isde.gc.ca
No, CDAP plan is meant for the direct production of a Digital Adoption Plan.
Eligible costs for the grant include:
- Fees, commissions and charges by organizations providing Digital Advisory services and registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace website for the production of a Digital Adoption Plan;
- Applicable federal and/or provincial sales taxes applied to the fees and commissions charged by the Digital Advisors listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and only for the purpose of producing a Digital Adoption Plan for the funding recipient.
- Any activities not directly related to the development and production of a Digital Adoption Plan will be ineligible.
No, CDAP plan is meant for the direct production of a Digital Adoption Plan.
Eligible costs for the gran include:
- Fees, commissions and charges by organizations providing Digital Advisory services and registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace website for the production of a Digital Adoption Plan;
- Applicable federal and/or provincial sales taxes applied to the fees and commissions charged by the Digital Advisors listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and only for the purpose of producing a Digital Adoption Plan for the funding recipient.
- Any activities not directly related to the development and production of a Digital Adoption Plan will be ineligible.
- Corporate documents as the Program deems necessary (e.g. articles of incorporation, corporate by-laws and related instruments)
- Documents confirming annual revenue levels, such as notices of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Documents confirming numbers of full-time equivalent employees, such as T4 Summaries, deductions for the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance premiums, and income tax from remuneration or other amounts the applicant pays to employees
For additional documentation and assurances needed for the program, please refer to the CDAP program guide
- Applicants must submit their grant applications through the CDAP website. Applications submitted in an alternate format will not be accepted.
- Applicants may only submit one grant application form per company.
- Applicants will be asked to submit the necessary information.
- As part of the application process applicants must complete the free Digital Needs Assessment (DNA) survey.
- The applicant must attest to meeting all of the eligibility criteria
To know the whole process refer CDAP program guide
If there are any technical difficulties accessing or using the web-based system, applicants should contact the CDAP program through the Contact CDAP webpage or digitaladoption-adoptionnumerique@ised-isde.gc.ca
Digital Needs Assessments is a survey that helps you to evaluate your digital maturity. Assessing your business maturity is an important step to help identify where your business stands in terms of digital advancement.
- Identify your current digital capabilities and needs
- Define your digital roadmap
- Discover potential improvements
- Evaluate and prioritize investments
A Business Number (BN) is a nine-digit number designated by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and is used as a common client identifier for businesses to simplify their dealings with federal, provincial, and municipal governments. You will need a business number if you incorporate or need a CRA program account.
The BN is the first nine digits of your company’s HST/GST account number. You can also find your BN on your most recent CRA Notice of Assessment. Please ensure that the BN you enter corresponds with your company name at one of the following links: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
A GCKey is a unique electronic credential issued by the Governmentof Canada for use with online Government services. If you do not have a GCKey already, it’s easy to sign up from the GCKey screen.
Note: this is not your Canada Revenue Agency login.
Yes, you may have a different GCKey for each Enabled Service. Please see the What is an Enabled Service? frequently asked question for more information.
You will need to remember which GCKey was used to enrol with each service. If you forget, the GCKey service cannot assist you as it does not know which services you access or how many GCKeys you have.
Note: If you are using the email recovery function, each GCKey will need a unique email address.
You can sign in using your personal financial institution login. It is safe and secure and none of your personal or financial information is shared. View the list of available sign-in partners here: https://sso.ised-isde.canada.ca/auth/realms/individual/protocol/openid-connect/auth?ui_locales=en&response_type=code&client_id=cdap#financial-login
If your GCKey has been revoked, you can register for a new GCKey credential by selecting the “Sign Up” button on the GCKey welcome page. Once your new account is created you can link it to an existing user profile by contacting the government department for which you are trying to access services.
Your GCKey has been revoked due to one of the following reasons:
- Your GCKey has expired. The system requires you to use your GCKey at least once every two years. Otherwise, your account will be revoked.
- Your GCKey username and password have been compromised. It is essential that all of your online accounts of any kind NOT share the same username and password.
If you have any questions about why your GCKey has been revoked, please contact the government department for which you are trying to access services.
Once you decide to apply to the program, you will need to complete this identity verification process. The application process will also include online verification of your business information with the Canada Revenue Agency.
- The amount of the Boost Your Business Technology grant will be up to 90% of the eligible costs, up to a maximum grant value of $15,000 (including applicable taxes).
- CDAP will determine the size of the grant payment on the basis of an invoice containing the final cost of the Digital Adoption Plan developed by a Digital Advisor listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace.
- Total Canadian government assistance for the Digital Adoption Plan, including federal, provincial/territorial and municipal financial assistance, will not exceed 100% of eligible costs funded. In no instance will the total Canadian government assistance be allowed to exceed the total of eligible costs.
For more information refer CDAP program guide
Grant payments will be made on the basis of documented claims for reimbursement of eligible costs incurred. Find more information on CDAP program guide
Upon submission of documents to ISED’s satisfaction, ISED will endeavor to approve, provide funding confirmation and disburse the grant payment to the Applicant within a 30-day period. To know what documents are needed and how to submit check CDAP program guide
The loan covers items directly related to the digital plan. Some examples are:
- Acquiring IT equipment
- Installation of new technologies
- Updating and/or expanding IT equipment
- Training staff on onboarded technologies
- Materials and support services directly related to onboarding the technology
- Further advisory services on particular aspects of the digital adoption plan
The first step before applying for the loan is to have a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the CDAP Boost Your Business Technology stream. If you already have a digital adoption plan that was developed through a recognized government digital adoption program, you may be eligible to proceed directly to a loan application without developing a new plan.
Once your digital adoption plan has been reviewed by CDAP and if you are interested in applying for a loan, ISED will send you an email with a personalized link.
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements in order to receive a loan offer.
You will have 6 months from the time you receive your personalized link from ISED to BDC to complete your loan application. If you’ve completed a digital adoption plan through another recognized program, you have 30 days to apply. If you exceed this timeframe you will be ineligible for the loan.
No. ISED will verify the eligibility of your business for the Boost Your Business Technology stream. This is one step in the process for requesting the zero percent loan under this program. Your Business must also meet BDC creditworthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Yes, you may submit applications to CDAP for multiple businesses. Each business will need to operate separately from the other(s) and have its own digital adoption plan.
No. The loan under this program must be used to implement your digital adoption plan. You must be willing to attest to the use of the funds and please understand that CDAP can audit you on this point.
- What if I need more than the amount ISED has qualified me for to implement my digital adoption plan?
The CDAP program offers a maximum of up to $100K (the maximum amount available may vary based on ISED’s eligibility criteria) for the zero percent loan and to be eligible to this loan you must meet BDC’s credit worthiness and eligibility criteria.
Once ISED validates your digital adoption plan you will receive an email from ISED with a unique, personalized link to a BDC CDAP loan application.
With this personalized link, you can make an online loan request through bdc.ca. Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 with a 5-year term + 12 months capital postponement (total of 6 years). The amount of the loan is determined by the size of your business. If your business revenues are:
- between $500,000 and below $5M you can request a loan of between $25,000 and $50,000
- $5M and more, you can request a loan between $25,000 and $100,000
The loan must be used solely for the implementation of a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the Boost Your Business Technology stream.
The program eligibility is only one step in the process of making the loan request.
Your Business may be declined for multiple reasons. For example, it may not have met BDC’s credit worthiness criteria (ex: credit history, etc.).
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
- Applicants interested in a BDC zero interest loan must begin their application process using the CDAP website upon receiving a Boost Your Business Technology grant. Applicants will have up to six (6) months upon notification of grant payment to apply for a BDC zero interest loan.
- Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements as well as financial viability.
- Once eligibility is validated the applicant will be directed to BDC’s electronic intake system to complete the application process. Applicants should reference information posted on the BDC zero interest loan.
Note: you can only access this application form via the unique link ISED will provide you.
For applicants that already have an existing Digital Adoption Plan through an ISED recognized digital adoption program and do not require a Boost Your Business Technology Grant, the program offers a fast-track process to the BDC zero interest loan.
- Applicants must begin their application process using the CDAP website.
- Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements as identified in section 1.2 and submit evidence of having obtained a Digital Adoption Plan from a recognized provincial or territorial program within the last 24 months.
- The list of recognized provincial and territorial programs are identified and may be added to over time.
- Once eligibility and the existing digital plan is validated, the applicant will be directed to BDC’s electronic intake system to complete the application process. The applicant will have 30 days once eligibility is validated to proceed to BDC to complete the application process for the loan. Applicants should reference information posted on the BDC zero interest loan.
Only applicants that have received funding confirmation for a Boost Your Business Technology grant or have obtained a Digital Adoption Plan from a recognized provincial or territorial program within the last 24 months are eligible to apply for a subsidized youth placement. Applicants should consult the list of recognized provincial and territorial programs.
To know the process to submit an application,refer CDAP program guide
In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced the $4 billion Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) to help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business’s operations. CDAP provides funding and support to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.
The program offers two grants:
The Grow your Business Online program helps small businesses take advantage of e-commerce opportunities.
- You can access a network of e-commerce advisors for advice and support
- You can get up to $2,400 to buy new e-commerce tools
Learn more about the Grow Your Business Online program here.
The Boost Your Business Technology grant helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt new digital technologies.
- Use a free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Get up $15,000 to consult a digital expert and develop a digital adoption plan for your business
- Get up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to implement your digital adoption plan
- Leverage a subsidized work placement to bring on a recent graduate or student to help with your digital transformation.
Learn more about the Boost Your Business Technology grant here.
- Corporate documents as the Program deems necessary (e.g. articles of incorporation, corporate by-laws and related instruments)
- Documents confirming annual revenue levels, such as notices of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Documents confirming numbers of full-time equivalent employees, such as T4 Summaries, deductions for the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance premiums, and income tax from remuneration or other amounts the applicant pays to employees
For additional documentation and assurances needed for the program, please refer to the CDAP program guide
Grow Your Business Online is a grant available to businesses under the Canada Digital Adoption Program. As a consumer-facing small business, you can receive help adopting new e-commerce tools or giving your existing e-commerce presence a boost.
Through the Grow Your Business Online grant, businesses can access:
- A network of E-commerce Advisors to help assess your needs and discover new opportunities
- Microgrants of up to $2,400 to cover the cost of adopting new digital technologies
Stream 1 is administered by different organizations in every province.
A consumer-facing business is a business that sells directly to customers (B2C). Businesses can be a bricks and mortar business, or an online business.
Applications can only be submitted by a small business that meets all of the following criteria:
- Is a for-profit business (including for-profit social enterprises and co-operatives)
- Is a registered or incorporated business
- Is a consumer-facing business
- Can be accessed by consumers or provides in-person services to consumers
- Has at least one employee (other than the business owner) OR at least $30,000 revenue in previous tax year
- Must commit to maintaining a digital adoption strategy for six months after participating in the program
- Must consent to participating in follow-up surveys, sharing information with the Government of Canada (ISED and Statistics Canada) and having the name of the business published as a recipient of funding.
The following types of small businesses are ineligible:
- Corporate chains, franchises or registered charities
- Representatives of multi-level marketing companies
- Real estate brokerages
- Non-profit organizations
Yes. As long as your business is registered or incorporated, and you meet the other eligibility requirements, new businesses are welcome to apply.
No.
No. To be eligible for the grant, your business must have a minimum of one employee on payroll, in addition to the owner.
During the application process you will be asked to submit a Payroll Source Reduction document.
Updated October 2022: This requirement has now been changed to if you have one or more employee OR have had at least $30,000 in revenue in previous tax year.
Businesses should have a government document that confirms the payment of Payroll Source Deductions paid. The employee must have been working at the business for at least three months.
Yes. Businesses will be required to declare that funding received from other programs is not being used to pay the same expense twice.
The goal of the grant is to enable businesses to serve existing customers more effectively and to attract new customers in the digital marketplace. Eligible costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Costs related to the implementation of a digital e-commerce plan (e.g., online reservation/booking tools, online ordering systems, electronic payments);
- Costs related to website search optimization;
- Costs related to the installation of an e-commerce platform (including subscription fees/costs);
- Costs of back-office solutions to support an e-commerce strategy;
- Costs of social media advertising;
Note: plan cannot be strictly social media advertising, it needs to be tied to overall e-commerce implementation plan, and not a standalone item, and, - Hardware/Software is eligible up to a total of 20% of the total grant value (e.g., if that grant is $2,400 hardware/software is eligible up to $480)
All hardware and software requests must be clearly backed up by how the request directly ties to selling products and/or services online
- Costs related to the creation of customer databases.
If you are unsure whether your investment is eligible for the Grow Your Business Online grant, please contact us.
The grant will be provided as a reimbursement. Grant applicants will be required to submit an expense report, coinciding with their pre-approved spending plan and copies of any associated receipts and proof of payment documents.
As part of your grant application, you will be asked to submit a spending plan. Spending plans will be pre-approved.
Your grant reimbursement claim will be submitted through the application portal. You will receive information when you create an account and grant application, and instructions will be provided.
No. Tax charges will not be reimbursed. Grant payments will be issued based on the cost of the expense before taxes.
Yes. You may submit more than one expense and receipt; however, you may only submit one claim package. Multiple claim packages will not be accepted. The grant will reimburse a maximum of $2,400 before taxes.
No. Grant applications must be submitted by the business owner. Grant intake forms and applications submitted by third parties will be denied.
The Boost Your Business Technology grant helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt new digital technologies.
- Use a free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Get up $15,000 to consult a digital expert and develop a digital adoption plan for your business
- Get up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to implement your digital adoption plan
- Leverage a subsidized work placement to bring on a recent graduate or student to help with your digital transformation.
Learn more about the Boost Your Business Technology grant here.
Yes. Eligible businesses can access both streams of the program, subject to approval by the respective delivery agent.
Companies that can demonstrate a minimum of $500K in revenues either in year 2021, 2020 or 2019 are eligible for the Boost Your Business Technology stream. If they do not meet these criteria, they may apply to Stream 1: Grow your business online.
- Canadian privately owned for the profit businesses
- Incorporated provincially or federally, or be a Canadian resident sole proprietor
- 1-499 full-time employees
- $500,000 of annual revenue in one of the previous three years
- Must meet all the requirements to be deemed a Canadian-controlled Private Corporation (CCPC)
The following list of business that are ineligible:
- Business is not a majority or wholly-owned subsidiary or branch or sales office of a multinational corporation (MNC)
- Not a business whose revenue model is designed to be economically dependent on non-commercial sources such as direct government funding or private donations
- Not a government organization or body (other than an Indigenous entity or body) or an entity in which a government organization or body (other than indigenous entity or band) owns equity interests
- Not a not-for-profit entity such as a union, charitable, religious or fraternal organization or business owned by such organizations, nor a business that exists as a fundraising vehicle for charities
- Not a business in which equity interests are held by any current member of the Parliament of Canada or any current member of the Senate of Canada other than a business whose equity interests are publicly traded
- Not a business that promotes violence, incites hatred or discriminates on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability nor does it trade with countries proscribed by the government of Canada
- Not a business that directly or indirectly promotes sexual exploitation or disseminates media content that is sexually explicit
- Not a business that has been determined to have pled guilty to or been convicted of tax evasion or a criminal offence
- Assessment tool determines SME is eligible for Stream 2
- SME get access to CDAP’s digital advisor marketplace
- SMEs reach out to Advisors in Marketplace and find a service provider
- SME and digital advisor agree on cost and scope
- Digital advisor develops digital adoption plan
- Once completed SME requests a grant to cover expenses
Juuga is one of the approved digital advisors for the CDAP program.
Once you’ve completed your digital needs assessment, you will be able to find a digital advisor to develop your digital adoption plan. You will access CDAP’s Digital Advisor Marketplace and select a digital advisor you would like to partner with to develop your digital adoption plan.As the business relationship is only between the applicant and the Digital Advisor, the applicant should ensure that any contractual agreement with the Digital Advisor addresses the scope of work, costs directly associated with the production of the digital plan, and that the Digital Advisor will deliver a Digital Adoption Plan in accordance with the program’s requirements identified in the CDAP digital adoption plan guide.
All enquiries regarding applications for grants under the Boost Your Business Technology stream must be sent in writing to digitaladoption-adoptionnumerique@ised-isde.gc.ca
No, CDAP plan is meant for the direct production of a Digital Adoption Plan.
Eligible costs for the grant include:
- Fees, commissions and charges by organizations providing Digital Advisory services and registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace website for the production of a Digital Adoption Plan;
- Applicable federal and/or provincial sales taxes applied to the fees and commissions charged by the Digital Advisors listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and only for the purpose of producing a Digital Adoption Plan for the funding recipient.
- Any activities not directly related to the development and production of a Digital Adoption Plan will be ineligible.
No, CDAP plan is meant for the direct production of a Digital Adoption Plan.
Eligible costs for the gran include:
- Fees, commissions and charges by organizations providing Digital Advisory services and registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace website for the production of a Digital Adoption Plan;
- Applicable federal and/or provincial sales taxes applied to the fees and commissions charged by the Digital Advisors listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and only for the purpose of producing a Digital Adoption Plan for the funding recipient.
- Any activities not directly related to the development and production of a Digital Adoption Plan will be ineligible.
- Corporate documents as the Program deems necessary (e.g. articles of incorporation, corporate by-laws and related instruments)
- Documents confirming annual revenue levels, such as notices of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Documents confirming numbers of full-time equivalent employees, such as T4 Summaries, deductions for the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance premiums, and income tax from remuneration or other amounts the applicant pays to employees
For additional documentation and assurances needed for the program, please refer to the CDAP program guide
- Applicants must submit their grant applications through the CDAP website. Applications submitted in an alternate format will not be accepted.
- Applicants may only submit one grant application form per company.
- Applicants will be asked to submit the necessary information.
- As part of the application process applicants must complete the free Digital Needs Assessment (DNA) survey.
- The applicant must attest to meeting all of the eligibility criteria
To know the whole process refer CDAP program guide
If there are any technical difficulties accessing or using the web-based system, applicants should contact the CDAP program through the Contact CDAP webpage or digitaladoption-adoptionnumerique@ised-isde.gc.ca
Digital Needs Assessments is a survey that helps you to evaluate your digital maturity. Assessing your business maturity is an important step to help identify where your business stands in terms of digital advancement.
- Identify your current digital capabilities and needs
- Define your digital roadmap
- Discover potential improvements
- Evaluate and prioritize investments
A Business Number (BN) is a nine-digit number designated by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and is used as a common client identifier for businesses to simplify their dealings with federal, provincial, and municipal governments. You will need a business number if you incorporate or need a CRA program account.
The BN is the first nine digits of your company’s HST/GST account number. You can also find your BN on your most recent CRA Notice of Assessment. Please ensure that the BN you enter corresponds with your company name at one of the following links: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
A GCKey is a unique electronic credential issued by the Governmentof Canada for use with online Government services. If you do not have a GCKey already, it’s easy to sign up from the GCKey screen.
Note: this is not your Canada Revenue Agency login.
Yes, you may have a different GCKey for each Enabled Service. Please see the What is an Enabled Service? frequently asked question for more information.
You will need to remember which GCKey was used to enrol with each service. If you forget, the GCKey service cannot assist you as it does not know which services you access or how many GCKeys you have.
Note: If you are using the email recovery function, each GCKey will need a unique email address.
You can sign in using your personal financial institution login. It is safe and secure and none of your personal or financial information is shared. View the list of available sign-in partners here: https://sso.ised-isde.canada.ca/auth/realms/individual/protocol/openid-connect/auth?ui_locales=en&response_type=code&client_id=cdap#financial-login
If your GCKey has been revoked, you can register for a new GCKey credential by selecting the “Sign Up” button on the GCKey welcome page. Once your new account is created you can link it to an existing user profile by contacting the government department for which you are trying to access services.
Your GCKey has been revoked due to one of the following reasons:
- Your GCKey has expired. The system requires you to use your GCKey at least once every two years. Otherwise, your account will be revoked.
- Your GCKey username and password have been compromised. It is essential that all of your online accounts of any kind NOT share the same username and password.
If you have any questions about why your GCKey has been revoked, please contact the government department for which you are trying to access services.
Once you decide to apply to the program, you will need to complete this identity verification process. The application process will also include online verification of your business information with the Canada Revenue Agency.
- The amount of the Boost Your Business Technology grant will be up to 90% of the eligible costs, up to a maximum grant value of $15,000 (including applicable taxes).
- CDAP will determine the size of the grant payment on the basis of an invoice containing the final cost of the Digital Adoption Plan developed by a Digital Advisor listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace.
- Total Canadian government assistance for the Digital Adoption Plan, including federal, provincial/territorial and municipal financial assistance, will not exceed 100% of eligible costs funded. In no instance will the total Canadian government assistance be allowed to exceed the total of eligible costs.
For more information refer CDAP program guide
Grant payments will be made on the basis of documented claims for reimbursement of eligible costs incurred. Find more information on CDAP program guide
Upon submission of documents to ISED’s satisfaction, ISED will endeavor to approve, provide funding confirmation and disburse the grant payment to the Applicant within a 30-day period. To know what documents are needed and how to submit check CDAP program guide
The loan covers items directly related to the digital plan. Some examples are:
- Acquiring IT equipment
- Installation of new technologies
- Updating and/or expanding IT equipment
- Training staff on onboarded technologies
- Materials and support services directly related to onboarding the technology
- Further advisory services on particular aspects of the digital adoption plan
The first step before applying for the loan is to have a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the CDAP Boost Your Business Technology stream. If you already have a digital adoption plan that was developed through a recognized government digital adoption program, you may be eligible to proceed directly to a loan application without developing a new plan.
Once your digital adoption plan has been reviewed by CDAP and if you are interested in applying for a loan, ISED will send you an email with a personalized link.
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements in order to receive a loan offer.
You will have 6 months from the time you receive your personalized link from ISED to BDC to complete your loan application. If you’ve completed a digital adoption plan through another recognized program, you have 30 days to apply. If you exceed this timeframe you will be ineligible for the loan.
No. ISED will verify the eligibility of your business for the Boost Your Business Technology stream. This is one step in the process for requesting the zero percent loan under this program. Your Business must also meet BDC creditworthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Yes, you may submit applications to CDAP for multiple businesses. Each business will need to operate separately from the other(s) and have its own digital adoption plan.
No. The loan under this program must be used to implement your digital adoption plan. You must be willing to attest to the use of the funds and please understand that CDAP can audit you on this point.
- What if I need more than the amount ISED has qualified me for to implement my digital adoption plan?
The CDAP program offers a maximum of up to $100K (the maximum amount available may vary based on ISED’s eligibility criteria) for the zero percent loan and to be eligible to this loan you must meet BDC’s credit worthiness and eligibility criteria.
Once ISED validates your digital adoption plan you will receive an email from ISED with a unique, personalized link to a BDC CDAP loan application.
With this personalized link, you can make an online loan request through bdc.ca. Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
Zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 with a 5-year term + 12 months capital postponement (total of 6 years). The amount of the loan is determined by the size of your business. If your business revenues are:
- between $500,000 and below $5M you can request a loan of between $25,000 and $50,000
- $5M and more, you can request a loan between $25,000 and $100,000
The loan must be used solely for the implementation of a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the Boost Your Business Technology stream.
The program eligibility is only one step in the process of making the loan request.
Your Business may be declined for multiple reasons. For example, it may not have met BDC’s credit worthiness criteria (ex: credit history, etc.).
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
- Applicants interested in a BDC zero interest loan must begin their application process using the CDAP website upon receiving a Boost Your Business Technology grant. Applicants will have up to six (6) months upon notification of grant payment to apply for a BDC zero interest loan.
- Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements as well as financial viability.
- Once eligibility is validated the applicant will be directed to BDC’s electronic intake system to complete the application process. Applicants should reference information posted on the BDC zero interest loan.
Note: you can only access this application form via the unique link ISED will provide you.
For applicants that already have an existing Digital Adoption Plan through an ISED recognized digital adoption program and do not require a Boost Your Business Technology Grant, the program offers a fast-track process to the BDC zero interest loan.
- Applicants must begin their application process using the CDAP website.
- Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements as identified in section 1.2 and submit evidence of having obtained a Digital Adoption Plan from a recognized provincial or territorial program within the last 24 months.
- The list of recognized provincial and territorial programs are identified and may be added to over time.
- Once eligibility and the existing digital plan is validated, the applicant will be directed to BDC’s electronic intake system to complete the application process. The applicant will have 30 days once eligibility is validated to proceed to BDC to complete the application process for the loan. Applicants should reference information posted on the BDC zero interest loan.
Only applicants that have received funding confirmation for a Boost Your Business Technology grant or have obtained a Digital Adoption Plan from a recognized provincial or territorial program within the last 24 months are eligible to apply for a subsidized youth placement. Applicants should consult the list of recognized provincial and territorial programs.
To know the process to submit an application,refer CDAP program guide
To know what are the terms and conditions of the Boost Your Business Technology grant agreement. Refer to CDAP program guide
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