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Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy (ATIGS) and Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Agreement (ATIGA)

Last Revised: February 2, 2024

ISSUE: Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy (ATIGS) and Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Agreement (ATIGA)

RESPONSE

BACKGROUND

ACOA is focused on supporting Atlantic Canadian businesses and organizations to become more innovative, productive and export-ready to take advantage of market and supply chain diversification opportunities.

To achieve this, ACOA leverages federal and provincial collaboration opportunities where export and investment focuses align for the benefit of businesses, organizations, and the region.

Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy (ATIGS)

A key lever of collaboration for helping Atlantic firms maximize market development and supply chain diversification is the federal-provincial Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy (ATIGS), which was first signed in 2017 and renewed in 2022 for an additional five years.

The strategy partners include ACOA, the four Atlantic Provinces and Global Affairs Canada. These partners will also engage other federal and provincial departments and organizations in the development and implementation of specific initiatives in support of the strategy as needed.

The primary goals of the ATIGS are to

ATIGS partners support initiatives under the following two strategic elements that align with these objectives:

Under the ATIGS, eight key sectors have been identified as strategic to Atlantic Canada’s growth:

  1. Aerospace and Defence
  2. Biosciences
  3. Energy Innovation
  4. Food and Beverage
  5. Information and Communication Technologies
  6. Mining
  7. Ocean Technologies
  8. Seafood

The strategy is implemented collaboratively by various committees and teams and involves regular planning, industry engagement, coordinated activities, and the sharing and reporting of information and data in support of the strategy’s objectives.

Committees and teams include a Steering Committee and Management Committee; Atlantic Sector Teams; Trade Capacity-Building Team; In-Market Program Team; Foreign Direct Investment Team; and several project-level working groups.

All teams and committees are comprised of ATIGS partner representatives, except for the Sector Teams, which also include industry associations.

Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Agreement (ATIGA)

The activities undertaken in support of the ATIGS are funded in part by the Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Agreement (ATIGA), an initial 5-year $20 million federal-provincial agreement signed in 2017, which was renewed in 2022 for an additional 5 years and $20 million.

The ATIGA is costed-shared by ACOA (70%) and the four Atlantic Provinces (30%).

From the implementation of the ATIGS to present, a total of 151 projects have been approved under the ATIGA for total contributions of approximately $31.2 million.

Results tabulated by Stats Canada in 2023 and based on ATIGS administrative data that measured ATIGS outcomes from 2016-2021, highlighted the following:

ATIGA Provincial Breakdown:

Total provincial contribution: $6,000,000 (30%)

EXAMPLES OF ATIGA APPROVED PROJECTS (2017 to 2023)

Project Approved FY Proponent Project TOTAL ATIGA Assistance Approved NET EXPENDED Sector/Team
2018/2019 Taste of Nova Scotia Society Lead an Atlantic Canadian delegation to Seafood Expo Global 2019 in Brussels $359,320 $333,254 Seafood
2018/2019 Opportunities New Brunswick Multi-sector Trade Mission to Germany and the Netherlands $186,000 $135,433 Markets - Europe
2018/2019 Opportunities New Brunswick CPTPP and Canada/Korea FTA Atlantic Canadian information session $47,550 $23,153 Markets - Asia
2019/2020 Atlantic Canada Aerospace & Defence Association (ACADA) ACADA to lead a mission to DSEI in UK, a NATO Mission in Brussels, and intelligence report $208,223 $174,246 Aerospace and Defence
2019/2020 Atlantic Chamber of Commerce Inc. Atlantic Canada European Program $1,866,616 $1,332, 980 Markets - Europe
2020/2021 Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations Develop, promote and deliver global e-commerce and on-line marketing initiatives $813,926 $798,689 Multi-sector
2020/2021 Nova Scotia Business Incorporated Support Scale up Hub program Atlanta $337,500 $336,852 Markets - US
2021/2022 Smart Grid Innovation Network Canada Inc. Study for smart energy supply chain $101,776 $101,776 Clean Technology
2021/2022 Atlantic Chamber of Commerce Inc. Asia Market Development Project $816,086 $386,980 Markets - Asia
2021/2022 The Maritimes Energy Association Lead a delegation to participate in the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum 2022 $162,081 $162,081 Clean Technology
2022/2023 Prince Edward Island BioAlliance Inc. Lead an Atlantic Canadian Delegation to participate in BIO 2022 convention and trade show $180,436 $175,986 Bioscience
2022/2023 Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Support a comprehensive and client-focused export readiness initiative – Launch Export $1,279,154 $406,919 Multi-sector
2022/2023 Lobster Council of Canada Initiate Export Café B to B meeting program and other Marketing Activities for Asia 2023 $159,000 $101,023 Seafood
2023/2024 Marine Renewables Canada Support for the International Partnering Forum on Offshore Wind (IPF 2024) $213,520 $0 Energy Innovation
2023/2024 Invest Nova Scotia Lead the New England Blue Economy Mission for Atlantic SMEs $61,200 $0 Multi-sector
      $6,792,387 $4,469,374  

PREPARATION AND APPROVALS

Prepared by: Darlene Boone, IBD Officer, ACOA HO, 902-217-3858
Sector contact: Faith McIntyre, Director General, Programs, 902-940-1417
Sector approval: Daryell Nowlan, Vice-President, Policy, Programs and Communications, 506-851-3805