RESOURCES

GRANTS & FUNDING TO ADOPT AI

There's real government money to help Canadian businesses adopt AI — most owners just never hear about it. Here's a plain-English shortlist of the programs worth knowing, with links straight to the official sources.

START HERE

Business Benefits Finder

Answer a few questions and the Government of Canada returns a tailored list of every federal and provincial program you may qualify for — funding, tax credits, wage subsidies, and expert advice. Takes about two minutes and it's the fastest way to see everything you're eligible for.

Open the Benefits Finder →

GRANTS & FUNDING

Non-repayable and cost-shared money aimed specifically at building or adopting technology and AI.

PRAIRIESCAN · FEDERAL

Regional AI Initiative (RAII)

Up to 50% of eligible costs

PrairiesCan's flagship AI program. Covers up to half your eligible project costs to commercialize or adopt AI in your operations — the other half comes from a non-government source. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis (currently through 2028).

Best for: Incorporated Prairie businesses (AB, SK, MB), including start-ups, adopting or commercializing AI.

Visit official site →

ALBERTA

Alberta Innovates — Voucher for Innovation & Productivity (VIP)

Non-repayable (historically up to ~$50K)

Cost-shared contributions to hire post-secondary researchers on an applied project — from building a machine-learning model to implementing new software. One of the most accessible programs for Alberta SMEs.

Best for: Alberta-based small and medium businesses working on an applied tech or AI project.

Visit official site →

FEDERAL

Scale AI — Global Innovation Cluster

Project co-investment

Canada's AI cluster co-invests in projects that build or embed AI into your supply chain and day-to-day operations. Usually done as a partnership between companies and technology providers.

Best for: Companies of most sizes running a real AI adoption or supply-chain project.

Visit official site →

NRC · FEDERAL

NRC IRAP

Funding + advisory

The Industrial Research Assistance Program pairs you with an Industrial Technology Advisor and can fund small and medium businesses developing or adopting new technology, including AI.

Best for: Canadian SMEs (typically ≤500 staff) pursuing a technology-driven project.

Visit official site →

PRAIRIESCAN · FEDERAL

Business Scale-up & Productivity (BSP)

Interest-free repayable · $200K–$5M

Interest-free, repayable funding covering up to 50% of eligible costs for high-growth companies scaling up or adopting technology to lift productivity. Bigger-ticket than most grants — built for serious expansion projects, not first experiments.

Best for: Incorporated, high-growth Prairie businesses operating 2+ years, with a non-government source for the other 50%.

Visit official site →

ISED · FEDERAL

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC)

Up to $150K (Phase 1) / $1M (Phase 2)

The government posts real problems and pays Canadian small businesses to build a solution — and you keep the IP. A fit if your AI product could solve a public-sector challenge. Fewer challenges have opened lately after budget cuts, so check what's currently live.

Best for: Canadian-incorporated small businesses with most staff and leadership based in Canada.

Visit official site →

TAX CREDITS

Money back at tax time for the work you're already doing to build or improve technology.

CRA · FEDERAL

SR&ED Tax Incentive

Refundable & non-refundable tax credits

Scientific Research & Experimental Development — Canada's largest R&D program. If you're doing custom AI or software development to solve a technical problem, a big share of those costs can come back as tax credits.

Best for: Businesses doing eligible R&D; refundable credits are most generous for Canadian-controlled private corporations.

Visit official site →

TALENT & RESEARCH

Programs that put AI and data-science talent inside your business for a fraction of the cost.

FEDERAL

Mitacs Accelerate

Cost-shared (~$15K per internship unit)

Places university AI and data-science researchers inside your company to work on a real problem. You cover part of the cost, Mitacs covers the rest — a low-risk way to get expertise you can't hire yet.

Best for: Businesses that can host a research project with a post-secondary partner.

Visit official site →

TRAINING & KNOW-HOW

Help getting your team up to speed — funded training and hands-on expertise, so the tools actually get used.

EDMONTON · AI INSTITUTE

Amii — Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute

Advisory, training & a free startup accelerator

One of Canada's three national AI institutes — based right here in Edmonton. Amii works with companies of all sizes on AI strategy, corporate training, and talent, and runs a free accelerator for startups exploring AI. Expertise rather than a cheque, but often the smartest first stop.

Best for: Alberta businesses and startups that want practical help adopting AI, not just funding.

Visit official site →

ALBERTA

Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant (CAPG)

50% of training costs · up to $5K per employee

Reimburses half the cost of training your existing team — up to $5,000 per person a year (up to 75% / $10,000 for newly hired unemployed Albertans). One of the cleanest ways to fund AI upskilling for your staff. Replaced the old Canada-Alberta Job Grant in 2025.

Best for: Alberta employers investing in eligible training for current or new employees.

Visit official site →

FINANCING & ADVISORY

Lending and expert guidance to plan the adoption and fund the parts grants don't cover.

FEDERAL

BDC — Technology & Advisory

Financing + advisory services

The Business Development Bank of Canada offers advisory services and financing to plan, fund, and roll out a technology or AI adoption project — useful for the piece of a project a grant won't cover.

Best for: Canadian businesses looking to finance or de-risk a digital/AI investment.

Visit official site →

THE FINE PRINT

Program amounts, eligibility, and deadlines change constantly, and intakes open and close without much notice — always confirm the current details on the official page before you count on anything. A few programs have already wrapped up: the federal Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), for example, closed to new applicants in 2024, which is why it isn't listed above. We keep this page pointed at programs that are live, but we're a marketing team, not grant consultants — treat this as a starting map, not financial advice.

GOT THE FUNDING? NOW ACTUALLY USE IT.

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