Feb 6, 2023 | Zest Media Productions

What is the CDAP grant?

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) grant is a $4 billion government fund aimed at helping small businesses across Canada to adopt and grow their online presence.

The program offers two grants to eligible businesses: the "Grow Your Business Online” grant and the "Boost Your Business Technology" grant. The "Grow Your Business Online” grant provides up to $2,400 in funding to help with costs related to setting up e-commerce and growing sales online. The "Boost Your Business Technology” grant provides up to $15,000 to receive expert advice on technology solutions to help businesses grow.

The program is available to small businesses across Canada and is delivered in British Columbia by the Government of Canada in partnership with Small Business BC and Digital Main Street. The expenses covered by the "Grow Your Business Online" grant include costs related to adopting e-commerce solutions such as setting up an online store, developing marketing materials, or improving your search engine optimization.

Is my business eligible for the $2400 CDAP micro-grant?

The Canadian Digital Adoption Program has a relatively low barrier to entry. To be eligible for the $2400 grant, your business must:

• be for-profit

• be registered or incorporated

• be consumer-facing

• have at least one employee or have had at least $30,000 in annual revenue in the most recent tax year.

To learn more about which businesses are ineligible and other requirements, visit the Digital Main Street website.

What expenses are eligible for the CDAP grant?

As outlined on the Digital Main Street website, the following expenses would be eligible for reimbursement, so long that it directly ties to selling products or services online.

Eligible expenses:

• Costs related to the implementation or improvement of a digital e-commerce plan (e.g. online reservation/booking tools, online ordering systems, electronic payments)

• E-commerce software including:

  • Software related to tracking and managing inventory

  • Software for product databases

  • Software for tracking sales, marketing, creating offers and loyalty programs

  • Software to streamline marketing

  • Software related to cyber security

• Hardware and accompanying software up to 20% of the total grant amount

  • For instance, CDAP will pay back 20% of the grant (or $480 in this case) if a small firm purchases a new e-commerce integrated point of sale (POS) system that costs $1,300 (including software) as part of their $2400 plan.

• Costs related to website search optimization (SEO)

  • The spending plan can’t be entirely spent on SEO, but tied to an overall e-commerce plan.

• Costs related to installing an e-commerce platform (including subscription fees/costs)

• Costs of back-office solutions to support an e-commerce strategy

• Costs of social media advertising

  • Note: plan cannot be strictly social media advertising, it needs to be tied to the overall e-commerce implementation plan.

• Costs related to creating customer databases

• Hiring a consultant/agency to execute Digital Marketing initiatives related to your e-commerce store

• Development of a new e-commerce website

• Upgrading existing e-commerce site for added functionality (i.e., new plugins, or features)

Can I use the $2400 CDAP grant toward video production costs?

According to the Digital Main Street website, both the “costs of social media advertising” and the costs associated with “hiring a consultant/agency to execute Digital Marketing initiatives related to your e-commerce store” are eligible expenses within the grant’s criteria.

So long as the efforts of video production are being used as digital marketing tools to drive sales through your online store, your application for reimbursement should be approved. That being said, please refer to the guidance and advice of a certified CDAP advisor who can answer any specific questions you may have.

Here’s a hypothetical scenario:
Say you’ve been quoted $5000 to produce a brand story video from a local video production company. You plan to use video to help drive traffic to your e-commerce website; ultimately increasing sales potential. With this grant, you could be eligible to cut the cost of producing this digital video asset by nearly 50%.

We also see on the Digital Main St. website that “explore video storytelling” is one of the vendor tags available when searching through their list of recommended digital vendors. Selecting this tag will curate a list of video storytelling agencies in your area.

How can video storytelling boost e-commerce efforts?

Video storytelling is a powerful tool that e-commerce businesses can leverage to help them connect with their customers and grow online. Video content has shown to be far more engaging, shareable, and impactful than other forms of content. In fact, studies have shown that video content can help businesses increase customer conversions by 80%.

Here are some applications and outcomes of video storytelling for e-commerce businesses:

1. Product demonstrations: Video demonstrations of products can help customers understand how they work, their features, and benefits. This can increase the chances of customers making a purchase.

2. Customer testimonials: Sharing customer testimonials in video format can help build trust and credibility for your business. These videos can show real customers using and enjoying your products, which can be more powerful than written reviews.

3. Behind-the-scenes: Giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business can help build a connection and increase customer loyalty. This can include videos of your team, the manufacturing process, or even a day in the life of your business.

4. Brand storytelling: Using video to tell a story about your brand, products, and mission can help customers understand your values and connect with your business on an emotional level.

Brand Storytelling Video Example

Investing in strategic video storytelling, e-commerce businesses can see benefits in the following areas:

1. Increased conversions: Videos can help increase conversions by providing customers with a more engaging and informative experience.

2. Higher engagement: Videos tend to have higher engagement rates than other types of content, such as text or images. This can help increase the visibility of your business and reach a wider audience.

3. Better customer understanding: Videos can help customers understand your products and business better, which can lead to increased trust and loyalty.

4. Improved brand image: A well-executed video strategy can help improve your brand image and position your business as a leader in your industry.

Let the experts help you

By working with an experienced video production company, you can lean on the experts to help guide you toward building a successful video story based on a strategy. They’ll help you identify your goals, target audience, key messages, and distribution channels - acting as a blueprint for the creative process. Remember, with a well-told narrative that connects with your target audience, you can build a strong brand identity and inspire customer engagement.

Want to save $2400 on your brand’s next video project?

At Zest Media Productions, we’re a results-driven video production company in Vancouver that helps you tell your brand’s story. We can point you in the right direction so your business can enjoy big savings on your next video project with this limited-time Digital Adoption grant.

Schedule a consultation call with our team and we’ll help you apply for the CDAP micro-grant for your video storytelling project:

Curious about the videos we’ve produced for our clients?

We encourage you to explore our portfolio of video work. For years, we’ve helped businesses and organizations from a wide array of industries effectively share their messages through the powerful medium of video. Don’t take our word for it - see for yourself!