CED — Business Scale-up and Productivity — REGI for SMEs

💡What Is This Program?

🎁What Benefits Are Offered?

Financial assistance to foster innovation, business growth, expansion, productivity, and innovation capacity. For SMEs, funding is a repayable contribution of up to 50% of authorized costs, with repayment starting two years after project completion. For NPOs, it's a non-repayable contribution (grant) of up to 90% of authorized costs (50% for capital projects). Eligible activities include acquisition of digital production equipment, adoption of new technologies, commercialization, market development, and business management improvements.

📋What Are the Application Steps & Timeline?

📝Steps to ApplySource

• Consult the eligibility criteria for the Business scale-up and productivity program.
• Read the guidelines for this program carefully.
• Refer to the Project Submission Guide for detailed submission instructions.
• Prepare your project proposal according to the guidelines.
• Submit your project proposal.

🌐Application PortalSource

https://ced-client.space/

📤Submission MethodSource

online

🔄Intake TypeSource

rolling

📄What Documents Are Required?

✅Required DocumentsSource

• Project proposal
• Financial statements
• Business plan

📎Optional DocumentsSource

• Letters of support
• Market research reports

📐Format RequirementsSource

PDF only, max 10MB

📥Templates AvailableSource

• Project Submission Guide

✉️Supporting LettersSource

Letters of support may be required depending on the project.

💰What Expenses Are Eligible?

🧾Eligible ExpensesSource

• Acquisition of digital production equipment or machinery
• Assessment, adaptation or adoption of new technologies
• Activities aimed at boosting productivity and production or innovation capacity
• Commercialization and market development
• Implementation of commercialization strategies
• Participation in trade fairs
• Prospecting visits
• Hiring of marketing staff
• Ad campaigns
• Market diagnostics and studies
• Technology showcasing and demonstration
• Hiring of resources to set up top-performing teams
• Adoption of best management practices, processes and systems

🚫Ineligible ExpensesSource

• Non-essential costs not directly related to the project
• Refinancing of an existing debt
• Purchase of an asset at a price that exceeds its fair market value
• Amortization expenses
• Goodwill costs
• Land purchases

💳Payment ModelSource

reimbursement

⏪Retroactive Expenses EligibleSource

No

🤝Is Matching Funding Required?

🔀Matching RequiredSource

Yes

📊Matching RatioSource

50%

🏦Eligible Matching SourcesSource

• cash
• in-kind

📚Stacking RulesSource

Yes, you can combine with other government funding.

🛡️Proof of Matching RequiredSource

Documentation to prove matching funds is required.

📊What Are the Reporting Requirements?

🗓️Reporting FrequencySource

annual

📑Reporting RequirementsSource

• Project updates
• Performance measurement reports

🔍Audit RequirementsSource

Projects may be subject to audit to ensure compliance with funding conditions.

📢Branding RequirementsSource

Recipients must acknowledge funding from the Government of Canada and use official logos as required.

🗄️Record Retention PeriodSource

7 years