The Canada Digital Adoption Program's $15,000 grant stopped accepting new applications in February 2024. Here are three federal programmes you can actually apply to now.
Is CDAP Still Open?
No. The Canada Digital Adoption Program's Boost Your Business Technology grant — the stream that paid up to $15,000 toward a digital adoption plan — closed to new applications in February 2024 after it became fully subscribed.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) still lists the grant as not accepting new applications and has not announced a reopening date. Businesses that already held an approved grant agreement were allowed to continue, but new applicants cannot get in.
If you find a website or consultant still advertising CDAP as available, treat everything else they tell you with caution. The good news: CDAP was never the only option, and several federal programmes are open right now.
1. Canada Summer Jobs 2027 — Applications Open October 27, 2026
Canada Summer Jobs is a federal wage subsidy for employers who create summer jobs for young people aged 15 to 30. Private-sector businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees can receive up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum wage for each approved position. Not-for-profit organizations can receive up to 100%.
The call for applications for summer 2027 opens on October 27, 2026. The window is short: the previous cycle ran from November 4 to December 11, 2025. Funding is competitive, so a clear, well-written description of each job and what the young person will learn makes a real difference.
This is one of the most accessible programmes for small businesses, because it does not require a technology project, a minimum revenue, or years of operating history.
2. NRC IRAP — If You Are Developing New Technology
The National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) funds incorporated, for-profit Canadian businesses with 500 or fewer employees that are developing and commercializing an innovative, technology-driven product, service, or process.
IRAP does not work on a fixed application deadline. You start by contacting NRC IRAP and speaking with an Industrial Technology Advisor, who assesses whether your project fits and, if it does, invites a full proposal. Funded projects run within the federal fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), so it pays to start the conversation well before the year you want to spend the money.
If CDAP appealed to you because you were modernizing with off-the-shelf software, IRAP is not a direct replacement — it is for businesses building something new, not buying existing tools.
3. Canada Small Business Financing Program — If You Need a Loan
CDAP's other big draw was its interest-free BDC loan. That loan was tied to the closed grant, but the Canada Small Business Financing Program is open year-round. It helps small businesses with gross annual revenues of $10 million or less get financing from banks and credit unions, with the federal government sharing the lender's risk.
Borrowers can access up to $1.15 million: up to $1 million in term loans and up to $150,000 as a line of credit. You apply directly through the financial institution of your choice, and the lender — not the government — makes the decision.
Because the lender decides, the quality of your business plan and financial projections matters more here than almost anywhere else.
How Canada Grants and Loans Can Help
Programmes open and close constantly, and many of the lists you find online are out of date. We check what is actually accepting applications, tell you which programmes fit your business, and write and submit the applications on your behalf.
The Complete Package — $2,500, flat and all-inclusive — covers your business plan, pitch deck, and 10 grant applications. Contact us to find out which open programmes your business qualifies for.
Ready to Apply? We'll Handle Everything.
One package, one flat fee: $2,500. Business plan, pitch deck, and 10 grant applications — all included.