We help you find where AI can save the most time, build the right solution around it, and connect you to funding options like BDC’s LIFT program when the timing is right.
Most business owners already know where their team is losing time: answering the same customer questions over and over, digging through spreadsheets to pull together a report, manually pushing new leads or applications through an intake process.
Finding the right fix isn’t usually the hard part. Building it into your business and figuring out how to pay for it is.
That’s where Core comes in. We help you identify the right AI opportunity, build it, and support it once it’s live; we can also connect you to funding options like BDC’s LIFT program.
How Core Helps You Identify, Plan, and Implement AI
Every AI project starts with finding where it will make a difference, not just where it sounds impressive. Once we’ve identified the right opportunity, we:
- Prioritize which use case is worth tackling first
- Define the expected ROI and productivity gains
- Build the technical approach and implementation roadmap
- Develop AI agents, assistants, and workflow automation
- Automate reporting and document-heavy processes
- Integrate AI with the systems you already use
- Support the solution after it’s live
This process stays the same no matter how the project ends up being funded.
Funding Options for Your AI Project
Cost is often the reason a good AI idea stays on the shelf. If that’s the case for your business, BDC’s LIFT program is one option worth knowing about.
LIFT, short for Lead with Innovation and Focus on Technology, is a $500 million initiative from BDC that pairs Canadian SMEs with advisory support and preferential-rate financing for AI, automation, and other productivity-improving technology projects. Software, workflows, and data initiatives fall under the Digital Transformation & AI stream, with financing between $25,000 and $2 million.
Businesses using LIFT are required to work with a qualified Canadian AI, digital, or integration provider, and Core meets that requirement directly through our custom AI services. Before financing moves forward, BDC also requires a Digital Plan, a roadmap that BDC’s advisory team builds with the business (or reviews, if one already exists) to confirm the project makes sense before funding is released.
Who Qualifies for LIFT Funding?
The public eligibility criteria for the Digital Transformation & AI stream include:
- A Canadian-based business
- At least $1 million in annual revenue
- A strong financial foundation and demonstrated profitability
- A project focused on digital, data, AI, or cybersecurity
- Completion of a BDC Advisory Services Digital Plan
Financing ranges from $25,000 to $2 million, with amortization of up to six years and the option to postpone principal payments for up to 12 months.
What to Know Before You Apply
Not every idea will qualify, and not every business will move through the process the same way. Financing terms vary case by case, and businesses should confirm eligibility directly with BDC. What we can say with confidence is that if you’re considering an AI or automation project, it’s worth finding out whether LIFT applies to you, rather than assuming the budget isn’t there.
Let’s Talk About Your AI Project
Whether or not LIFT ends up being part of the picture, the first step is the same: figuring out where AI can help your business, and what it would take to build it. Book a call to discuss AI solutions with us today.
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