As a performance driven digital marketing agency, we at Bofu offer solutions to help you find your place in the accelerated digital shift of the past few years and ESPECIALLY the years to come!
To modernize your online presence, increase your ability to sell online and optimize your business processes with web marketing technologies, we offer you the ultimate guide to digital transformation grants for Quebec SMEs.
This guide includes a list of grants that we have selected that are available at both the federal and provincial levels, a description of each, the eligibility criteria and the amounts that may be awarded. Do not hesitate to contact us, we are official suppliers for certain grants, notably PCAN Québec.
1. The Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP)
The Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) aims to help businesses adopt digital technologies, increase their online presence and digitize their business operations. It offers various grants for digital transformation and even for website creation.
It consists of two categories of grants: the first is for the development of online business activities (e-commerce) and the second for the improvement of business technologies.
Component 1 - Online Business Development:
This grant component is designed to help businesses better serve their customers and attract new ones through e-commerce. Eligible businesses must be registered or incorporated for-profit, consumer-facing businesses, have at least one employee, and commit to maintaining the digital adoption strategy for six months after the intervention.
Digital transformation projects covered by this grant include: implementation of a digital e-commerce plan (online booking tools, online ordering system, electronic payments, etc.), website search engine optimization, installation of an e-commerce platform, support service solutions to support an e-commerce strategy, web advertising, etc.
Eligible businesses can receive a maximum micro-grant of $2,400. Grants are available through local and regional service providers.
Component 2 - Enterprise Technology Enhancement:
The CANP Business Technology Enhancement grant provides support to Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to adopt new digital technologies. Eligible businesses must be a private, for-profit organization with between 1 and 499 full-time employees and annual sales of at least $500,000, over the previous three fiscal years. The grant covers up to 90% of eligible costs for a digital consultant and the development of a digital adoption plan, to a maximum value of $15,000 per SME.
Implementing digital tools to digitize and automate your business process is a must!
2. ESSOR
The Essor Program is designed to support the financial needs of businesses that are growing or developing. It provides digital transformation grant opportunities to carry out capital projects, promote growth and productivity, and facilitate internationalization.
For-profit businesses established under the laws of Quebec or Canada, as well as collective businesses, can benefit from the grants offered by the Essor Program. These grants can cover a variety of digital transformation projects, such as digital diagnostics, digital plans and implementation plans, and investment projects for business growth with a minimum amount of $100,000.
To access this financial assistance, it is possible to obtain up to $100,000 in non-repayable contributions of up to 50%, as well as repayable contributions, loan guarantees and equity investments. For more information, we invite you to contact a consultant.
3. Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Program // Business Development and Productivity (CERI)
The CERI Business Development and Productivity program is designed to encourage regional innovation and economic growth through the commercialization and integration of new technologies and other projects. Small and medium-sized businesses, cooperatives, not-for-profit organizations, business groups, business support organizations and Aboriginal organizations are generally eligible for the grant.
Eligible businesses may receive interest-free repayable financial assistance of up to 50% of authorized costs, while NPOs may receive non-repayable financial assistance of up to 90% of authorized costs.
Unfortunately, retail businesses, food services, transportation services, residential construction, daycare, hair and beauty salons, nightclubs, bars and cabarets are not eligible. Projects covered by the grant include the acquisition of digital equipment and infrastructure, evaluation, adaptation or adoption of new technologies, implementation of an advertising campaign, technology showcase and demonstration, adoption of best practices, processes and management systems, etc. Learn more on the Canadian government website.
4. Innovation program
The Innovation program aims to help companies, especially SMEs, to realize their innovation projects and commercialize their innovations. It offers several grant opportunities for digital transformation and digital shift.
For-profit businesses in all sectors and collective enterprises as defined in the Social Economy Act are eligible for this program, with the exception of businesses in the gambling sector.
Product or process innovation projects from planning to pre-commercialization (technology showcase) can be funded, and this grant can cover up to 50% of total expenses, ranging from $50,000 to $350,000, depending on the project. Learn more here.
5. The Commercialization and Export Support Program (CSP)
The financial assistance that can be granted to you is 50% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $250,000 over a maximum period of twelve months. Please click here to discover all the projects and approaches covered by this grant.
The Commercialization and Export Support Program (CSP) offers various digital transformation grant opportunities to achieve the objectives of its three components. Component 1 aims to strengthen the capacity of SMEs to commercialize their products and services on the Quebec market, component 2 aims to increase the export capacity of SMEs and accelerate their projects on markets outside Quebec, and component 3 aims to support large companies with sales of more than $100 million in their structuring projects on international markets.
For-profit companies legally incorporated in Quebec or Canada and with an establishment in Quebec, as well as social economy companies and non-financial cooperatives are eligible for the grant. Companies with sales of less than $100 million are eligible for Components 1 and 2, and those with sales of $100 million or more for Component 3.
Please note that some business lines are not eligible. Digital transformation projects such as the development and implementation of a marketing strategy, including digital strategies for foreign markets, tool development and advertising in foreign markets, professional fees for specialized services for the development of a marketing strategy and for the development of a diagnostic, business plan or strategy for exporting or internationalization may be covered by the grant.
6. CanExport SME
Our team can help you apply for funding under the CanExport SME program, which aims to support businesses in their international expansion. It covers various activities related to digital transformation to enable companies to export their products and/or services abroad.
The CanExport SME program allows you to receive financial assistance of up to 50% of eligible costs, which is an amount between $10,000 and $50,000.
Please check to see if your business is eligible for this grant. For-profit businesses, corporations, unlimited liability companies and cooperatives with a CRA business number are eligible for this grant, provided they have fewer than 500 full-time employees and reported revenues of between $100,000 and $100 million in Canada in their last fiscal year.
Our team can help you identify activities related to digital transformation that can be funded through this program, such as expert digital marketing and e-commerce consulting,search engine optimization (SEO), online advertising on social media platforms,online marketplaces and search engines, translation, adaptation or creation of marketing materials, etc.
7. Fond C
The C Fund is a Desjardins program aimed at creating quality jobs and stimulating economic development by helping businesses grow through coaching in areas such as innovation, business succession, foreign market development, digital transformation and business model transformation. To be eligible, your project must fall under one of the 9 components of the C Fund.
To learn more about the digital transformation projects that can be covered, you can check out examples such as implementing advanced technologies, improving online security, increasing online sales, and transforming the business model. Maximum financial assistance is 25% of project costs, up to a maximum of $10,000.
