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Canada's AI for All strategy: what it means for your business
Canada released a national AI strategy, AI for All, on June 4, 2026. If you run a small business, here is what it says, in plain terms.
The problem it names
Statistics Canada data cited in the strategy says only 12 percent of Canadian businesses used AI to produce goods or services between mid-2024 and mid-2025. The strategy points to cost, lack of expertise and uncertainty about where to start as the barriers, especially for small and medium businesses.
Training
The strategy commits to a National AI Literacy Initiative with free, entry-level AI training open to all Canadians. In September 2026 the government announced a partnership with Amii to deliver it.
Trust
The strategy says Canada will create a Canada Trusted AI Certification program, to help people identify trustworthy AI products. It is a plan. We could not find a program you can apply to today.
Money
BDC, the federal development bank, launched LIFT in April 2026, with $500 million earmarked. Its Digital transformation and AI stream offers consulting and financing. BDC’s program page currently lists loans of $25K to $2M and requires businesses with at least $1M in annual revenue and a BDC Advisory Services digital plan. Terms can change, so check the page and ask BDC whether your business is eligible.
What to do this month, whatever tools you use
- Write down which AI tools your team already uses, including free ones.
- Name one person who is responsible for checking AI output before it reaches a client.
- Keep a simple record of what was checked, by whom, and what changed.
Keeping that record is where AIWAA (AI Workforce Accountability Automation) aims to help. It is a prototype we are building at Formativelabz Inc to record who requested the work, what output was generated, who approved the exact wording, and what stayed open. It is still in development. The full app is not available yet, and it is not a certification.
Sources
- Canada’s National AI Strategy, AI for All (ISED)
- Prime Minister’s news release, June 4, 2026
- National AI Literacy Initiative
- BDC LIFT