The programs Canadian startups most often use for AI work — IRAP, SR&ED, Mitacs and the AI cluster.
dgm is an independent osFoundry integration partner — not affiliated with osFoundry’s maker (OS LLC), and dgm has no completed client integrations yet.
Canadian startups have a well-worn path of programs for AI work, mostly around R&D and talent.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| IRAP | Advisor + cost-shared funding for innovative SMEs |
| SR&ED | Refundable R&D tax credit (35% for CCPCs) |
| Mitacs | Cost-shared academic research internships |
| Scale AI | Co-investment in AI adoption/commercialization |
The startup funding stack
Most AI startups in Canada use some combination of IRAP (advisor plus cost-shared funding), SR&ED (refundable R&D credit), Mitacs Accelerate (academic talent at shared cost) and Scale AI (co-investment in applied AI projects). Together these cover advice, build cost, talent and R&D recovery.
Sequencing
A typical early sequence is IRAP and/or Mitacs to fund the build, then SR&ED claimed on the eligible R&D — keeping records from day one so the SR&ED claim is defensible. Program parameters, amounts and intake windows change frequently — confirm the current details on the official program page before relying on them.
How to start
The official starting point is Innovation Canada’s free Business Benefits Finder, which returns a tailored list of the 1,500+ federal, provincial and territorial supports you may qualify for and can filter to programs currently accepting applications. Important: these are programs a business applies for directly with the government agency, bank or cluster that runs them. dgm is an independent AI-integration agency — not a registered, approved or official deliverer of any program here. dgm can help assess fit and scope an AI project, but government money does not flow through dgm.
Where dgm fits
dgm is an independent integration partner that helps Canadian businesses adopt osFoundry — scoping a first use case, handling the build, and connecting AI to the systems you already run. dgm can help you scope the AI project that a program would fund — but you apply to the program directly. dgm is independent of osFoundry’s maker (OS LLC) and has no completed client integrations yet, so everything described here is a service offered, not a past result. If you want to scope a practical first project, dgm can help you map it out.