Government AI funding · Canada
Programs — Canadian Government AI Funding & Support
Creatrixe helps Canadian SMEs identify which government and Crown-corporation AI programs they actually qualify for, then ship the work the programs were built to fund. Capital is one input; execution is the rest. This page is the index of program coverage we maintain, starting with BDC LIFT.
Live program coverage
BDC LIFT is the newest and largest Canadian AI-adoption program — a $500M envelope, $25K–$5M per loan, with a 2.25% preferential rate when you pick a Canadian integrator. It's the program most of our 2026 conversations are about, and it's the one where Creatrixe maps cleanly into the BDC delivery model. If you're running a Canadian-incorporated business above $1M in revenue, this is the place to start.
BDC LIFT — the $500M AI adoption loan
Full guide: eligibility (Track A vs. Track B), the 2.25% preferential rate, how the Advisory plan works, realistic budgets at your revenue level, and how Creatrixe maps to BDC's process end-to-end. Includes industry-specific paths for HVAC, restaurants, and professional services.
All live programs — Canadian government & Crown-corp coverage
Every program below has a dedicated Creatrixe guide: eligibility, funding shape, how it stacks with other programs, and where Creatrixe fits as a Canadian system integrator.
NRC IRAP
Industrial Research Assistance Program. Non-repayable R&D contributions; up to ~$10M for advanced projects. AI Assist sub-stream is the $100M slice for AI-specific work. Creatrixe is an eligible subcontractor.
Scale AI
Pan-Canadian AI Cluster. Up to 40% reimbursement on consortium projects. May 2026: federal announcement of $128.5M / 44 projects. Creatrixe positions as named AI service provider in your consortium.
CDAP (closed)
The Canada Digital Adoption Program ended March 2025. Our guide maps every replacement — federal (LIFT, IRAP, Scale AI) and provincial (OCI DCC, ESSOR, PacifiCan RAII) — by SME profile.
PacifiCan RAII
Regional AI Initiative for British Columbia and Yukon. Up to $3M per project across AI commercialization and adoption pillars. $32.2M envelope, active since Nov 2024.
OCI DCC (DMAP + TDP)
Ontario Centre of Innovation's Digitalization Competence Centre. Two-stage: DMAP ($15K diagnostic) + TDP ($150K implementation). Closest provincial successor to CDAP for Ontario SMEs.
ESSOR Quebec (1B + 1C)
Investissement Québec's digital adoption stack. Composante 1B ($10–20K diagnostic) + 1C ($20–50K implementation, extended to 2027). Explicitly names AI integration as eligible.
BDC Technology Financing
Customized term loan for tech-enabled SMEs. Interest-only start options. Lower friction than LIFT (no mandatory advisory bundle) — same buyer, different package.
BDC Small Business Loan
Up to $350K online. Sub-10-day approval for under $100K. Up to 8-year amortization. AI consulting fees are a valid eligible use.
Middle East & GCC — Creatrixe's Riyadh-office programs
Our /sa/ regional hub covers SME funding paths across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain. Different programs, same anti-hype guides.
Kafalah
Saudi SME loan guarantee — 80% standard, 90% strategic sectors. SAR 13.9bn in 2024. The most likely vehicle Saudi SMEs use to fund AI projects.
Monsha'at
Saudi Arabia's SME authority. Umbrella for Kafalah, Tomoh, SSC consultancy. Targeting SME contribution to GDP from 20% → 35% under Vision 2030.
SDAIA
Saudi Data & AI Authority. 2026 is the Year of AI. Ecosystem builder, not direct funder — but procurement preference + sandbox access.
HRDF / Hadaf
Saudization wage subsidies. 50% of Saudi employee salary first year (cap SAR 2,000/mo). Funds your AI team, not our invoice — but pairs powerfully with Kafalah-funded builds.
SIDF Tanafusiya
Saudi Industrial Development Fund's competitiveness program. Co-financing for factory digital transformation, AI integration, and energy efficiency.
Dubai Agentic AI Mandate
Hamdan bin Mohammed's May 2026 announcement: 250,000 Dubai SMEs to adopt agentic AI within two years. Dubai Chamber + Canva HQ partnership.
Tamkeen Bahrain
Bahrain Labour Fund's Digital Enablement Program. Co-matching grants that explicitly cover digital tools and consulting — the most consulting-friendly grant in the GCC.
How we work with these programs
Every program above has its own eligibility, intake, and delivery requirements. The underlying pattern of how we engage is consistent — three steps, no surprises.
Identify which programs you qualify for
On a 30-minute call we map your revenue, sector, ownership structure, and AI intent against current Canadian programs and tell you which ones are realistic, which aren't, and which are wrong for your stage even if you technically qualify. No PDF intake forms.
Build the AI implementation plan that matches the program's requirements
BDC LIFT wants a defensible Advisory plan with concrete deliverables. IRAP wants R&D documentation. SR&ED wants engineering records. We write the implementation plan once, in the shape the program expects, with a fixed budget range you can take to underwriting.
Execute as the Canadian system integrator
Once capital is approved, we ship. Build, integrate with the CRM/ERP/PMS you already own, deploy into production, instrument outcomes so post-program reporting is real. Where the program requires a Canadian integrator (LIFT's 2.25% rate is the obvious one), Creatrixe satisfies the clause — Canadian-incorporated, headquartered in Burnaby, BC, delivering from Canada.
Deeper reading on the major programs
Long-form essays for each of the programs above — eligibility, the trade-offs, what gets approved vs. flagged, and the comparisons that come up most often during scoping calls.
- What is BDC LIFT? The $500M Canadian SME AI Loan Program, explained
- What counts as a Canadian AI Integrator for BDC LIFT (and how to pick one)
- Scale AI vs BDC LIFT — which AI funding program fits your Canadian SME?
- NRC IRAP for AI projects — how Canadian SMEs use subcontractor funding
- CDAP is closed — here's what replaced it for Canadian SME digital adoption
- SR&ED for AI projects in 2026 — when LIFT-funded work qualifies (and when it doesn't)
For the Saudi + GCC equivalents (Kafalah, Monsha'at, SDAIA, HRDF, SIDF, Dubai Agentic AI, Tamkeen), see the /sa/ regional hub and the Vision 2030 program map.
Not sure which program fits your business?
30-minute program-fit call. We'll tell you which Canadian AI funding programs you actually qualify for, which you should pass on, and what a defensible scope looks like at your revenue level.