Cost is the #1 reason SMBs delay AI. In 2026 there's real public money behind AI adoption in Canada and Ontario — and our job is to make sure funding supports the right project, instead of chasing a grant for its own sake.
The old $15,000 CDAP grant is gone. The 2026 toolkit is a mix of loans, tax credits, and targeted programs. The ones most relevant to an SMB adopting AI:
$500M program; loans from $25K up to $5M, paired with AI advisory. For businesses with ~$1M+ in sales.
Canada's largest non-repayable R&D support, with a stream for SMEs building or adopting generative AI.
Enhanced in Budget 2025 (limit raised to $6M). Genuine custom AI development can qualify.
Up to $15K to build a digital/AI plan, then up to $100K to implement it (Ontario Centre of Innovation).
Free readiness assessments, training, and proof-of-concept support to get started at no cost.
Federal goal: raise business AI adoption from ~12% to 60% by 2034 — SMB adoption is a stated priority.
Read the full guide — amounts, eligibility, and official government sources →
We're an AI consultancy, not a grant mill. Most of these programs are built around exactly what we do — a credible plan, then a real implementation by a Canadian supplier.
Our AI Strategy & Readiness assessment scores your workflows on cost, frequency, and risk — the kind of advisory plan LIFT and DMAP are built around.
Our automation and integration work delivers the implementation that LIFT, Technology Demonstration, and IRAP support.
Where a project looks SR&ED- or grant-eligible, we flag it and refer you to specialist tax/grant preparers. You're always the applicant.
We'll tell you where AI actually pays in your business and which programs realistically fit — or that none do, which is useful too. Serving Toronto, the GTA, Ontario, Canada & the US.
Book an intro call →Funding amounts, eligibility, and program status change often; figures here are current as of June 2026 — confirm details via the official links in our full guide. Cygnik Tech provides AI advisory and implementation services; we do not guarantee funding outcomes and are not grant brokers or lobbyists. Your business is always the applicant.