Process
Process
Wingman As Your CDAP Digital Advisor
Guiding you through your Digital Adoption Journey
Wingman’s digital advisors are geared up and ready to navigate you through the CDAP process. From the pre-flight digital needs audit, through application, assessment, final submission, and approval we are with you every step of the way.
Since March 2022, Wingman has been assisting SME’s across Canada transform their businesses with the Canadian Digital Adoption Program.
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One of the first 12 approved program advisors across the country
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CDAP grant approval rating
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Digital Plans completed by the Wingman crew
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Average approval and funding of submitted CDAP
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Million dollars in acquired CDAP funding
CDAP Process
Our proven CDAP Flightpath
Phase 1
We start every engagement off with a discussion about how digital adoption can impact your business. There’s no cookie cutter solution and through a deeper understanding of your business, we can recommend solutions that address the specific challenges you face.
You’ll complete a quick (30 min) digital needs assessment (DNA) that will showcase all of your current business efforts, what can improve, and identify some gaps that can be filled through a Digital Roadmap.
Wingman will assist you in navigating the CDAP application process, including the pre-qualifying questions, grant details, and submission.
Phase 2
Then we’re ready for takeoff! Over the course of a few weeks we will work with you to collectively identify the areas of your business that would benefit from specific digital adoption strategies. This 360° view into your organization is where the value of the program really shines.
We will provide you with our digital recommendations (typically 3-4) to complete your customized Digital Adoption Plan for approval and funding.
The Digital Adoption Plan (DAP) will be your reference in transforming and digitizing your business. It also doubles up as the next step in the CDAP process to give you access to up to $100,000 interest free loan and $7,300 hiring subsidy to help you implement the plan.
Phase 3
Now comes the important part, implementation of your plan! Wingman can assist you with your specific implementation priorities from tactile digital marketing to ongoing strategic digital oversight.
Apply and get access to up to $100,000 interest free loan from BDC to put your digital adoption plan into action.
Apply for up to $7,300 funded work placement to hire youth to assist with the implementation of your digital plan.
What does the Digital Adoption Plan include?
The CDAP Grant works where it will cover up 90% of eligible costs related to the services from a digital advisor. These costs are specifically for creating a custom Digital Adoption Plan for you. The plan includes:
Current State
Current State
Technology Analysis
Technology Analysis
Digital Strategy
Digital Strategy
Implementation Roadmap
Implementation Roadmap
Wingman’s submitted CDAP digital flight plans have been swiftly approved by the federal government on first draft generating more than $2.2MM in funding for Wingman’s clients through grants, loans, and subsidies.
Your Expert CDAP Digital Advisor
Why Choose to Soar with Wingman?
Not only is Wingman an Authorized CDAP Digital Advisor through ISED’s CDAP program but we are also Certified Digital Advisors through Digital Maturity Group (DMG), a network of Digital Advisors stretching across Canada and the United States.
Our partnership with DMG gives us collaborative access to this network of fellow Certified Advisors providing Wingman with assistance in a wide array of fields, such as finance, sales, marketing, operations, technology, and beyond.
With our collective and comprehensive pool of resources, we can not only formulate a Digital Adoption Strategy for you, but also bring it to life with Digital Solutions. By collaborating, we design AND can implement an all-encompassing plan for you.
Digital Transformation Expertise
Meet Our CDAP Strategists
Chief Digital Officer
As the Chief Digital Officer (owner) of Wingman, David embraces the opportunity to strategize and create customized digital solutions for small to mid-sized businesses. David is a thought leader with a proven track record of combining process improvement and organizational leadership to create and achieve successful and repeatable programs. He is an expert strategist with a keen eye for efficiency and bottom-line impact. These traits have proven to be key in delivering dramatic results while remaining mindful of cost and timing. David is a highly passionate and innovative leader and entrepreneur with 2+ decades of providing successful results-driven solutions in the design and execution of effective campaigns and digital transformations.
Digital Adoption Strategist
Kelsey is keenly interested in and focused on the intersection of technology and business strategy, recognizing the importance of aligning technological solutions with organizational goals. Her approach is collaborative, working closely with clients to understand their unique challenges and opportunities and develop customized solutions that deliver results. As your digital advisor, Kelsey will guide you through the complex landscape of technological innovation, helping you identify the technologies that will drive your business forward.
CDAP FAQ’s
Still need more clarification before you begin? Here’s the most common questions we get asked about the CDAP grant as well as the process involved in helping your business.
Yes. Wingman Digital Advisory received certification as an approved CDAP Digital Advisor on March 11th, 2022 from the Canada Digital Adoption Program, as a part of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada to work with SMEs under the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) Stream 2: Boost your Business Technology Grant program.
Once you’ve qualified for the CDAP, total flight time for the assessment process and the creation of your unique and comprehensive Digital Adoption Plan is about 4 to 5 weeks.
As the business owner, you should be prepared to invest roughly 10 – 12 hours of your time during the assessment portion of the process. Your commitment to attend meetings, participate in the conversations, and share your operating realities are key to ensuring the plan is aligned with your business objectives.
Wingman’s fee to develop the Digital Adoption plan starts at $15,000 plus applicable GST and provincial taxes.
40% is due at the start of the project. The remaining 60% is due once your funding has been received.
Once the CDAP is finalized, submitted and approved, you will receive your funding for up to 90% of the total cost (including tax) up to a maximum of $15,000.
Wingman’s has observed the average turnaround time from submission to client’s receiving funding has proven to be between 7-10 business days. However, ISED/CDAP communicates in their agreement that funding time could take up to 30 business days.
Wingman works with you and works within your schedule.
We will provide you with a scheduled topic plan for the assessment meetings outlining what areas of the business will be covered at each meeting. Prior to those calls, you can determine which key members in your business should be available for each call. For example, when we discuss finances, most clients find value in having their CFO or Accounting lead present.
Where it makes sense, Wingman can absolutely work with you to implement the plan. You can have your plan implemented by any vendor you choose. There is no obligation nor expectation to use Wingman for the implementation stage of your digital adoption. However, by the time we have completed your plan alignment and participation by you, Wingman will have an intimate awareness of the needs of your business. Having already formed a deep understanding of your transformation needs, engaging our creative team will make for a seamless transition from planning to execution.
Absolutely! We have worked with clients from Kingston to Kelowna. We want to meet you. But, the crew at Wingman has had great success across the country working remotely with small businesses.
Final DAP plans must be submitted by the SME’s (that’s you!). But don’t worry – your Wingman crew will talk you through the quick and easy process to submit the final adoption plan through your online CRA Business account.
Yes, businesses can qualify for both Grow Your Business Online grant AND Boost Your Business Technology grant as long as they meet the requirements of the individual grants.
Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
Your businesses must also all be individually registered, i.e. have a unique business number. You must submit a separate application for each business.
When CDAP was announced in the 2021 Canadian federal budget, it was scheduled to support SMEs for 4 years. That means that small businesses have until 2025 to apply. However, all grants are first come, first served and can be changed or removed at any time. We recommend getting started as soon as possible!
The following types of small businesses are ineligible for the Stream 2: Boost Your Business Technology program:
- Corporate chains, franchises or registered charities
- Representatives of multi-level marketing companies
- Real estate brokerages
- Non-profit organizations
Applicants will be asked to supply the following documents:
- Proof of business registration (i.e.. incorporation or registration documents, business/operating license, etc.)
- Confirmation provided by CRA of sales tax (GST/HST) registration OR confirmation provided by CRA of recent sales tax (GST/HST) filing (within the last 12 months).
- Proof of an employee (payroll run or pay stub within the last four weeks)
You will have 6 months from the time you receive your personalized link from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to BDC to complete your loan application. If you exceed this timeframe, you will be ineligible for the loan.
Zero-interest loan of up to $100,000 with a 5-year term + 12 months capital postponement (total of 6 years). CDAP is a four-year program, so you can apply for the program until 2025 – but only after successfully working with an approved CDAP Digital Advisor on your customized digital adoption plan AND it getting approved by the ISED/CDAP team.
The amount of the loan is determined by the size of your business. If your annual gross revenues are:
- between $500,000 and below $5M you can request a loan up to $50,000
- $5M and more, you can request a loan up to $100,000
The loan must be used solely for the implementation of a digital adoption plan that is recognized by the CDAP Boost Your Business Technology stream.
Please note that although the loan request is being made under CDAP, applicants must meet CDAP eligibility criteria and BDC creditworthiness requirements to receive a loan offer.
You can create your digital adoption plan, receive the grant that covers up to 90% of advisory services and then decide against the zero-interest loan. Participating in the digital plan portion of CDAP does not oblige you to apply for a loan. If you move forward to implement your plan, you can also source the required funds from your own cash flow or from your regular financial institutions.
You can visit the Government of Canada website for complete CDAP information here: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canada-digital-adoption-program/en
