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The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) is joining a new national effort to help small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits adopt AI.
In partnership with AI-agent platform Agentiiv, the CMA is joining Ownr, Staples and the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience (CCNDR) to launch the You.Scaled. Accelerator Program, a $5-million initiative that will provide 500 grants (350 to SMBs and 150 to non-profits) to support AI adoption through tools, training and mentorships.
“You.Scaled. represents the natural evolution of what we’ve always stood for at the CMA – championing marketing’s crucial role in driving business success and strengthening society,” CMA president and CEO Alison Simpson tells strategy. “The program helps actively remove the barriers that prevent small businesses from participating in the digital economy.”
Each recipient will receive access to Agentiiv’s AI platform, training from the CMA and integration support from partners, helping organizations translate AI learning into measurable outcomes like greater efficiency and improved customer experiences, according a CMA news release.
Agentiiv provides a platform of 100-plus specialized AI agents that act like expert colleagues, Congson says, covering functions from marketing strategy and copywriting to financial modelling and HR workflows.
The accelerator builds on the CMA’s broader efforts to equip marketers and businesses with the skills to use AI responsibly. In addition to its training programs and resources, including a weekly AI playbook series that helps marketers and businesses, the CMA released its “Guide on AI for Marketers” and “Setting the Stage on Artificial Intelligence: A Primer for Marketers” documents in the spring.
“You.Scaled. will now take that expertise directly to the small businesses and non-profits who need it most but often lack the resources to access it,” Simpson says. “What excites me most is how this aligns with our broader vision of building the marketing mindset and environment of tomorrow. We’re not just helping businesses adopt AI – we’re helping them understand how to use it strategically.”
Despite growing awareness, AI adoption remains low among Canadian organizations.
According to Statistics Canada numbers through the second quarter of 2025, just 12.2% of Canadian businesses reported that they currently use AI, while a Canadian Chamber of Commerce survey from May of last year showed that 73% of SMBs had yet to consider implementing generative AI.
“That’s not just a technology gap – it’s an equity gap that threatens the competitiveness of the very businesses that form the backbone of our economy,” Simpson says. “This initiative directly supports our mission to champion marketing’s powerful impact by ensuring that transformative tools are available to smaller organizations as well as large … we’re democratizing access to technologies that can fundamentally change how these organizations connect with their customers, grow their businesses, innovate and strengthen Canada’s economy.”
The program also includes a commitment to equitable access, with grants distributed across Canada’s urban, rural and remote regions, and dedicated support for organizations led by women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and members of LGBTQ community.
Toronto-based Agentiiv, which is contributing $4 million in AI services, spearheaded the initiative and assembled the partnership ecosystem. Staples will provide operational and business support, while CCNDR will tailor the program for non-profit participants. Launched on Tuesday, the application period is open at youscaled.com through Nov. 15.
“These partnerships represent years of relationship-building with organizations that share Agentiiv’s vision for Canadian business resilience,” Karla Congson, Agentiiv’s CEO and chief technology officer tells strategy. “What makes this initiative unique is the comprehensiveness – You.Scaled. addresses the entire business ecosystem that small companies need to scale.”
