Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) - Grow Your Business Online Grant by Small Business BC

Source: Notion | Last edited: 2023-02-22 | ID: 3fe8b961-81a...

Company Requirements

Is a for-profit business (including for-profit social enterprises and co-operatives)
Is a registered or incorporated business
Is a consumer-facing business (A consumer-facing business is a business that sells directly to customers (B2C). Businesses can be a bricks and mortar business, or an online business)
Can be accessed by consumers or provides in-person services to consumers
Has at least one employee (other than the business owner)
Must commit to maintaining a digital adoption strategy for six months after participating in the program
Must consent to participating in follow-up surveys, sharing information with the Government of Canada (ISED and Statistics Canada) and having the name of the business published as a recipient of funding
Businesses will be required to declare that funding received from other programs is not being used to pay the same expense twice
Solopreneurs are now welcome to apply for the program as long as their business had at least $30,000 in annual revenue in the most recent tax year (2021).

Eligible Activities

The goal of the grant is to enable businesses to serve existing customers more effectively and to attract new customers in the digital marketplace Eligible costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
Costs related to the implementation of a digital e-commerce plan (e.g., online reservation/booking tools, online ordering systems, electronic payments)
Costs related to website search optimization
Costs related to the installation of an e-commerce platform (including subscription fees/costs)
Costs of back-office solutions to support an e-commerce strategy
Costs of social media advertising; (Note: plan cannot be strictly social media advertising, it needs to be tied to overall e-commerce implementation plan, and not a standalone item)
Hardware/Software is eligible up to a total of 20% of the total grant value (e.g., if that grant is $2,400 hardware/software is eligible up to$ 480)
All hardware and software requests must be clearly backed up by how the request directly ties to selling products and/or services online
Costs related to the creation of customer databases
Any expense incurred in US dollars will be exchanged based on the rate of the bank or credit card used to process the transaction on the date of processing
A copy of your credit card or bank charge will be required, in addition to the receipt or proof of payment

Ineligibility

Corporate chains, franchises or registered charities
Representatives of multi-level marketing companies
Real estate brokerages
Non-profit organizations Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:
Costs of connectivity
Costs related to the shipping of goods purchased through the e-commerce platform
Purchases made prior to grant approval
Renewal of digital services such as domain name, software subscription etc. (Note: this includes existing e-commerce subscriptions)
Signage and printing
Logo redesign and rebranding
Business Owner’s salary or current employee salary for executing the project
Costs of land, building or vehicle purchase
Costs of intangible assets such a goodwill, whether capitalized or expensed
Depreciation or amortization expenses
Interest on invested capital, bonds, or debentures
Bond discount
Monthly mortgage, loan and/or rent payments
Refinancing of an existing debt
Losses on investments, bad debts, and any other debts
Fines or penalties
Costs related to litigation
Fees for administrators including payments to any member or officer of the Recipient’s Board of Directors
Opportunity costs
Hospitality and entertainment costs
Franchise fees and/or franchise license costs
Lobbyist fees
New capital expenditure
Consulting fees for submission of CDAP application or any costs not related to the acquisition or set up of technology solution

Application Requirements

Create a Digital Main Street Account & complete you Digital Assessment
Fill out the CDAP Intake Form
Meet with you E-commerce Advisor
As part of your grant application, you will be asked to submit a spending plan (Spending plans will be pre-approved)
Grant applicants will be required to submit an expense report, coinciding with their pre-approved spending plan and copies of any associated receipts and proof of payment documents
Your grant reimbursement claim will be submitted through the application portal
You will receive information when you create an account and grant application, and instructions will be provided

Reporting Requirements

Our electronic fund transfer payments are handled via SparcPay, a division of SparcBlock
Our partnership ensures you receive your payments securely and quickly
In order to initiate payments and receive funds grant applicants will be required to register an account on SparcPay
To register, you must have a copy of a void cheque available in an image or .pdf format, or a bank form from your business financial institution
This void cheque must match the name of the applicant’s business
Personal bank accounts are not accepted Proof of Payment should include the following information:
Date - The dates(s) of the proof(s) of payment must not be earlier than your approved Spending Plan date
Description of Products/Services Purchased - The proof of payment should clearly indicate the products/services purchased from the supplier. These listed items should be approved products and services under the Canada Digital Adoption Program (see Grant Expense Eligibility)
Total of the Products and Services - The total spent on approved products and services on the proof of payment may be greater than $2,400. However, reimbursement will only total up to$ 2,400
Tax Charges - Tax Charges (GST/PST/HST) will NOT be reimbursed. Grant payments will be issued based on the cost of the expense before taxes.
Supplier’s Information The proof of payment should clearly indicate the supplier’s:
Business Name
Business Address
Business GST (if applicable)
Business PST (if applicable)
Applicant’s Information The proof of payment should clearly indicate the applicant’s:
Business Name
Business Address (business must be based in BC)
Payment The receipt must show a method of payment. Some forms of payment include:
Credit Card – should show the last four digits of the credit card number on the processed payment transaction slip – XXXXXXXXXXXX1234
Cheque – applicant must include pictures of the front and back of the bank processed cheque
EFT – clear indication that transfer amount, date, and the sender/receiver information match the proof of payment submitted. You will need to submit your Interac e-Transfer confirmation information page from your financial institution
Amazon Receipt – if any of your receipts are from Amazon, you are required to submit a particular proof of payment
Cash – receipts paid by cash are NOT an accepted payment method for this grant as verification of the payment cannot be substantiated. Also, no handwritten receipts will be accepted