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 digitize your business’s operations.

Yes. Poeta Digital received certification as an approved CDAP Advisor on Dec1, 2022 as a part of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

The Government of Canada will reimburse your company up to $15,000. Once Poeta Digital has completed your digital adoption plan → submit your invoices to get your grant payment.

No. We cannot apply on your behalf - you must apply for the grant. However, we can guide you through the process, review your application and offer feedback to maximize the likelihood of success.  

The time needed to develop a tailored digital adoption plan for your company will vary by the needs of the business. However, once you have your digital adoption plan and invoices you will need to submit them to the federal government for reimbursement within 9 months of being approved for funding. 

No. The Boost Your Business Technology grant is only for assessing your digital maturity and identifying opportunities to increase your company competitiveness through digital transformation. Eligible costs are limited to those for creating your digital adoption plan.

Yes we can. While you can implement your Digital Adoption Plan with any vendor - once you have completed your transformation plan with us - we’ll know your company very well - so choosing Poeta Digital will make for a seamless transition from planning to execution.

Your Digital Adoption Plan will define key opportunities to improve your business using modern hardware and platforms. 

• Current state analysis
• Post transformation capability report
• Summary of proposed digital solutions, including a cost/benefit analysis of your top three options and high-level requirements
• Short term and longer term digital strategy
• Implementation roadmap, including timelines, costs, and required capabilities

Yes you can. If each of your companies meet the grant eligibility criteria, you can submit an application for each of your companies. 

When the $4 Billion CDAP program was launched, it was scheduled to support small & Medium enterprises for 4 years. The program will continue until the funds for the program run out. As such, if interested - it is better to apply sooner than later. 

No, there is no cost to apply. However, once your application is approved and if you select Poeta Digital as your digital advisor, we will charge you a fee to develop your Digital Adoption Plan. Our fees are reimbursed at 90% by CDAP up to $15,000 to cover these activities. Meaning that whatever the final cost of working with us to create your plan, once you've been reimbursed, you would have only paid 10% of this value out of pocket (a maximum of $1,666).

The following types of small businesses are ineligible:

• Corporate chains, franchises or registered charities
• Representatives of multi-level marketing companies
• Real estate brokerages
• Not for profit organizations

No. In order to receive funding through this program, businesses must have at least one salaried employee beyond the business owner. A business with at least one part-time or fixed-term employee is eligible. Freelancers or contractors (i.e. fee for service workers) are not eligible.

Applicants will be asked to supply the following documents:

1. Proof of business registration (e.g. incorporation or registration documents, business/operating license, etc.)
2. Confirmation provided by CRA of sales tax (GST/HST) registration OR confirmation provided by CRA of recent sales tax (GST/HST) filing (within the last 12 months).
3. Proof of an employee (payroll run or pay stub within the last four weeks)

Businesses may qualify for a $7,300 wage subsidy to hire either a current student or recent graduate as part of a digital transformation or adoption initiative. As this is part of the Boost Your Business Technology track, the same eligibility criteria and the same process (part of the CDAP program) to access funds will apply. This program would be best during the implementation phase once you’ve created a digital adoption strategy.

You will have 6 months from the time you receive your personalized link from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to BDC to complete your loan application. If you exceed this timeframe, you will be ineligible for the loan. Once CDAP has reviewed your digital adoption plan, and if you are interested in applying for a loan, ISED will send you an email with a personalized link.

The qualified company can get access to the zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 with a 5-year term + 12 months capital postponement (total of 6 years). CDAP is a four-year program, so you can apply for the program until 2026.

The amount of the loan is determined by the size of your business. If your annual gross revenues are:

• between $500,000 and below $5M you can seek a loan of between $25,000 and $50,000
• $5M+ - you can seek 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 CDAP Boost Your Business Technology program
• Applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC creditworthiness requirements to receive a loan offer
• Once you have a digital adoption plan developed through a recognized government digital adoption program, then you may be eligible to pr

Yes. Although the loan request is made under CDAP, applicants must meet both CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC creditworthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.

Your business may be declined for multiple reasons. For example, it may not have met BDC’s creditworthiness criteria (ex: credit history, etc.). A declined loan request is reflected in your credit score. This is part of the consent you provide when applying for the loan.

As per ISED’s website:

The registration process starts with an online digital needs assessment (DNA) that identifies the SME’s business and digital strengths and weaknesses across several parameters, such as strategy, business model, products and services, customer experience, operations, technology, organization and cybersecurity. This DNA will allow SMEs to obtain their current perceived overall level of digital maturity. Once completed, SMEs will be able to move to the next step in their application.

For eligible SMEs that have successfully completed the DNA, CDAP will pre-approve them for a grant covering up to 90% of the cost of the digital adoption plan evaluated at a maximum of $15,000.

Eligible SMEs will then have access to an online marketplace of qualified digital advisors called the digital advisor marketplace in order to retain the services of a digital advisor to produce a digital adoption plan.

During their search, SMEs may contact as many digital advisors as they would like. When making initial contact with prospective digital advisors, SMEs are encouraged to share the results of their DNA as well as an overview of their business and objectives.

It is important for an SME and digital advisor to agree on the terms of work, including objectives, timing and associated costs before they begin working together.

When the SME finds a digital advisor who they consider to be the right match for their business, the parties will sign an agreement to develop a digital adoption plan.

The SME and the digital advisor will work together to develop a digital adoption plan that meets the CDAP requirements. Upon completion, the SME will upload their completed digital adoption plan and invoice to the CDAP portal. Once accepted, the grant will be issued to the SME.

With a digital adoption plan in hand, the SME is now eligible to access a zero-interest loan from the BDC as well as a subsidized youth work placement to implement their plan and adopt new digital tools for their business.