Digital Technology Cluster

Who is eligible?

• Canadian companies.
• Industry-led consortia.
• Organizations, including universities, colleges, institutes, not-for-profits, and government partners, depending on the program.

Who is not eligible

• International organizations without a registered business presence in Canada.
• Non-Canadian entities without operations in Canada.

Eligible expenses

• Incremental project costs directly related to project execution and objectives.
• Eligible costs incurred by consortium partners under the co-investment model.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• In-kind contributions.
• Project activities or costs incurred by international organizations without a registered business presence in Canada, unless pre-approved as a foreign cost.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada
• British Columbia

• Projects are competitively selected.
• Projects are evaluated against the goals of the relevant program.
• For CareerTech, evaluation includes industry demand and relevance, EDI and ecosystem impact, workforce innovation, and team and management plan.

• Step 1: Review the relevant program guide and call information
  • Check the program page for the call details and co-investment information.
  • Review the applicable guide for eligibility and application requirements.
• Step 2: Prepare the application package
  • Complete the Expression of Interest when required.
  • Prepare the Full Project Proposal and supporting materials.
• Step 3: Submit the application
  • Submit through the proposal application process indicated by DIGITAL.
  • Provide the required project and partner information.
• Step 4: Follow the review process
  • Wait for review, evaluation, and selection updates from DIGITAL.

• Applications are reviewed and evaluated on a continuous-intake basis.
• Projects are selected through a competitive process.
• Applicants are kept informed as projects are selected.
• Approved projects proceed under a multiparty contract.
• Claims are reviewed and processed before payment.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• There is an expectation for project participants to have cash flow to cover 3-6 months of costs for accounting for claims payment review and processing timelines.
• In-kind contributions are considered donations and are not eligible for co-investment.
• Approval of foreign costs usually requires a 2-3 week process with ISED.
• The participation of international customers is encouraged for global market readiness, but non-Canadian entities are ineligible for co-investment unless they have operations in Canada.