Unlock Funding for Your Digital Transformation Journey.
Canadian businesses have access to billions in grants, tax credits and incentives for digital transformation. We help you navigate and maximize your funding.
SR&ED
Over $4 billion in SR&ED claims are filed annually, yet many small businesses miss out on funding they’re entitled to. The SR&ED program is a Canadian government initiative that provides tax incentives, investment tax credits (ITCs), and cash refunds to businesses conducting eligible research and development (R&D) in Canada. Administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, it is the country's largest single source of federal support for business innovation. Qualifying costs include:
Wages and Salaries: Employee time directly engaged in performing or supervising R&D work.
Materials: Consumed or transformed items used directly during the experiments or development.
Contractors: 80% of amounts paid to outside third-party contractors for eligible R&D work performed in Canada.
Overhead: Expenditures related to the R&D space or general operations
Funding
Recover up to 65% of your eligible innovation costs.
Voucher Program - Alberta Innovates
Voucher Program - Alberta Innovates is sponsored by Alberta Innovates. The Alberta Innovates Voucher Program offsets a portion of costs related to technology development and building a working prototype. Available to small businesses with fewer than 500 full-time employees and less than $50,000,000 in annual gross revenue.T he Voucher Program can help cover the costs of up to three contracted service providers for the purpose of business and technology development related to the following activities:
New product research and development
Leading-edge design, engineering and prototype development
Advanced product testing and refinement.
Advanced market assessments
Other technology development activities may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Funding
$10,000 to $100,000 CAD in vouchers
Canada Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) for AI Commercialization and Adoption
The Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) is a Government of Canada program delivering $200 million in AI funding through the country's regional development agencies. Under Budget 2024, PrairiesCan alone received $33. 8 million over five years. The program supports two main streams: AI productization and commercialization for SMEs in the start-up and scale-up phases, and adoption of AI across priority sectors including agriculture, clean technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. RAII helps Canadian businesses enhance productivity, growth, and competitiveness by supporting AI integration into business operations and implementation of AI strategies.
Available to for-profit businesses incorporated in Canada with minimum 2 years of operating history, at least 1 full-time employee, and facilities in the relevant region. SMEs with fewer than 500 full-time employees are given preference. Remaining 50% of eligible costs must be supported from non-government sources.
Funding
$250,000 to $5,000,000 CAD per project. Covers up to 50% of eligible project costs for for-profit applicants.
Digital4Health (D4H)
Digital4Health (D4H) is sponsored by Alberta Innovates. Catalyzes adoption of innovative digital health solutions by partnering Alberta health system with digital health innovators. This Program explores novel care models to support the transformation of the health system to be more sustainable and citizen-centric. Through a process of collaboration, health service delivery partners and technology solution providers can generate evidence that will facilitate adoption and scale of technology-enabled care models.
Partner Challenge Stream: Alberta Innovates partners with organizations to tackle specific, co-identified challenges within Alberta’s health system. This stream aims to leverage these partnerships to pilot and evaluate digital health solutions that address our partnered challenges and have the potential to transform care delivery in Alberta.
Project Stream: Designed for Health Service Delivery Partners (HSDPs), who have partnered with a Technology Solution Provider(s) (TSPs) ready to deploy an innovative digital health solution for real-world implementation.
Funding
Varies by project (up to $500,000 CAD per project)
Canada AI Compute Access Fund for SME AI Infrastructure.
Part of Canada's Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, this fund provides financial support to Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises to access state-of-the-art computing infrastructure for AI model training and inference. The program covers cloud-based compute services including core compute, storage, licensing, processing, monitoring, and security requirements. Aims to ensure Canadian AI companies have affordable access to GPU compute power needed to develop competitive AI products and services.
Funding
$100,000 to $5,000,000 CAD per award. Covers two-thirds of eligible costs for Canadian cloud-based AI compute services and half of eligible costs for non-Canadian cloud services.
Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE)
Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) is sponsored by Alberta Innovates. Provides staged funding streams and support to Alberta’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that require robust scientific and clinical evidence to develop, advance and commercialize cutting edge new health technologies. AICE offers two funding streams, Validate, and Market Access, based-upon the proposed project activities and the stage of readiness of the technology, the product-market fit, the business, and regulatory compliance.
Funding
Up to $50,000 CAD (75% of total eligible project costs depending on stream)
Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
For innovative Canadian SMEs (<500 employees) developing or adapting AI technologies. Industrial Research Assistance Program is sponsored by National Research Council Canada. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.
Funding
Varies (typically $50,000 to $1M per project)
Alberta Digital Traction Program
Alberta Innovates Alberta Digital Traction Program Alberta Digital Traction provides up to $50,000 for Alberta digital tech companies that have software development at the core of their product and/or service.
Funding
Up to $50,000 CAD
NGen Pan-Canadian AI Strategy Commercialization Program for AI in Manufacturing
The NGen Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy Commercialization Program is a major Canadian government initiative delivered through Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) to help Canadian manufacturers compete globally through AI adoption. Funded project types include AI-powered quality inspection and traceability systems, advanced robotics and automation using AI, digital twins for production optimization, real-time adaptive manufacturing equipment, 3D inspection and testing tools, and predictive maintenance systems.
Funding
Individual project sizes range approximately $1-5 million CAD.
Scale AI Supercluster Grants for AI-Powered Supply Chain and Manufacturing Innovation
Scale AI is Canada's AI Supercluster focused on accelerating AI adoption across supply chains, logistics, manufacturing, and retail operations. The program provides funding for consortium-led projects applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to transform Canadian industry supply chains. Projects must demonstrate commercial viability and include industry-academic partnerships. Canadian companies and organizations applying AI to supply chains, logistics, manufacturing, and retail are eligible. Consortium partnerships required with at least one industry partner and typically academic or research organization involvement. Projects must be based in Canada and demonstrate significant economic impact.
Scale AI covers up to 50% of eligible project costs and provides skills development support alongside direct project funding. The supercluster has invested in over 100 projects and trained thousands of workers in AI skills since inception. Projects span areas including predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, autonomous logistics, computer vision for quality control, and NLP for supply chain optimization.
Funding
Up to $5 million or more per project. Scale AI covers up to 50% of eligible project costs. Total supercluster investment exceeds $600 million across industry and government
MITACS Business Strategy Internship
Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) is sponsored by Mitacs. The BSI program provides companies with knowledgeable post-secondary student interns to help with business management components such as strategy plans, R&D plans, human resources, and software adoption.
In partnership with Canadian academic institutions, Mitacs is pleased to offer the Business Strategy Internship (BSI) .The award provides either $10,000 or $15,000 per intern to allow them to undertake a four-month internship project with a partner organization in Canada. Interns will work with their academic supervisor to co-design a project with their partner organization to work on the organization’s innovation activities, helping them improve their products, processes, or services.
Funding
Varies (supports innovation-focused internships)
Mitacs Accelerate
Mitacs Accelerate is sponsored by Mitacs. Mitacs Accelerate provides research-based internships that foster applied research collaboration and knowledge transfer between postsecondary students/postdoctoral fellows, industry, and academic researchers. Each internship unit is 4-6 months and involves a research project defined with an industry partner.
Funding
$15,000 CAD per 4-6 month internship unit (minimum); projects can include multiple units
Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) Program
Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) Program is sponsored by Alberta Innovates. Provides funding for Alberta-based companies to adopt emerging technologies with support from post-secondary researchers. It is a leveraged funding partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support collaboration between eligible Alberta post-secondary institutions and small-to-medium sized Alberta companies.
Funding
Varies by project (up to $150,000 CAD per year for a maximum of two years)
Ready to Transform Your Calgary, Alberta Small Business?
Ready to get started? The link below begins your appraisal intake: a short set of questions about your business so we can tailor everything from day one. Not sure yet? That’s exactly what reaching out first is for, no forms, no pressure, just a conversation (contact us).
Honest Assessment
We’ll tell you if you’re not the right fit and suggest alternatives
Flexible Options
Performance-based partnerships available for qualifying businesses
Quick Response
Expect a response within 1-2 business days