What is CDAP?
The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), by the Government of Canada, helps small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technologies to increase their competitiveness. Eligible businesses will receive
a grant of up to $15,000 to build their digital plan, followed by a 0% loan of up to $100,000 to implement it.
CDAP Eligibility Criteria
Incorporated at the
national or provincial
level; Be a Canadian
resident sole proprietor
Privately-owned
for-profit entity
At least $500,000
and not more than
$100 million in revenue
in one (1) of the past
three (3) tax years
At least 1 full time
employees and not
more than 499
employees
How it works
Eligibility
Confirmation
Develop and Submit the Plan
Sign the Contract and Start the Project
Develop and Submit the Plan
GlobalDWS will send a contract including scope of work, and expected
outcomes
GlobalDWS will create a digital adoption plan for your company.
Program Business Returns
Through Canada Digital Adoption Program GlobalDWS Can Help Your Business in:
Reduce Overhead
Costs
Speed Up
Transactions
Manage Inventory
More Efficiently
Respond to Clients
More Quickly
Improve Supply
Chain Logistics
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The Canada Digital Adoption Plan website shows two funding opportunities, Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online and Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology. What’s the difference?Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online Grow Your Business Online helps small, consumer-facing businesses with yearly revenues under $500k to take advantage of e-commerce opportunities. It provides advisory services as well as micro-grants of up to $2,400 to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies. Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology Boost Your Business Technology helps small and medium sized businesses that require more advanced technology. These businesses will be able to access a grant from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to cover up to 90% of the cost of advisory services to develop a digital adoption plan, to a maximum grant value of $15,000. The business will then have the opportunity to apply for a zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 from Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to implement the technology. For more information Contact US
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I qualified for Stream 1: Grow Your Business Online, can I still request a zero-interest loan?No, the zero-interest loan is only for businesses that are eligible under Stream 2:Boost Your Business Technology.
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Can I apply for Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology loan if I am a start-up?Companies that can demonstrate a minimum of $500K in revenues either in the last three years are eligible for the Boost Your Business Technology stream. If they do not meet these criteria, they may apply to Stream 1: Grow your business online. Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
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Can I apply for multiple businesses?Yes, you may submit applications to CDAP for multiple businesses. Each business will need to operate separately from the other(s) and have its own digital adoption plan.
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Will GlobalDWS be able to help me with the creation of a digital adoption plan?Yes, GlobalDWS is one of the registered service providers on the Digital Advisors Marketplace. If your business is deemed eligible for the Boost Your Business Technology stream, you will have access to a curated list of service providers that are right for you on the Digital Advisors Marketplace. You can then select GlobalDWS as your service provider.
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How long do I have to apply for the 0% loan after my digital adoption plan is approved?You will have 6 months from the time you receive your personalized link from ISED to BDC to complete your loan application. If you’ve completed a digital adoption plan through another recognized program, you have 30 days to apply. If you exceed this timeframe, you will be ineligible for the loan.
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What are the loan terms and amounts?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 request a loan of between $25,000 and $50,000 $5M and more, you can request 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 stream . Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer. You can create your digital adoption plan, receive the grant that covers up to 90% of advisory services and then decide against the zero-interest loan. Participating in the digital plan portion of CDAP does not oblige you to apply for a loan. If you move forward to implement your plan, you can also source the required funds from your own cashflow or from your regular financial institutions.
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When can I apply for a BDC loan?The first step before applying for the loan is to have a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the CDAP Boost Your Business Technology stream. If you already have a digital adoption plan that was developed through a recognized government digital adoption program, you may be eligible to proceed directly to a loan application without developing a new plan. Once your digital adoption plan has been reviewed by CDAP and if you are interested in applying for a loan, ISED will send you an email with a personalized link. Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements in order to receive a loan offer.
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Can I repay an existing loan with this loan?No. The loan under this program must be used to implement your digital adoption plan. You must be willing to attest to the use of the funds. Please understand that CDAP can audit you on this point.
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Why was I declined for the loan when I passed program eligibility?The program eligibility is only one step in the process of making the loan request. Your business may be declined for multiple reasons. For example, it may not have met BDC’s credit worthiness criteria (ex: credit history, etc.). Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC credit worthiness requirements to receive a loan offer. Also, as the CDAP zero-interest loan is part of a standard loan application, standard banking practices apply. A declined loan request is reflected in your credit score. This is part of the consent you provide when applying for the loan.