Canada Digital Adoption Program Eligibility Requirements

To apply for the Grow Your Business Online Grant as part of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, your business must:

  • Be a for-profit business
  • Be registered or an incorporated business
  • Be a consumer-facing business
  • Attest to one of the following options:
    • The business currently has at least one employee on the payroll (other than the business owner or a contractor) for whom tax deductions were remitted and who has been working at least three months prior to the application
    • For businesses that have been in operation for less than 80 weeks who have not filed their first year’s taxes or received their Notice of Assessment: The business has had a gross revenue of at least $30,000 in the last 12 months of operations or since incorporation/registration for businesses who have been in operation for under a year
    • For businesses that have been in operation for more than 80 weeks who have received a CRA Notice of Assessment: The business had a gross annual revenue of at least $30,000 in the previous fiscal year
  • Commit to maintaining a digital adoption strategy for 6 months after participating in the program
  • Consent to participate in follow-up surveys, have this information shared with the Government of Canada (ISED and Statistics Canada), and have the name of their business published as a recipient of funding

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Please note: Due to the high volume of applications we’ve received, it may take a little longer for us to get back to you.

Canada Digital Adoption Program Application Requirements

You’ll need the following information to apply for the Grow Your Business Online Grant:

  • Business name (legal entity name/trade name)
  • Business owner’s name and contact information
  • Business structure (incorporated, sole proprietor, partnership)
  • Number of years in business
  • Alberta business registration number
  • Articles of incorporation (include all pages of the document for upload)
    • OR Sole Proprietorship Registration Statement (include all pages of the document)
    • OR Partnership Registration Statement (include all pages of the document)
  • Industry type and NAICS code

To apply for the Grow Your Business Online Grant, submit your application through our grant partner, Digital Main Street. Though applications are submitted through Digital Main Street, the grant is administered by Business Link.

Canada Digital Adoption Program Document Requirements

To establish the legitimacy of your company as a registered business, ensure you have the following documents ready when submitting your application.

Article of Incorporation

Register Trade Name – Proof of Filing

Partnership Registration Statement

Incorporate Alberta Registration Statement

Grant Expense Eligibility

The $2,400 micro-grant is a reimbursement-style grant, meaning funding will be issued after your spending plan is approved, grant agreement is received, and eligible receipts/proof of payments are submitted and approved.

Please note the approval of the spending plan is not an authorization to purchase any items, and no funds should be spent until the business receives an email from the Funding Manager authorizing purchases.

Eligible Costs

Please note that all eligible costs must be directly related to implementing a new e-Commerce store, as outlined in your proposed spending plan. Any expenses that aren’t directly related to the online sale of products or services will not be considered eligible expenses.

  • Please note that any transactions deemed to be the non-arms length between a successful grant recipient and their chosen service provider will be deemed ineligible.
  • 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 (SEO) including:
    • Keyword research and metadata optimization
    • Mobile-friendly web design changes
    • Page speed load optimization
    • Creating internal website links
  • 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 and digital marketing
    • Plan cannot be strictly social media advertising and digital marketing; it needs to tie into the overall e-commerce implementation plan
  • 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 a new e-commerce website
  • Upgrading existing e-commerce site for added functionality (i.e., new plugins or features)
    • Redesign of an existing site is not eligible
  • E-commerce software including:
    • Software to track and manage product inventory, as well as fulfill and ship orders
    • Software for product databases
    • Software to track sales, market to customers, offer discounts, and maintain a loyalty program
    • Software to simplify marketing
    • Cyber Security software or certifications
  • 20% of the total cost of hardware and accompanying software to support an e-commerce strategy
    • An example of limited coverage for software is any software that is bought with equipment that is required to support an e-commerce strategy. For instance, if a small business wants to purchase a new e-commerce integrated point of sale (POS) system that costs $1,300, CDAP will cover 20% or $260
    • The maximum amount of the grant that can be allocated to hardware and accompanying software is 20% of $2,400, or $480