The Canadian Digital Adoption Program, or CDAP, is a grant initiative sponsored by the Canadian federal government with the goal of helping small-to-medium sized businesses modernize their companies by using new technologies to adapt to the digital space. Many small-and-medium sized companies simply do not have the financial or professional resources required to shift business operations to online, and as a result many of these companies end up falling behind and missing out on potential revenue and growth.
Canadian Digital Adoption Program
What is the CDAP?
The hope is that the CDAP initiative will help small-to-medium sized businesses thrive and produce more work opportunities for young Canadians entering the workforce by giving out grants to eligible businesses. The government has allocated $4 billion to be used for the program over the next four years.
What Can the Grants Be Used for?
CDAP grants are split into two categories and can be used to either grow your business online or boost your business technology.
Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online
This stream was designed with the intent of helping companies develop their businesses online and add e-commerce capabilities to their website. These grants are up to $2,400 and will be awarded to up to 90,000 businesses to use for digital adoption, including implementing e-commerce capability, search engine optimization (SEO), web development, and social media advertising.
Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology
Stream 2 is for organizations looking for resources to help them implement digital adoption strategies across their business. This stream intends to provide up to 70,000 small-to-medium businesses with grants of up to $15,000 to help cover the cost of developing and implementing a digital plan. Interest-free loans of up to $100,000 are also available through this stream.
ThinkProfits works with businesses that have received CDAP grants in order to help them plan and implement their digital adoption strategies. Whether you are looking to pivot to e-commerce, want to enhance your digital presence through social media, SEO, PPC, or give your website a facelift, ThinkProfits’ team of digital marketing experts is here to help you use your CDAP grant in the smartest way possible.
Who is Eligible for a Grant?
Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online Eligibility
In order to qualify for the Stream 1 grants of up to $2,400, your business must fulfill the following requirements:
- Be an incorporated or registered business
- Be a for-profit business (including for-profit social enterprises and co-ops)
- Have at least 1 employee
- Be consumer facing
- Be committed to maintaining your digital adoption strategy for at least 6 months after completing the program
- Consent to sharing information with the federal government, participating in follow-up surveys, and having the name of your business published as a funding recipient
Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology Eligibility
In order to qualify for the Stream 2 grants of up to $15,000, your business must fulfill the following requirements:
- Be incorporated either federally or provincially or be a Canadian resident sole proprietor
- Be a privately-owned, for-profit business
- Have 499 or fewer employees
- Have at least $500,000 in annual revenue from one of the last 3 tax years
Which Stream is Right for Me?
If you are still unsure which stream you should apply for, the government of Canada has a simple quiz you can take to determine the right choice for your business. Just answer 4 questions regarding your business goals and operations.
Applications for both streams are open now. Don’t wait to apply!
If you are applying for a CDAP grant and need help planning and implementing a new digital strategy for your business, ThinkProfits is here to help! We can provide expert advice on what digital services you need to take your business to the next level and help you grow by providing e-commerce solutions, SEO, paid advertising, social media, web development, content writing, and more. Get in touch with one of our digital marketing specialists today to learn more.
