The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the money and expertise to adopt digital technologies that will transform their businesses.

The Boost Your Business Technology Stream offers financial support to small and medium Canadian-owned enterprises (SMEs), such as small manufacturing and food processing operations, to adopt new technologies. Support for these businesses will be in the form of grants to offset the cost of retaining Digital Advisors like Begine Fusion, who will develop Digital Adoption Plans tailored to the business. The grant will cover up to 90% of the cost to develop the digital plan, up to a maximum grant payment of $15,000. To support the implementation of the digital adoption plan, SMEs will be able to apply for a zero-interest loan from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) (up to $100,000). In addition, the Boost Your Business Technology Stream will make available youth placement wage subsidies of up to $7,300. Eligible SMEs must apply for the work placement, offering a valuable learning experience for a youth.

Your business is eligible if you meet the below criteria: A director of a corporation or owner of a sole proprietorship, as well as any of their authorized representatives, may submit an application for the Boost Your Business Technology Grant. Applicants are required to attest and certify that their business meets all of the following eligibility criteria: Is a business whose sole proprietor is a Canadian resident Or Is a business incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province or territory Is a for-profit business Has between 1 – 499 full time equivalent employees Has at least $500,000 of annual revenues but not more than $100,000,000 in one of the previous three tax years from the date of submitting a grant application Is a privately owned business Is a Canadian-controlled Private Corporation (CCPC) as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency (applicable if the business is incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province or territory) Is a business that respects human rights codes, labour, environment and anti-corruption standards, as well as engages exclusively in legal activities Is not a business that has a class of shares publicly traded on a stock exchange (in Canada or outside) Is not a majority or wholly owned subsidiary or branch or sales office of a multinational corporation (MNC) Is not a business whose revenue model is designed to be economically dependent on non-commercial sources such as direct government funding or private donations Is 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 Is 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 Is 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 Is 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 Is not a business that directly or indirectly promotes sexual exploitation or disseminates media content that is sexually explicit Is not a business that has been determined to have pled guilty to or been convicted of tax evasion or a criminal offence

Eligible costs are costs incurred in Canada by the applicant directly associated with retaining a registered digital advisor on the Digital Advisor listed on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and for the direct production of a Digital Adoption Plan for the applicant. Eligible costs 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 registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace and only for the purpose of producing a Digital Adoption Plan for the applicant.

A digital advisor registered with CDAP is an organization that meets and maintains all of the required criteria to deliver digital advisory services to eligible Canadian SMEs.

Digital advisors are required to provide vendor neutral advice in the provision of advisory services to SMEs and will be subject to CDAP's Code of Conduct.

Registered Digital Advisors will work with eligible SMEs to develop digital adoption plans tailored to the needs of the client. Digital adoption plans must meet the minimum viable elements identified in the CDAP digital adoption plan guide.

Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technologies into all aspects of a business in order to improve performance, increase efficiency and create new opportunities for growth. It can be a great way to improve your business. To learn more go here

The pandemic has changed the way Canadians do business. Companies, employees and customers are doing more and more business online. Canadian businesses need to adopt new digital technologies to meet their customers' needs and stay competitive. The Boost Your Business Technology grant aims to help SMEs where the digital adoption is more sophisticated, requiring more advanced technology, such as small manufacturing and food processing operations, among others. Supporting a digital economy will help Canadian companies grow and create more jobs and will be crucial to Canada's long-term competitiveness. CDAP will help SMEs accelerate their digital transformation to fuel economic recovery. Before meaningful transformation can happen, SMEs need an effective digital adoption plan. Digital advisors will help SMEs create digital adoption plans that will take them to the next level along their business journey.

Upon accepting the terms of the Grant Agreement, the applicant will have access to the Digital Advisor Marketplace system. The system contains information on registered Digital Advisory service providers. The applicant is solely responsible to pick a digital advisor from the system that will produce a Digital Adoption Plan for them. A contractual relationship is only between the digital advisor and the applicant. The applicant will have up to 9 months from when the Grant Agreement is digitally signed to submit a Digital Adoption Plan and invoice from a listed digital advisor in order to receive a Boost Your Business Technology grant. 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. Although pre-selected by ISED, digital advisors are not agents, partners, or employees of ISED. ISED does not warrant the quality of the services provided by such digital advisors and is not responsible for any losses or damages, which may result from using the services of a digital advisor. Any disputes must be resolved between the applicant and the digital advisor. The applicant is entirely responsible for ensuring full payment of invoices for services rendered by any digital advisor.

Any activities not directly related to the development and production of a Digital Adoption Plan by the digital advisors registered on the Digital Advisor Marketplace. Ineligible costs could include, but are not limited to, any services offered by the digital advisor to help, assist or otherwise support the applicant in the application process for a Boost Your Business Technology Grant, Business Development Bank of Canada Zero Interest Loan, or Youth Placements. Any services offered to support the implementation of solutions or technologies recommended in the Digital Adoption Plan will be deemed as ineligible costs.

Visit the Boost Your Business Technology: Program Guide here