Quebec’s AI Revolution: Inside Boast’s Purpose-Built CDAE-IA Solution

In this special bonus episode of What the Tech, we’re doing something different: Going inside Boast to discuss one of the most significant changes to Quebec’s innovation funding landscape in over a decade.

The province’s banner e-business tax credit (CDAE) is being revamped starting in 2026, with a major focus on AI, and Boast is meeting the moment with the first platform built specifically for the new CDAE-IA program.

Host Paul Davenport sat down with Joshua Martin, Boast’s Quebec Sales Leader, and Blake Nelson, Boast’s Product Leader, to unpack what this transformation means for innovative Quebec businesses and how Boast’s dedicated CDAE-IA solution is designed to help companies maximize their funding while minimizing their effort.

The Big Picture: Why This Matters

The CDAE program, colloquially known as the e-business tax credit, has supported Quebec’s software and IT consulting firms since the early 2000s. But as Joshua explains, the government is making a “monumental” shift:

“They want to change the CDAE program… toward a tax credit that supports AI. What they’re doing is adding an element in this existing program that to remain eligible, these software companies must implement the use of AI in a significant way.”

This isn’t just a tweak; it’s a modernization effort that reflects how companies actually do R&D today. The program is becoming more generous in some ways (some caps are being removed), but it’s also introducing new requirements around AI integration that are creating both opportunity and uncertainty.

What Quebec Businesses Are Thinking (and Worrying About)

Joshua works directly with Quebec’s innovation leaders every day, and he’s hearing a mix of optimism and concern:

The optimism: Companies understand this is a necessary evolution. Quebec needs to maintain its competitive edge in AI, building on strengths from Mila, strong universities, and a thriving startup ecosystem.

The concern: Companies already claiming millions in CDAE are nervous about changing criteria. The “magic phrase” everyone keeps asking about? What exactly does “significant use of AI” entail?

“There’s a bit of gray zone into how Quebec will actually apply these changes,” Joshua notes. “There’s optimism, but there’s also a mix of skepticism and fear in navigating this uncertainty.”

This ambiguity is precisely why having an expert partner matters, and why Boast built a dedicated solution rather than trying to retrofit existing tools.

Building a Platform When Requirements Are Still Evolving

Blake Nelson leads product development at Boast, and he faced a unique challenge: How do you design a platform when the rules are still being finalized?

His approach: Start with the end in sight.

“We understand the concept and the goals of what they’re trying to accomplish. Whereas some of the in-between steps are still trying to be defined, we can use our tool and continue to tune it as we get more and more details about the specifics as they come out.”

The advantage of partnering with Boast early? You don’t have to wait until December 2026 to look back at your entire year and figure out how to apply new criteria retroactively. You can start the process now and adapt as requirements crystallize.

The Boast Difference: Technology Meets Expertise

One of the most important themes in the conversation is how Boast balances automation with human judgment.

Blake’s philosophy: “We’re not building a platform to do everything automatically. We’re saying let’s build a platform to automate the mundane, to take care of the tedious pieces, to save time where it can be saved. But we know that human judgment is gonna be critical.”

The platform handles:

Clear criteria and guidance specific to each company’s setup
Automated extraction of information from documentation
Streamlined communication between clients and experts (no more 37-email chains)
Centralized workspace where both clients and Boast experts see the same information

But humans handle what matters most:

Strategic positioning of your AI work
Narrative development that satisfies government requirements
Stacking strategies combining CDAE-IA with SR&ED and other credits
Risk mitigation and proactive planning

As Joshua puts it: “The platform will help with defensibility, gathering documentation. It allows you and our team in tandem to really think strategically—how do we loop in SR&ED and other tax credits to kind of mitigate the changing program?”

Less Time, Better Results: How It Works

Blake designed the platform with one goal in mind: Massive time savings without sacrificing quality.

Here’s what the experience looks like:

1. Dedicated Space with Clear Criteria: No ambiguity about what you need. The platform tunes itself based on your specific situation (Have you claimed before? What’s your setup?).

2. AI-Powered Heavy Lifting: Once you upload documentation, Boast’s AI extracts needed information and formats it for easy understanding. The “relatively simple calculations” get you to a potential return quickly.

3. One-Stop Shop: Your expert sees exactly what you see. Streamlined communication. Quick turnaround.

The result? Companies save hours (sometimes days) at year-end while actually getting better outcomes because strategic expertise is layered on top of efficient processes.

Built to Adapt: What Happens When Rules Change?

One of Blake’s key insights: you need a strong core foundation.

“When the core is strong, then you can just apply slight tuners onto it. So it allows us to adjust more quickly… instead of starting from scratch because our core can’t handle that many changes.”

Boast has been building AI-powered tax credit platforms for years. The CDAE-IA solution leverages that foundation while incorporating new processes that speed up response times and feedback loops.

Translation: When Quebec clarifies or modifies requirements (and they will), Boast can adapt the platform quickly without clients having to start over.

The Strategic Advantage: Stacking and Planning

One often-overlooked benefit of working with a partner like Boast is strategic tax credit stacking.

Quebec businesses might be eligible for:

CDAE-IA (AI-focused e-business credit)
SR&ED (federal and provincial R&D credits)
Other provincial and federal innovation programs

Joshua’s team helps companies evaluate:

Which credits apply to which work
How to maximize total funding
Timing considerations (Do you need cash flow sooner or later?)
Documentation strategies that satisfy multiple programs

This strategic layer is where human expertise becomes irreplaceable. A platform can’t evaluate your unique business situation and recommend the optimal funding strategy—but Boast’s experts can.

Success in 2026: What It Looks Like

The program launches January 2026. For companies that partner with Boast now, success looks like:

Day One Readiness

Current projects evaluated for AI integration
Documentation standards aligned with new requirements
Clear understanding of eligibility

Proactive Positioning: As Joshua emphasizes: “Just because there’s uncertainty does not give you the entitlement to do nothing. There are mitigation efforts you can put in place today to start reducing risk.”

Year-End Confidence: Blake’s stark contrast: companies that start early will breeze through year-end, while companies that wait until November will be “pulling out their hair” trying to figure out if they actually qualify.

Why Boast Built This (And Why It Matters)

Joshua, based in Montreal, put it simply: “It’s pretty incredible to see Boast making such a large investment in building out tech specifically designed for tax programs here.”

This isn’t a generic tool retrofitted for Quebec. It’s a purpose-built solution for a specific program transformation affecting a specific community of innovators that Boast deeply cares about.

And here’s the meta-point: Boast practices what it preaches. The company uses the same AI tools and techniques that Quebec wants businesses to adopt. The platform itself exemplifies “significant use of AI” in a way that drives real efficiency gains while maintaining the human expertise that government compliance requires.

What This Means for You

If you’re a Quebec business doing innovative work with AI integration:

The opportunity is significant – Enhanced funding, removed caps, and government recognition of how modern R&D actually works.

The complexity is real – New requirements, evolving criteria, and strategic decisions about how to position your work.

The timing is now – Don’t wait until year-end 2026 to figure this out. Companies that start planning now will be positioned for success while others scramble.

Boast’s dedicated CDAE-IA solution gives you both the platform efficiency and the expert guidance to navigate this transformation confidently.

Écoutez l’épisode complet

Want to hear Blake and Joshua dive deeper into platform design philosophy, strategic stacking considerations, and what “significant AI use” might actually mean in practice?

Listen to the full bonus episode of What the Tech from Boast.

About What the Tech from Boast

What the Tech propose des discussions avec des esprits brillants derrière de nouvelles initiatives technologiques, explorant ce qu’il faut pour faire face à l’incertitude technologique et transformer le monde. Animé par Paul Davenport, journaliste tech et responsable du contenu chez Boast.

Ready to Navigate CDAE-IA with Confidence?

Boast’s dedicated CDAE-IA solution combines purpose-built technology with deep Quebec tax credit expertise. Whether you’re claiming CDAE for the first time or transitioning from existing CDAE claims, our platform and team help you maximize funding while minimizing effort.