"We know we need to do it — the budget's the problem." We hear this constantly. So here's the part most accessibility firms never mention: you may not have to pay for this out of pocket.
CDAP is gone. These aren't.
The federal Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) — which many used for web/digital work — has closed. But two well-established programs remain, and both can apply to accessibility and web projects.
CSBFP — Canada Small Business Financing Program
- What it is: A federal program where the government shares the risk with your bank, making it easier to get a loan for business assets.
- What it can cover: Equipment, leasehold improvements, and — relevant here — software and systems, which can include a website build or major remediation.
- How it works: You apply through a participating financial institution (most major Canadian banks). The program backstop improves your odds and terms.
- Why it matters: Turns a lump-sum project into manageable financing — "compliance you don't feel in cash flow."
CanExport SMEs — grants for new markets
- What it is: A federal grant program (administered by Global Affairs Canada) for small and medium businesses entering new export markets.
- What it can cover: Costs tied to international expansion — which can include adapting your website for new markets (and an accessible, well-built site is part of being export-ready, especially into the U.S. where ADA applies).
- The number: grants historically up to about $50,000, covering a portion of eligible costs.
- Why it matters: If you're selling (or planning to sell) beyond Canada, part of your accessible-web investment may be grant-eligible.
How PassProof helps
We're accessibility engineers, not lenders — but we guide the structuring: scoping the project so it maps cleanly to what CSBFP or CanExport will support, providing the fixed-price documentation these applications need, and timing the work to the funding. The funding conversation is part of how we scope every build and major remediation.
Eligibility and terms are set by the programs and your bank/Global Affairs Canada — we help you position the project, not approve the funding.
The math gets even better
Recall the alternative cost: defending a single Human Rights Tribunal complaint runs $30,000+. Now pair a manageable, possibly-financed compliance project against that downside — and against the conversion lift a better-built site delivers. The case writes itself.
Start with a fixed-price scope — free
Funding applications need numbers. The PassProof Report gives you a fixed-price audit + remediation range in ~30 seconds — the starting point for a CSBFP or CanExport conversation.
👉 Get your free PassProof Report
PassProof is a remote-first accessibility-engineering studio serving Ontario. This is general guidance on funding programs, not financial or legal advice; eligibility is determined by the programs and your financial institution.