What AI funding can a Nova Scotia business actually get right now?

Checked November 4, 2026. Program status changes often. Before you plan around anything on this page, check the official program page or call the contact we list.

A lot of the funding advice online about AI for small businesses is out of date. Aggregator sites still list programs that closed a year or more ago, and some describe loans as if they were grants. This page lists what we could confirm on the date above, what each program actually is, and who can use it.

Is the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) still available?

No. BDC's CDAP page says the program stopped taking new applications for its Boost Your Business Technology grant stream on February 19, 2024. Only businesses that had already signed a grant agreement before that date could continue. BDC now points businesses to its LIFT financing instead. If a website tells you to apply for CDAP today, the site is out of date.

Which AI funding programs are open in Nova Scotia?

Three of the programs below were confirmed open or ongoing on November 4, 2026. One of them, the Digital Nova Scotia grant, could not be confirmed either way. The rest are closed or between intakes.

Program	Grant or loan	Who it is for	Status on Nov 4, 2026
Digital Nova Scotia AI Adoption Grant (AI Digital Adoption Program)	Grant, up to 75% of eligible project costs, max $8,500 + HST	Nova Scotia small and medium businesses that complete the program's AI training first	Not confirmed. See below
BDC LIFT	Loan, $25,000 to $5 million	Canadian businesses; the AI path needs at least $1M in annual revenue and a BDC Advisory Services plan	Launched April 24, 2026. No closing date published
ACOA Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (Atlantic call)	Repayable contribution, minimum $1M requested	Atlantic Canadian small and medium businesses. Nonprofits are not listed as eligible	Open. Closes November 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ADT
NRC IRAP AI Assist	Advice and possible funding through IRAP; terms set case by case	Companies building generative AI or deep learning into their own products	Ongoing. No public application form; start with an IRAP advisor
Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)	Cost-shared training funding, up to 75% of eligible training costs	Nova Scotia businesses, industry associations, sector councils and nonprofits	Fall 2026 intake closed
Digital Nova Scotia AI for Export	Bootcamp	Atlantic Canadian exporters	Closed. The 2026 cohort ran April to June

Is the Digital Nova Scotia AI Adoption Grant open?

We could not confirm it. Digital Nova Scotia's website blocked our automated checks on November 4, 2026, so we could not read the current program page. The last application deadline we found, on a third-party listing, was February 23, 2026. Digital Nova Scotia's own 2025 year-in-review said it planned to launch a new AI adoption program for small and medium businesses in 2026, with financial support and hands-on training. We found no published launch date.

The terms we found for the most recent round: you complete AI training first, then you can apply for a grant covering up to 75% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $8,500 plus HST. Projects had to be delivered by Nova Scotia-based partners who are Digital Nova Scotia members.

To confirm the status, go to the program page on digitalnovascotia.com or contact Digital Nova Scotia directly and ask three things: is the grant taking applications, is a new training cohort scheduled, and who are the approved delivery partners.

Is BDC LIFT a grant?

No. LIFT is financing from the Business Development Bank of Canada, and you pay it back. BDC set aside $500 million for it and announced loans of $25,000 to $5 million, with the option to postpone principal payments for up to two years.

For AI and digital transformation projects, BDC requires at least $1 million in annual revenue and a BDC Advisory Services plan. BDC also offers preferential rates when a Canadian supplier provides or integrates the technology, with conditions. BDC does not publish a closing date. To check whether LIFT fits your situation, call BDC at 1-877-232-2269.

Should a small business apply to ACOA's AI initiative?

Most businesses with 5 to 50 staff should not. The Atlantic call under the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative has a minimum request of $1 million, and the money is repayable. It has two streams: AI adoption, and commercializing Canadian-built AI. It suits a larger manufacturer or tech company with a costed, seven-figure project. Applications are at the expression-of-interest stage and close November 20, 2026.

Does IRAP fund AI adoption?

Only if you are building AI into what you sell. NRC IRAP's AI Assist program, announced in 2024 with $100 million in federal funding, is for small and medium businesses developing or adapting generative AI and deep learning in their own products and services. Buying ChatGPT seats or automating your office does not fit. There is no online form. Call NRC at 1-877-994-4727 to be connected with an Industrial Technology Advisor, who decides what support is possible.

Can I get funding to train staff on AI?

Yes, through WIPSI, but not this fall. The province's Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive can cover up to 75% of eligible training costs, such as training fees, instructor costs, course materials and travel. The Fall 2026 intake is closed. Read the WIPSI program guide before you book any training, because it sets out timing rules and what is and is not eligible. The program team is at wipsi@novascotia.ca or 902-456-7614.

Which program fits your business?

Example: a 22-person environmental consulting firm in Truro with about $3.5 million in revenue wants two things. First, train its project staff to use AI for site report drafts. Second, build a system that pulls past reports and lab results into a first draft for a senior reviewer to edit.

• Training: WIPSI is the natural fit, at the next intake. The firm should line up its training provider and quote now so it is ready when applications reopen.
• A small first project: if the Digital Nova Scotia grant reopens, 75% of a project with about $11,300 in eligible costs would reach the $8,500 cap. The firm would need to do the training and use an approved Nova Scotia partner.
• A larger build: with revenue over $1 million, the firm can talk to BDC about LIFT. That is a loan, so the project has to pay for itself in saved time or extra capacity.
• Not a fit: ACOA's AI call (too large) and IRAP AI Assist (the firm is using AI, not selling it).

A 6-person firm under $1 million in revenue has fewer options. Today that mostly means waiting for the next Digital Nova Scotia or WIPSI intake, or paying for a small first project directly. Our guide to what AI work costs covers how to keep that first project small.

What will AI funding usually not pay for?

Expect most programs to exclude these, and check each program's guide for the exact rules:

• Work you started or paid for before your application was approved.
• Routine software subscriptions. ACOA's AI call explicitly excludes routine software and standard ERP systems.
• Your own staff's time, unless the guide says otherwise.
• Vendors who do not meet the program's rules, such as a delivery partner who is not on an approved list.

Can nonprofits get AI funding in Nova Scotia?

A few programs accept them. WIPSI names nonprofits as eligible for training funding. ACOA's AI call does not list them. BDC LIFT is business financing. Nonprofits usually get more value from the nonprofit pricing that Microsoft, Google and some AI vendors offer, and from setting up the tools they already have before buying new ones. Check each vendor's nonprofit page for current terms.

How do I spot an out-of-date grant listing?

Check three things. Does the page have a date on it? Does it link to an official government or agency page? Does the official page say the program is open? Grant aggregator sites often copy program descriptions and never update them, which is how CDAP still shows up in searches two years after it closed. If a consultant tells you a program is open, ask for the official link.

What to do next

• Write down the project in one paragraph: what it changes, for whom, and how you will measure it.
• Get one or two written quotes now, so you are ready when an intake opens.
• Contact Digital Nova Scotia to ask about the AI Adoption Grant and the next training cohort.
• Watch for the next WIPSI intake if training is your main need.
• If revenue is over $1 million and the project is larger, call BDC about LIFT, and treat it as a loan you need to repay.
• Do not start paid work before approval if you plan to apply.

If you want help scoping a project that could fit one of these programs, our AI adoption and training service is where we usually start.