The Government of Canada has teamed up with Small Business BC and Digital Main Street to bring a micro-grant of up to CA$2,400 to help businesses get online.
According to the website of the sponsoring department—the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)—the Grow Your Business Online grant will help up to 90,000 eligible small businesses remain competitive by serving new customers and attracting new ones in the digital space.
Through the program, eligible businesses in Canada can utilize the funds to help cover the costs of digitizing and taking advantage of e-commerce opportunities.
The service providers will also receive help from a network of e-commerce advisors who will advise and support small local or regional businesses adopt digital tools.
Grow Your Business Online is part of a two-stream support system of the CA$4-billion Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) announced in Budget 2021.
Stream 2 is an elevated level of approach to helping businesses adopt new technology. Through the Boost Your Business Tech grant, successful applicants can access expansive advisory expertise, technology planning, and financing options needed to achieve their business goals and increase competitiveness in the digital economy.
Up to 90% of the cost of digital advisor services can be covered by the grant. It is also possible for eligible businesses to receive a maximum value of up CA$15,000 per SME in order to help create an adoption plan.
In addition, businesses have the opportunity to secure a 0% interest loan from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to facilitate the acquisition of new technology.
An application guide on ISED’s website notes that CDAP paves the way for the department to work with organizations across the country to provide access to skills, training, and advisory services for all businesses accessing this program.
ISED will also be able to provide micro-grants to smaller businesses to support costs associated with technology adoption and create training and work opportunities for as many as 28,000 young people to help small and medium-sized businesses across Canada adopt new technology.
Click here for more information on the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP).