| You need help with | Where to start | What you still need to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Building a system or connecting your tools | BDC technology financing or LIFT | The loan, interest and any costs outside the approved budget |
| Teaching employees to use AI | BC Employer Training Grant or Alberta Productivity Grant | Your share of training costs; in BC, the full bill before you receive the grant |
| Paying a specialist to assess the work and make a plan | Ontario's DMAP or Quebec's ESSOR | Your contribution and any work the program excludes |
The sections below explain these routes. For other locations or needs, start with the federal Business Benefits Finder.
Program information checked September 12, 2026. All amounts are Canadian dollars. These are selected starting points, not a complete list. The lender or program must approve your business, provider and costs.
One AI project can have several different costs
Suppose your team rebuilds a weekly report from emails, spreadsheets and customer records. You want the information brought together automatically, with a person checking the report before it is used.
Ask your provider to separate the work into a budget:
- Build the reporting system. Assess the current process, connect the tools and test the result. Technology financing may cover approved costs.
- Teach the team to use it. A separate course may fit a training grant if the course and trainer qualify. The grant does not automatically cover the work of building the system.
- Keep it running. List software subscriptions, maintenance and ongoing leadership separately. Ask which of these costs, if any, the program accepts.
Before pursuing support, estimate the time the system could save, who would check its output and what it would cost to run each month. If the benefit is uncertain, start with a smaller first phase.
Building or connecting systems: look at financing
BDC's technology equipment loan covers categories including software and AI, hardware, expert IT advice, installation and training. Published minimums include Canadian operations, at least 12 months generating revenue and a good credit track record.
BDC's LIFT program has an AI and digital technology path for businesses with at least $1 million in revenue. It requires a BDC Advisory Services plan and Canadian suppliers or companies that connect the systems. Costs to install, connect and put the approved systems into use may qualify.
Both involve debt. Ask BDC for a quote showing the rate, fees, repayment schedule and approved costs for your business.
Training employees: check the provincial rules
British Columbia
In BC, the Employer Training Grant reimburses up to 80% of eligible training costs. Each fiscal year, the caps are $10,000 per participant and $300,000 per employer. Your business must have operated for at least one year.
Apply before training starts. If you start before a decision, you may have to pay the whole cost yourself. You must pay the trainer in full before reimbursement. Standalone consulting and coaching are excluded; training must be a main business activity of the independent provider.
An 80% grant still requires cash upfront.
For an illustrative BC course with $10,000 in approved eligible costs, assume the business, participant and trainer qualify and the claim is accepted:
| Cash movement | Amount |
|---|---|
| You pay the trainer | $10,000 |
| The grant later reimburses 80% | $8,000 |
| Your share of eligible training costs | $2,000 |
You need $10,000 upfront, plus applicable taxes and other costs. The $2,000 is your eventual share, not the amount needed to start.
Alberta
Alberta's Canada Alberta Productivity Grant covers up to 50% of eligible training costs for existing employees, capped at $5,000 per trainee per fiscal year. For eligible unemployed Albertans hired and trained, it can cover up to 75%, capped at $10,000 per trainee per fiscal year. The employer cap is $100,000 per fiscal year.
Owners, shareholders, board members and specified family members cannot receive this training support. Apply before training starts. Use an independent provider whose main business activities include training, and confirm that the course meets the program's productivity-skills requirements.
Paying for a plan: Ontario and Quebec options
Ontario's Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan program (DMAP) lists up to $15,000 to develop a plan with a Digital Adoption Consultant. It serves eligible Ontario for-profit businesses with 1 to 499 employees. Ask the Ontario Centre of Innovation to confirm your contribution, the advisor and remaining funds.
Quebec's ESSOR program supports digital planning and certain work to put the plan into practice. These routes serve eligible businesses with 250 employees or fewer and at least $2.5 million in revenue.
Support can cover up to 50% of eligible costs, including fees for outside specialists. Over the program's duration, the caps are $20,000 for planning and $50,000 for implementation support. The latter requires a plan from the program's digital planning process completed within the preceding 24 months. Do not assume the same support pays for software, hardware or ongoing services.
What about tax savings?
A deductible business expense reduces taxable income, not the bill you pay. Ask your accountant how the project costs and any funding affect your taxes. Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) incentives require qualifying research work; setting up existing AI tools does not qualify simply because the process is new to your business.
Your next step
Choose one business problem and ask for a budget that separates building, training and ongoing costs. Use the table above to choose the most relevant lender or program.
Tell them your province, business activity, revenue, operating history, employee count and planned start date. Include the budget and any spending already committed. Then ask:
Which costs could you support, does our provider qualify, and what approval do we need before spending or starting?
If you need help defining the project, bring Sidekick the work that takes too long or keeps coming back to the same people. We can help you choose a useful first phase and a result worth measuring.