Technology Adoption Grants: 34 Funding Programs to Buy Technology for Your Business

Technology is crucial for many businesses to maintain a competitive advantage. But technology can also be expensive.

That’s where technology adoption grants come in. The federal government, along with provincial governments across the country, offer a number of attractive funding programs to help businesses acquire IT equipment, build a website, and more. In this comprehensive guide, we cover the best grants, loans, and more for businesses to improve their “tech stack”!

What Can Technology Adoption Grants Be Used For?

Technology adoption grants can be used to pay for many aspects of starting or running a business. Here are some of the uses that are covered by programs in our grants database:

  • Purchasing new technologies
  • Adopting innovative, high-performance technologies for your business
  • Developing or modifying the existing technologies of your business
  • Deploying AI to enhance your supply chain and productivity

See the section below with a complete list of grants available for Ontario businesses seeking to adopt new technologies.

How Much Grant Money Can I Get to Buy Technology for My Business?

In our database we currently have grants ranging from $2,400 to $4,000,000.

Am I Eligible for a Technology Adoption Grant? Common Eligibility Criteria

Two of the most common questions we get asked at Ontario Business Grants are “Am I eligible?” and “How do I qualify?”.

We analyzed the technology adoption grants in our grants database, and these are the most common qualifications we identified:

  • Be tech companies or technology-focused businesses
  • Be companies developing technologies
  • Developing or modifying the existing technologies of your business
  • Have an innovative product that is technology-based
  • Be brick-and-mortar businesses that have digital transformation goals
  • Be businesses operating and incorporated in Canada

Note: these are just the most common eligibility criteria – there are many grants with different requirements.

Technology Adoption Grants for Ontario Businesses: Current Grants Available

In the table below we list the technology adoption grants currently available to Ontario businesses.

To learn more about each program, just click the program name and you’ll be taken to a web page that provides detailed information on the program, including eligibility, the dollar amount of the program, and how to apply for the grant:

Technology Adoption Grants for Ontario Businesses

Name of ProgramAmountType
CDAP Grow Your Business Online: Quick Guide for Entrepreneurs$2400Grant
Rural Agri-Innovation Network - Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity Program$10000 Grant
Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas - Digital Transformation Grant Program$2500.00 Grant
Rural Agri-Innovation Network - Responsive Advancement for Meat Processing Program$25000 Grant
Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas - Grow Your Business Online$2400.00 Grant
Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas - Digital Service Squad Grant Programno fixed amountGrant
The Innovation Studio at The Creative School (Toronto Metropolitan University) - Future Makers Incubation Grant$2000Grant, Incubator
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Supply Management Processing Investment Fund$5000000Grant
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) - INVEST North Program: Investment – Locate Stream $5000000 Grant, Loan
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada - Pilot Projects $25000 Grant
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada - Feasibility Studies $100000 Grant
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada - Cluster Building Projects $75000 Grant
Innovation Initiatives Ontario North (IION) – Triple-P Program (2022)$10000Grant
City of Mississauga – Digital Main Street Program (includes the Digital Transformation Grant)$ 2500.00Grant
Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (BSEGC) – BTIF Program (2022)$25000Grant
AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster Industry-led Projects (2022)No Fixed AmountGrant
Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC)- Business Technology Improvement Fund (BTIF)$25000Grant
Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP)$150000Grant
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NWOIC) – BTIF Program (2022)No Fixed AmountGrant
Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade – Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream$ 5000000.00Grant / Loan
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) - INVEST North Program: Investment - Launch Stream $200000 Grant
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) - INVEST North Program: Investment – Grow Stream $1000000 Grant, Loan

Other Types of Technology Adoption Funding for Ontario Businesses

Our goal is for this guide to be a complete source of funding information for Ontario businesses seeking to adopt new technologies. So, in this section you’ll find all the other money programs (besides grants) that are available to Ontario entrepreneurs for technology adoption:

Technology Adoption Loans for Ontario Businesses

  • Government Technology Adoption Loans for Ontario Businesses

A loan might not sound as good as a grant, but many technology adoption loans for businesses have a low interest rate. While they might not be free money, if you don’t qualify for a grant, a low-interest loan is probably the next best thing.

The programs below include government loans:

Technology Adoption Government Loans for Ontario Businesses

  • Technology Adoption In-kind Support Programs for Ontario Businesses

In-kind support refers to non-cash resources provided to support technology adoption by businesses. In kind-support can take various forms: access to coaching, mentorship, investors, logistical and technical resources (space, equipment, computers, internet and software, free testbed), training programs, business advice and counseling. Entrepreneurship centres, accelerators and incubators provide valuable in-kind support to new and existing entrepreneurs.

Technology Adoption In-Kind Support Programs for Ontario Businesses

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    Best Technology Adoption Business Grants, Loans & More

    While there are lots of good programs available, below we highlight some of the best technology adoption grants, loans & more for businesses:

    Best Government Technology Adoption Grants for Ontario Businesses

    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) – Supply Management Processing Investment Fund

    The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund (SMPIF) helps processors of supply-managed commodities adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The program provides non-repayable contributions to support investments in dairy, poultry, and egg processing facilities that improve productivity and/or efficiency through the purchase of new automated equipment and technology.

    Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) – Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP): Grow Your Business Online

    The Canada Digital Adoption Program provides businesses with financing, tools and resources to adopt e-commerce platforms and implement digital transformation plans.

    The Grow Your Business Online grant will provide micro-grants of up to $2,400 to small businesses to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies.

    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) – Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP): Boost Your Business Technology

    The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), by the Government of Canada, helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technologies to increase their competitiveness through this program. Eligible businesses will receive a grant to build their digital plan, followed by a 0% loan of up to $100,000 to implement it.

    The loan can be used for:

    • acquiring IT equipment;
    • installation of new technologies;
    • updating and/or expanding IT equipment;
    • training staff on onboarded technologies;
    • materials and support services directly related to onboarding the technology;
    • further advisory services on particular aspects of the digital adoption plan.

    Best Government Technology Adoption Loans for Ontario Businesses

    Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) – Technology Financing

    BDC’s Technology financing helps companies invest in the technology they need in order to increase productivity and become more efficient and profitable.

    The capital can be used to buy hardware, software or ITC advisory services.

    FedNor – Targeted Manufacturing Initiative for Northern Ontario: Productivity Improvements under Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program (REGI)

    For manufacturing companies in Northern Ontario with fewer than 500 employees, the Targeted Manufacturing Initiative for Northern Ontario (TMINO) offers funding for creating enhanced, modernized, or more efficient manufacturing capability to increase sales and profitability. This funding will be repayable. Businesses can apply for contributions of up to 33% of the project’s eligible capital costs and up to 50% of the project’s eligible non-capital costs.

    Best Non-profit Technology Adoption Grants for Ontario Businesses

    AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE.AI) – Industry-led Projects

    Scale AI’s Industry-led Projects provide funding for projects that can accelerate the adoption and commercialization of AI for supply chains.

    Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (BSEGC) – BTIF Program

    BTIF is a FedNor-funded initiative which assists SMEs in the Blue Sky Net region within Northeastern Ontario develop their capacity for business technology and their ability for technology adoption. The BTIF grant helps to alleviate the costs of implementing innovative technology solutions.

    Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) – Cluster Building Projects

    The objective of a Cluster Building Project is to support a group of Canadian for-profit SMEs to work together to within an industry-lead membership-based organization to enhance the capabilities and growth of those organizations through the application of, or access to, advanced manufacturing technologies, best practices, global benchmarks, workforce development, enhanced training and/or market expansion.

    Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) – Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) Program

    The Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) Program provides up to $10,000 at 50% cost-share designed to support Northern Ontario agriculture and food producers, businesses, collaborations, and communities to create new products, enhance productivity, and adopt clean technologies. There are three project streams, as follows:

    • New Products;
    • Productivity Enhancement; and
    • Clean Growth in Agri-Food.
    Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) – BTIF Program

    The BTIF Program provides support to Northwestern Ontario businesses for implementing innovative technologies to enhance their websites and social media, their business processes with hardware or software, their human capital development and technology education, their customer relationship management and online service.

    Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) – Business Technology Improvement Fund (BTIF)

    The Business Technology Improvement Fund (BTIF) assists Algoma district SMEs in digital technology adoption, enhancement and implementation. The key objective of this program is to further accelerate growth of the SME’s business, while making them more modernized and competitive in today’s global digital marketplace.

    Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) – Grow Your Business Online

    As part of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, the Government of Canada has partnered with Digital Main Street and their ShopHERE powered by Google program to deliver the Grow Your Business Online grant to small businesses across the country. Eligible businesses will receive a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to help with the costs related to adopting e-commerce and supported by a network of e-commerce advisors.

    Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) – Digital Transformation Grant Program

    The Digital Transformation Grant (DTG) program is focused on assisting small businesses with their adoption of technologies. The program provides training, advisory support and grants to brick-and-mortar small businesses looking to increase their capacity through digital transformation.

    Best Non-profit Technology Adoption Loans for Ontario Businesses

    Community Futures Eastern Ontario – Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII)

    The Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII) supports high-growth, innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Southern Ontario rural and urban communities by offering interest-bearing business loans of $150,000 to $500,000 to support all aspects of growth challenges facing them.

    Financing is provided for:

    • late stage commercialization;
    • new product or service development;
    • new applications or markets;
    • development or implementation of new processes or technologies.
    Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario (IAPO) – Business Financing

    IAPO provides a number of financing options for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Central and Eastern Ontario including:

    • business start-up and expansion loans – working capital, bridge financing, and term loans;
    • equipment loans and – production machinery and equipment, commercial vehicles, construction equipment, and technology – servers, network, computers;
    • commercial and real estate financing – purchase of land and buildings; construction of new premises and expansion or renovation of existing premises.

    Best Technology Adoption In-kind Support Programs for for Ontario Businesses

    Have a look at the in-kind support programs below! Some of them provide both in-kind support and funding.

    Incubator

    The Innovation Studio at The Creative School (Toronto Metropolitan University) – Future Makers Incubation Grant

    The Future Makers Incubation Grant aims to support 8 entrepreneurs, small businesses and/or independent creators in the GTA to explore new possibilities through digital transformation, innovation, and/or the development of new entrepreneurial models within the creative industries.

    Other In-kind Support Program

    Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) – ShopHERE

    The ShopHERE program helps small businesses and artists get online to reach local and global audiences.

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