Custom AI Development for Canadian Organizations
Custom AI development is building an AI tool around your process when off-the-shelf products fall short: an internal app, an AI feature in your product or a proof of concept. Remolda's six-week pilot costs $9,800 CAD + HST.
In short
- Custom work is worth it when Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise or a SaaS tool cannot reach your data, follow your rules or fit your users' workflow.
- Typical builds: an internal AI app for one team, an AI feature inside a product you sell, or a proof of concept to test a risky idea before a larger budget.
- Built on commercial models (Claude, GPT, Azure OpenAI) with storage in your environment and model regions chosen for your data rules; fine-tuning only when tests show it helps.
- Price: $9,800 CAD + HST for a six-week AI Pilot Sprint; code, prompts and documentation are yours.
- Projects with technological uncertainty may qualify for SR&ED or NRC IRAP support; eligibility is decided by those programs.
Your situation
Custom AI makes sense when the standard tools stop at the edge of your process. Typical cases:
- A team works around its tools. People copy data from the core system into ChatGPT and back, because the licence cannot reach the data.
- A product needs AI. You sell software or a service and clients ask for AI features.
- A risky idea needs proof. Leadership will fund a larger project once someone shows it works on real data.
- Rules are specific. Pricing, eligibility, compliance checks or scoring that no general tool knows.
Buy, configure or build
| Option | When it fits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Buy and roll out | The need is general and the data sits in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude for teams |
| Configure | Standard platform plus your content and workflow | Copilot Studio agents, n8n or Power Automate flows |
| Build custom | Specific data, rules, users or a product you sell | Internal AI app, product feature, custom agent |
We recommend the lightest option that works. For platform comparisons, see AI vendor selection.
What the AI Pilot Sprint includes
One custom AI tool or feature. Scoped to one user group and one job, built to production quality.
Evaluation on your data. Test cases and a success measure agreed before the build.
Integration. Connections to your systems as needed; see LLM integration with existing systems.
Security basics. Access control, logging, cost limits, and a documented data flow for privacy review.
Handover. Code in your repository, documentation, and a working session with your developers or IT.
How long it takes
Six weeks for the pilot. In our experience the time goes to agreeing on the success measure, getting access to data and testing on real cases. It depends on data availability, security review and how many user groups need to sign off.
What it costs
The AI Pilot Sprint is $9,800 CAD + HST, fixed. Larger builds are estimated after the pilot. If the idea is still broad, the AI Opportunity Audit at $2,900 narrows it down first, and its fee is credited. See the pricing page.
Building a new AI capability into your own product may qualify for NRC IRAP support or SR&ED tax credits when the work resolves technical uncertainty. We keep dated technical records during the build; see AI grants and funding in Canada.
Why Remolda for custom AI
- Build only when buying falls short. The comparison comes first.
- Proof on real data. A success measure agreed before any code.
- Code and IP are yours. Repository, accounts and documentation in your name.
- Canadian data rules respected. Hosting and data flows documented for PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25.
- Fixed first step. Six weeks, $9,800, then a decision.
How the work runs
Custom builds cover the Strategy, Implement and Evolve steps of the Remolda Cycle.
- Scope call. Problem, users, data, success measure.
- Design. Architecture, model choice, evaluation set.
- Build and test. Weekly demos on real cases.
- Pilot use. One team uses it daily.
- Decision. Scale, adjust or stop, with an estimate for the next stage.
Frequently asked questions
When do we need custom AI instead of an off-the-shelf tool?
When the tool must work on data that off-the-shelf products cannot reach, follow rules specific to your organization, fit a workflow your users already have, or become part of a product you sell. If Copilot or ChatGPT Enterprise covers the need, we say so and help you roll it out.
How much does custom AI development cost in Canada?
Remolda's six-week AI Pilot Sprint builds one custom AI tool or feature to production quality for $9,800 CAD + HST. Larger builds are estimated after the pilot, when the real effort is known. Model and hosting costs are billed by the provider.
What is an AI proof of concept and how long does it take?
A proof of concept tests whether an AI approach works on your data before a larger investment. In the Pilot Sprint we run it on real cases with a success measure agreed up front; in our experience six weeks is usually enough to reach a clear go or stop.
Do you train our own AI model?
Rarely at the start. Commercial models with good instructions and retrieval over your documents cover most needs. Fine-tuning or a custom model is considered when evaluation shows a measurable gain that justifies the cost.
Who owns the code and the intellectual property?
You do. Code, prompts, evaluation sets and documentation are delivered in your repository, and model and cloud accounts are in your name.
Can custom AI development qualify for SR&ED or IRAP?
Work that resolves technological uncertainty through systematic investigation may qualify for SR&ED tax credits, and NRC IRAP supports innovation projects at eligible Canadian SMEs. Eligibility is decided by the CRA and NRC; we document the work so your advisers can assess it.
Can you add AI features to software we sell to our clients?
Yes. We design tenant separation, permission checks, cost limits per client and logging, then build the feature with your developers or hand it over to them.
Sources
- Canada Revenue Agency — Guidelines on the eligibility of work for SR&ED tax incentives
- National Research Council Canada — NRC IRAP financial support
- Microsoft Learn — Foundry models sold by Azure: region availability
Facts checked:
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