EDC and the World Trade Centre of Toronto (WTC)

With the change to the virtual classroom EDC is continuing to partner with the World Trade Centre of Toronto to bring you the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP), a comprehensive learning platform. Here you will learn how to expand your business' global reach and enjoy direct mentorship and highly personalized coaching from industry experts.

Apply now for these in demand sessions.

Succeed in export markets faster with the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP)

In-depth workshop sessions for enhanced export knowledge. Now available online.

Find a session

TAP by the numbers^_*:

73%

Percentage of TAP Grads Exporting

8.5

The average number of jobs added by companies within one year of participating in TAP

42%

Percentage of companies that start exporting, or enter a new market after participating in TAP

64%

Percentage of participating companies owned or led by underrepresented groups.

Our program supports inclusive trade companies (Black communities, indigenous communities, LGBTQ2+) through dedicated cohorts, specific partnerships with ecosystem partners to provide answers to unique challenges or offer flexible requirements

*Figures from 2023

How does TAP accelerate my company’s growth?

TAP is an innovative program designed to help small- and medium-sized enterprises gain knowledge and a network of contacts to unleash their export potential. Offered through a series of online workshop sessions with trade and industry experts, Canadian business leaders learn to overcome export barriers and reach new markets faster. Now available through the World Trade Centre of Toronto’s online platform.

Ready to expand your business horizons? Through TAP, you’ll learn the ins and outs of exporting, discover the resources available to companies like yours, and find out how to build and sustain a profitable future.

City	Cohorts	2-day Workshop	3rd Day Export Plan	1 on 1 Mentoring Day
Abbotsford	March	Mar 9-10	Mar 18	Apr 14
Kelowna	May	May 12-13	May 20	Jun 16
Langley & Surrey	April	Apr 21-22	Apr 28	May 26
Vancouver	February	Feb 11-12	Feb 19	Mar 12
Vancouver	June	Jun 23-24	Jun 30	Jul 28
Vancouver	September – Creative industries	Sept 22-23	Sept 30	Oct 28
Vancouver	November	Nov 3-4	Nov 10	Dec 8
Victoria	October	Oct 14-15	Oct 21	Nov 18

Calgary	March	Mar 4-5	Mar 19	Apr 22
Calgary	May	May 11-12	May 28	Jun 25
Calgary	September	Sept 2-3	Sept 22	Oct 22
Calgary	November	Nov 9-10	Nov 24	Dec 16
Edmonton	February	Feb 12-13	Feb 25	Apr 7
Edmonton	April	Apr 15-16	Apr 28	Jun2
Edmonton	September	Sept 15-16	Sept 29	Nov 5
Edmonton	October	Oct 28-29	Nov 10	Dec 15
Lethbridge	April	Apr 1-2	Apr 14	May 13
Red Deer	March	Mar 16-17	Mar 31	Apr 30

Saskatoon	January	Jan 29-30	Feb 6	Mar 10

Winnipeg	March	Mar 11-12	Mar 19	Apr 22

Kitchener-Waterloo	March – Tech-specific	Mar 26-27	April 3	May 6
Kitchener-Waterloo	May	May 5-6	May 13	June 16
Mississauga	February	Feb 26-27	Mar 3	Mar 31
Sault Ste Marie	March	Mar 23-24	Apr 9	May 5
Thunder Bay	February	Feb 10-11	Feb 18	Mar 18
Toronto	January – Special Women-led companies	Jan 20-21	Jan 27	Mar 3
Toronto	March	Mar 10-11	Mar 23	Apr 21
Toronto	May	May 25-26	Jun 3	Jul 7
Toronto	August	Aug 24-25	Aug 31	Oct 6
Toronto	September	Sept 29-30	Oct 8	Nov 12
Toronto	October – Creative industries	Oct 28-29	Nov 5	Dec 10
Vaughan	March	Mar 30-31	Apr 6	May 20

Levis (FR)	February	Feb 5-6	Feb 13	Mar 24
Montreal (EN)	February	Feb 3-4	Feb 12	Mar 17
Montreal (bilingue)	March – Manufacturing sector	Mar 10-11	Mar 17	Apr 14
Montreal (FR)	April	Apr 28-29	May 6	Jun 2

Halifax	February	Feb 24-25	Mar 2	Mar 30

City	Cohorts	2-day Workshop	3rd Day Export Plan	1 on 1 Mentoring Day
Abbotsford	March	Mar 9-10	Mar 18	Apr 14
Kelowna	May	May 12-13	May 20	Jun 16
Langley & Surrey	April	Apr 21-22	Apr 28	May 26
Vancouver	February	Feb 11-12	Feb 19	Mar 12
Vancouver	June	Jun 23-24	Jun 30	Jul 28
Vancouver	September – Creative industries	Sept 22-23	Sept 30	Oct 28
Vancouver	November	Nov 3-4	Nov 10	Dec 8
Victoria	October	Oct 14-15	Oct 21	Nov 18

Calgary	March	Mar 4-5	Mar 19	Apr 22
Calgary	April	Apr 1-2	Apr 14	May 13
Calgary	September	Sept 2-3	Sept 22	Oct 22
Calgary	November	Nov 9-10	Nov 24	Dec 16
Edmonton	February	Feb 12-13	Feb 25	Apr 7
Edmonton	April	Apr 15-16	Apr 28	Jun2
Edmonton	September	Sept 15-16	Sept 29	Nov 5
Edmonton	October	Oct 28-29	Nov 10	Dec 15
Lethbridge	May	May 11-12	May 28	Jun 25
Red Deer	March	Mar 16-17	Mar 31	Apr 30

Saskatoon	January	Jan 29-30	Feb 6	Mar 10

Winnipeg	March	Mar 11-12	Mar 19	Apr 22

Hamilton	February	Feb 27-28	Mar 6	Apr 14
Kitchener-Waterloo	March – Tech-specific	Mar 26-27	April 3	May 6
Mississauga	February	Feb 26-27	Mar 3	Mar 31
Sault Ste Marie	March	Mar 23-24	Apr 9	May 5
Thunder Bay	February	Feb 10-11	Feb 18	Mar 18
Toronto	January – Special Women-led companies	Jan 20-21	Jan 27	Mar 3
Toronto	March	Mar 10-11	Mar 23	Apr 21
Toronto	April	Apr 27-28	May 5	Jun 5
Toronto	May	May 25-26	Jun 3	Jul 7
Toronto	August	Aug 24-25	Aug 31	Oct 6
Toronto	September	Sept 29-30	Oct 8	Nov 12
Toronto	October – Creative industries	Oct 28-29	Nov 5	Dec 10
Vaughan	March	Mar 30-31	Apr 6	May 20

Levis (FR)	February	Feb 5-6	Feb 13	Mar 24
Montreal (EN)	February	Feb 3-4	Feb 12	Mar 17
Montreal (bilingue)	March – Manufacturing sector	Mar 10-11	Mar 17	Apr 14
Montreal (FR)	April	Apr 28-29	May 6	Jun 2

Halifax	February	Feb 24-25	Mar 2	Mar 30

Find a TAP session near you

In partnership with the World Trade Centre of Toronto, the classes are now available coast to coast. TAP can be delivered in two formats: hybrid and virtual. Both formats include the same topics and the use of an e-learning platform.

Click on the link from your closest region to learn about the full schedule available.

After each cohort participants will have access to the new e-learning platform. The platform facilitates staying in touch with graduates, interaction with one another, peer to peer learning and engagement, mentorship, and access to learning materials and resources.

TAP enforced discipline to focus on export growth specifically. It broadened my horizons in terms of the government agencies and programs to facilitate export sales.

David Dickson — VP Finance, Signifi TAP Toronto

TAP at a glance

Through the program, you will:

define a growth strategy;
identify and analyze your target market;
complete an export plan; and
identify the resources available for international expansion.

TAP is made up of 4 phases:

Woman taking an online class, smiling on monitor

Phase 1: Discover

The program comprises intensive workshops that familiarize participants with the available exporting resources, introduces high-level experts in key functions of international trade, stimulates peer-to-peer exchange of ideas & experiences, and provides guidance in recognizing and handling business challenges.

Online group classes, the screen is split into four and a participant is looking on

Phase 2: Develop

Participants will receive focused support from leading Canadian export advisors in the development of their export plan. Participants will tackle key sections of their export plan, detailing strategic objectives, market entry methods, international marketing plan, as well as supply chain and operational resources.

Man running machinery, sewing or embroidery machine

Phase 3: Build

Over the course of the program, participants will develop their trade plan. They will have the full support of export advisors to guide and assist them in developing an export plan that is realistic, high quality, and fully integrated with their overall business strategy. All export plans receive a written assessment from our expert team.

Two businessmen wearing masks greet each other COVID-19 style

Phase 4: Accelerate

The final phase of the program is focused on mentoring, constructive feedback, solutions, and reinforcing business relationships. After reviewing the export plan, participants will receive individual mentoring sessions from our expert partners where potential solutions and ways forward are explored. Participants will walk away with a complete Strategic Export Plan!

How to get started with TAP

If your company fits the criteria below, you’re ready to expand your export capabilities with TAP. Participating companies must have:

2 years of commercial operations

A strong competitive advantage

More than $500,000 in annual revenue

2 years of income statements

A clean record: no corruption or environmental or human rights violations

Desire to diversify into export markets, to explore the steps needed to expand into new markets and/or some past export experience

Two senior representatives dedicated to the program

TAP changed the whole way we are doing business. We had been doing exports for 20 years thinking we were good at it... TAP opened new doors and gave us opportunities and access in ways we never thought were possible.

Paul Kalia — CEO, Hofmann Plastics TAP Toronto

91% of TAP participants feel more motivated to expand internationally after attending TAP

Apply now and a TAP representative will get in touch to discuss this opportunity in further detail.

Find a session

Developed by industry experts

TAP was developed by the Toronto Board of Trade and is now organized by The World Trade Centre of Toronto. This includes regional boards of trade, chambers of commerce and associations. The program is supported by EDC and other dedicated partners who participate in a value-packed curriculum, offering expertise, resources and valuable networking opportunities. With TAP, you’ll be in good company.