Funding of $3 million through Prairies Economic Development Canada will help small businesses in Alberta to develop an online presence and adopt e-commerce practices

March 7, 2022 – Edmonton, Alberta – Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)

Small businesses are the backbone of Alberta’s economy, representing 98% of all businesses in Alberta and accounting for high-quality jobs across the province. Yet, as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more Canadians shopping online, only an estimated one-third of Alberta small businesses are equipped to sell online.

Today, the Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, announced an investment of $3 million to help Alberta’s small businesses go digital through Business Link’s Digital Economy Program. This means more businesses can adapt to a changing commercial environment leading to increased economic opportunity and creating more jobs for Albertans.

The Digital Economy Program, delivered through Business Link in partnership with Digital Main Street, helps small businesses access e-commerce solutions through two streams: the ShopHERE initiative powered by Google, and Digital Services Squads. ShopHERE is a no-cost tool that helps eligible businesses create and promote their online stores, while the Digital Service Squads consist of highly trained recent graduates across Alberta who provide one-on-one assistance to help eligible businesses learn how to use digital tools more effectively.  

The Digital Economy Program was announced last October with support from the Government of Alberta. PrairiesCan funding will extend the program’s reach and increase the number of businesses that can access these services.

Over the next two years, the Digital Economy Program is expected to help support approximately 4,800 Alberta businesses. Today’s investment is in addition to previous PrairiesCan funding of $715,000 in support of the City of Edmonton and the City of Calgary’s small business digitization projects. Business Link is leveraging these initiatives and connecting them to the Digital Economy Program.

On March 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the launch of the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), to help Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses grow their online presence and upgrade or adopt digital technologies. With an investment of $4 billion over four years, CDAP will support up to 160,000 small businesses and create good middle-class jobs across the country, including thousands of jobs for young Canadians.

In addition, the Government of Canada has partnered with Business Link and Digital Main Street to deliver the Grow Your Business Online grant to small businesses across the country. This $2,400 micro-grant will help smaller, consumer-facing businesses, including those in service industries, co-operatives and social enterprises, adopt e-commerce technologies.