Canada Digital Adoption Program - Program News

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 Canada Digital adoption Program provides funding under two funding streams:

1. Grow Your Business Online

The Canada Digital Adoption Program - Grow Your Business Online (CDAP-Grow) stream aims to support not-for-profit organizations with the infrastructure to provide support to small businesses. The program is intended to offer e-commerce support to not-for-profits for small businesses and youth entrepreneurs. Interested applicants must demonstrate their ability and track record with businesses on digital adoption and must demonstrate their plan for the implementation of youth digital advisors

Funding 

Eligible businesses will receive a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies. Grants will be available through local and regional service providers across Canada.

Eligible costs* include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Costs related to the implementation or improvement 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
• Costs related to the creation of customer databases
• Hiring a consultant/agency to execute Digital Marketing initiatives related to your e-commerce store
• Development of new e-commerce website
• Upgrading existing eCommerce site for added functionality (i.e., new plugins, or features);
• E-commerce software including
• Hardware and accompanying software up to 20% of total grant amount

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 owner)
• Must commit to maintaining digital adoption strategy for six months after participation 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

2. Boost Your Business Technology

The Boost Your Business Technology grant offers support to Canadian-owned small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) who want to adopt new digital technologies.

Eligible businesses will have access to a marketplace of experts to help them develop a digital adoption plan tailored to their needs.

Eligible businesses can leverage the grant to pay for the services of a digital advisor. These advisors will work with companies to recommend digital pathways and strategies that will help them achieve their business goals and increase their competitiveness in the digital economy.

Eligibility

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