Ontario Providing Funding to Help Businesses Go Digital

The Ontario government is investing $7.5 million to support small and medium-sized businesses in modernizing operations and adopting digital technologies through its Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC).

The funding is aimed at strengthening competitiveness and job creation in key sectors, including retail, manufacturing and telecommunications.

Of the total investment, $5 million will fund the Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP), which provides businesses with expert consulting and a personalized technology roadmap. Participating companies can access up to $15,000 in matching grants to support planning and readiness for digital adoption.

According to the provincial government, companies engaged in DMAP have reported $380 million in increased revenue to date.

Delivered by the Ontario Centre of Innovation, the DCC helps companies implement made-in-Ontario digital solutions through expert-led assessments, training and funding. To qualify for DMAP, companies must be for-profit, Ontario-based and employ up to 499 people.

Businesses that complete a DMAP project become eligible for the technology demonstration program. This stream offers up to $100,000 in additional matching grants to support the acquisition and deployment of new technologies directly linked to business expansion and job creation. To qualify, companies must meet the same employment and incorporation criteria and have earned at least $500,000 in annual revenue in one of the past three years.

An additional $2.5 million is earmarked for the province’s retail sector through the newly launched Retail Modernization Project Grant. This initiative provides flexible, matching grants of up to $5,000 to help businesses adopt technologies, such as online payment systems, inventory and customer management software, digital marketing tools, cybersecurity upgrades and artificial intelligence-powered solutions.

Since its inception in 2022, the DCC has facilitated 294 funded projects — 249 under DMAP and 45 under the technology demonstration program. The initiative has also built a network of more than 100 certified digital adoption consultants and expanded the Ontario digital technology vendors list to include more than 140 local providers.