Question 1

What does CDAP cover?

Accepted Answer

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDA) covers two workstreams:

Workstream 1: Grow your business online ($2,400 grant)

E-commerce related software is eligible for the full grant amount under the Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP). This may cover e-commerce software or an e-commerce platform to help with inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping, product information management databases, sales tracking, customer marketing, discount management, online transactions, loyalty programs and more.

Workstream 2 :Boost your business technology ($15,000 grant)

The Boost Your Business Technology grant gives Canadian businesses up to $15,000 to get advice and up to $100,000 in interest free loans from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to implement the technologies that can accelerate your business forward.

Areas of CDAP that the digital adoption plan could address include how to increase productivity, consolidate backoffice, improved customer relationship management, Sales and MarTech capabilities to attain data-driven insight and commercialize customer data to accelerate and scale customer reach, better cybersecurity tools and more. A tailored CDAP digital adoption plan for your business will provide the blueprint how to digital transform your business, targeting goals as reducing overhead costs through automation, speed-up transactions, reach and respond to customers more quickly, improve inventory management more efficiently, supply chain logistics, capabilities to expand direct sales channels as ecommerce self-serve channels including online marketplaces as Amazon, Walmart and more, marketing automation, website and marketing data and analytics, search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities, modern / digital marketing capabilities, CRM’s, POS (point of sale) systems and more.

Question 2

How long is the CDAP?

Accepted Answer

CDAP, the Canadian Digital Adoption Program, is open for applications until 2026, offering businesses the opportunity to access loans based on their size. 

If your annual gross revenues fall between $500,000 and below $5M, you can request a loan ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, enabling you to invest in digital transformation and drive your business forward. Seize this chance to secure financial support for your digital initiatives through the CDAP program.

Question 3

How do I contact CDAP Canada?

Accepted Answer

If you have any questions about the Canada Digital Adoption program for the Grow Your Business Online program or Boost Your Business Technology, for the fastest response contact cdap.digital@gmail.com or contact our team here https://cdap-canada-digital-adoption-program.ca/contact/ where our CDAP team can answer most questions. Alternatively, you can contact ISED (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) CDAP directly at https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/h_07026.html#254&type=chat

Question 4

Are partnerships eligible for CDAP?

Accepted Answer

Yes partnerships are eligible. If each of your companies meet the grant eligibility criteria, you can submit a CDAP application for each of your businesses.

Question 5

I'm a Marketing Agency but not accredited for CDAP. Can I work with you?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Contact our team at cdap.digital@gmail.com . We work with many different digital marketing, brand, ecommerce and other agencies to help them leverage CDAP for their clients.

Question 6

How does CDAP work?

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Check that your business is eligible. Visit https://cdap-canada-digital-adoption-program.ca/cdap-eligibility-application/ to check CDAP eligibility.
Step 2: If your business is eligible, apply to the CDAP program online. Once you complete the eligibility assessment here https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canada-digital-adoption-program/en/canada-digital-adoption-program-grant-assessment-tool you'll be guided to apply directly to CDAP. 
Step 3: Find a Digital Advisor. Once you're approved you'll have access to a list of Digital Advisors to browse and search. This is provided via your ISED CDAP account. While you may find the review and selection process time intensive, the alternative is contact our team here to help match you with a short-list of Digital Advisors that fit your business, goals and vision for digital transformation. https://cdap-canada-digital-adoption-program.ca/cdap-digital-advisor/
Step 4: Request an initial Discovery meeting and then a quote or proposal from your short list of Digital Advisors
Step 5: Select your Digital Advisor and get started. You'll work with your CDAP Digital Advisor to craft your business digital adoption plan, and once completed submit to CDAP to receive the CDAP grant reimbursement.

Question 7

Can I use the CDAP grant for the execution vs. the strategy (digital adoption plan)?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately no. However, this is a good thing as if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The Canadian Digital Adoption Program was created to help Canadian SME's identify the right 'business fit' of digital capabilities for their business goals. The digital adoption plan should be aligned to your businesses strategic goals and future growth plans. Once the digital adoption plan is ready, you'll submit the plan for the grant reimbursement. 
Next, its time to implement or execute the plan. The CDAP digital adoption plan should come with an execution roadmap for your business to execute. Either your team will execute the plan directly, hire an agency for support to execute (or coach) the digital plan directly, and/or leverage the BDC interest-free loan and/or the student / graduate $7,500 subsidy to execute the CDAP digital adoption plan. There are multiple paths your business can choose to implement the CDAP digital adoption plan in your business.

Question 8

What is the wage subsidy for CDAP youth?

Accepted Answer

CDAP, the Canadian Digital Adoption Program, is open for applications until 2026, offering businesses the opportunity to access loans based on their size.

If your annual gross revenues fall between $500,000 and below $5M, you can request a loan ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, enabling you to invest in digital transformation and drive your business forward. Seize this chance to secure financial support for your digital initiatives through the CDAP program.

Question 9

Who is eligible for CDAP Stream 2, Boost Your Business Technology?

Accepted Answer

To be eligible for the Boost Your Business Technology Workstream of CDAP, your business must fulfill several criteria. First, it must be a privately owned, for-profit business operating in Canada. Additionally, it should be incorporated provincially or federally, or be a Canadian resident sole proprietor. Finally, the business should have no more than 499 full-time equivalent employees and have at least $500,000 of annual revenues in one of the previous three tax years. Ensure your business meets these requirements to qualify for Stream 2 of CDAP and take advantage of the grant up to $15,000 for technology support to drive your business growth.

Question 10

What is digital adoption plan under CDAP?

Accepted Answer

Under the Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), a digital adoption plan refers to a strategic framework and implementation roadmap designed to assist businesses in embracing and integrating digital technologies and solutions into their operations. It aims to facilitate the adoption of digital solutions, such as e-commerce platforms, digital marketing tools, and online collaboration systems, cyber security, automation, and more to enhance business performance and competitiveness. The digital adoption plan provided by CDAP includes guidance, resources, and funding opportunities to support businesses in their digital transformation journey and enable them to leverage the benefits of digital technologies

Question 11

When did Canada digital adoption program start?

Accepted Answer

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) was officially launched by the Federal Government on March 3, 2022, drawing inspiration from the successful "Digital Main Street" program initiated by the City of Toronto and local Business Improvement Areas in 2014. CDAP aims to support businesses nationwide in their digital transformation efforts, providing resources and funding opportunities to accelerate digital adoption and drive economic growth.

Question 12

When will the Canada digital adoption program (CDAP) and the $15,000 grant end?

Accepted Answer

The Canada digital adoption program (CDAP) and the CDAP grants will end in 2026, 4 years after the start of the CDAP program for Canadian businesses.

Question 13

What's the difference between the Canada Digital Adoption Plan grant opportunities of Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online and Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology?

Accepted Answer

Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online (BDC is NOT involved)

In this stream, small consumer-facing businesses with yearly revenues under $500k can benefit from the Grow Your Business Online program. It offers advisory services and micro-grants of up to $2,400 to support the adoption of digital technologies and seize e-commerce opportunities. BDC is not involved in this stream.

Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology (BDC is involved)

Small and medium-sized businesses seeking advanced technology solutions can turn to the Boost Your Business Technology program. With the involvement of BDC, these businesses can access a grant from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). This grant covers up to 90% of the cost of advisory services to develop a digital adoption plan, with a maximum grant value of $15,000. Additionally, eligible businesses have the option to apply for a zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 from BDC to implement the recommended technology solutions.

Please note that meeting the CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements are essential for loan consideration, even though the loan request is made under CDAP.

For further details, please visit ISED's website at https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/152.nsf/eng/home

Question 14

Can I apply for multiple businesses?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! CDAP allows for the submission of applications for multiple businesses. However, it's important to note that each business must operate independently and have its own dedicated digital adoption plan. This ensures that the unique needs and goals of each business are addressed effectively. By tailoring the digital adoption plan to the specific requirements of each business, CDAP aims to maximize the impact and success of the program for all participating enterprises.

Question 15

Will BDC Advisory Services be able to help me with the creation of a digital adoption plan?

Accepted Answer

Certainly! BDC is an approved service provider on the Digital Advisors Marketplace, ensuring that if your business qualifies for the Boost Your Business Technology stream, you can explore a curated list of service providers that align with your specific requirements. The marketplace of Digital Advisors enables you to browse and search for a Digital Advisor in the service category you require. You have the flexibility to choose the service provider that best suits your needs, however this can be a bit cumbersome without doing due diligence to research each Digital Advisors website to find the ideal business fit. All businesses, regardless of their relationship with BDC, are treated equally in the CDAP program. 

Alternatively, let our team (https://cdap-canada-digital-adoption-program.ca/cdap-digital-advisor/) at no cost help you create a short list of Digital Advisors that may be a great fit for your business goals, matching you with an expert Digital Advisor with experience in your market, industry, understands your customers and most importantly, has the experience helping other businesses overcome the same goals and challenges your business faces with digital adoption.

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