CDAP Guide 2024: How to Get $15,000 for Your AI Adoption Plan

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) provides eligible small and medium businesses with up to $15,000 in funding to develop a digital adoption plan — and Cloud Forces is a certified CDAP advisor. Here's everything you need to know.

What Is CDAP?

CDAP is a federal Government of Canada program designed to help SMEs adopt digital technology. The Boost Your Business Technology stream provides:

• Up to $15,000 in grant funding to cover the cost of developing a digital adoption plan with a certified advisor
• Interest-free loans of up to $100,000 through BDC to implement your plan
• Subsidized youth placements through Magnet to help implement the plan

Are You Eligible?

To qualify for the $15,000 grant, your business must:

• Be a for-profit, incorporated business (including co-operatives and social enterprises)
• Be a Canadian business with at least 1 full-time employee (or $500,000 in annual revenues)
• Have been in business for at least 1 year
• Have a valid Canadian business number

Publicly traded companies, non-profits, and companies already receiving other CDAP funding are not eligible.

What Does the Plan Cover?

A CDAP digital adoption plan created with a certified advisor like Cloud Forces covers:

1. An assessment of your current digital maturity

2. Identification of the highest-ROI digital and AI opportunities for your business

3. A prioritized implementation roadmap with timelines and budgets

4. Vendor and tool recommendations

5. A cost-benefit analysis for the recommended investments

The plan is yours to keep and can be used to apply for the BDC implementation loan.

The Process (Step by Step)

1. Apply on the CDAP portal — Register your business at ised.canada.ca/cdap

2. Get approved — ISED reviews your application (typically 2–4 weeks)

3. Select a certified advisor — Choose Cloud Forces as your CDAP advisor

4. Complete the engagement — We conduct your assessment and deliver your plan (typically 2–3 weeks)

5. Submit for reimbursement — Once the plan is approved, you receive reimbursement of advisor fees up to $15,000

6. Apply for the BDC loan — Use your completed plan to access implementation funding

How Cloud Forces Maximizes Your CDAP Engagement

Many businesses treat CDAP as a compliance exercise. We treat it as a real strategic opportunity. Our CDAP engagements go beyond the minimum requirements to include:

• AI readiness assessment alongside standard digital maturity review
• Prioritized AI use case identification with ROI modelling
• Vendor evaluation for Microsoft Copilot, AWS AI services, and other platforms
• Integration with your existing IT infrastructure assessment

Clients who go through CDAP with Cloud Forces leave with a plan they can actually execute — not a report that sits in a drawer.

Ready to start? Book a free CDAP consultation and we'll walk you through the process from registration to reimbursement.