Ontario's most direct retail technology funding currently runs through the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and its Digital Competence Centre. As of July 2026 there are three connected offers: a small, fast grant for storefront retailers, a funded planning engagement, and a larger implementation program that requires the plan first. Choose carefully, because the rules do not let you apply to all of them.
Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG): up to $5,000
The RMPG offers up to $5,000 toward retail technology such as modern point-of-sale systems, RFID inventory tools and CRM software. As of June 2026 the program targets direct-to-consumer retailers with a physical storefront, which means home-based businesses do not qualify, with 1 to 50 full-time staff, at least one year of incorporated operations and at least $100,000 in annual revenue. Funding is first-come, first-served while funds last. So it helps to apply with a clear project and vendor quotations ready, because a complete application moves forward while an incomplete one waits.
Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP): up to $15,000
DMAP funds up to $15,000 toward a structured digital adoption plan prepared with a qualified consultant. It is open to Ontario B2B product companies. The result is a written plan, not new equipment: where technology can realistically improve your operations, in what order, and at what cost. A useful plan tends to cover the tools themselves, the sequence to adopt them in, rough costs, and the training your team will need to use the new tools. For a business with more than one problem to solve, the plan itself is useful, and you need it to apply to the larger program below.
Technology Demonstration Program (TDP): up to $50,000
TDP offers up to $50,000 toward implementing digital projects, and it has two requirements. First, it requires a completed DMAP; there is no direct entry. Second, applicants need at least $750,000 in revenue in one of their last three tax years. For an established business, the DMAP-then-TDP pathway can support both the plan and the project itself, but the sequence cannot be skipped or reversed.
DMAP or RMPG, not both
You may apply to DMAP or to the RMPG, but not both. This rule points most businesses to one program:
- A storefront retailer with one clear purchase in mind, such as a new POS or CRM, leans toward the RMPG.
- A business with several digital gaps and the revenue history to reach TDP leans toward DMAP first.
- A business that wants implementation funding for a large project has only one option: DMAP, then TDP.
- A service business without a public storefront falls outside the RMPG, and DMAP is limited to B2B product companies.
First-come, first-served timing
First-come programs behave differently from deadline programs. There is no single deadline where all applications are compared. Instead, complete applications are processed in the order they arrive until the funding is used up, sometimes well before the published end of a program year. So aim to send a complete application early, rather than a perfect one later. Watching intake status matters too, because a program listed as open in spring may show funding as fully allocated by fall.
Preparing either application
Whichever program fits, you will need similar documents. Gather them before you apply:
- Proof of incorporation and your operating history.
- Revenue evidence, since the RMPG and TDP both carry revenue thresholds.
- An employee count that matches the program's band.
- A written project description: what you are buying or planning, and the problem it solves.
- Vendor quotations for the technology, gathered before you apply.
None of this paperwork is wasted even if a program pauses, because the same file supports any retail technology decision you make with your own money. Program details, intake status and available funds change through the year, so confirm current rules directly with the Ontario Centre of Innovation before applying or purchasing anything. BBN Labs helps retailers check which OCI programs fit, explains the rules and sends deadline alerts. You apply on the official program site, and eligibility and approval are decided solely by OCI, subject to program rules and available funding.