ACOA's 2025-26 Departmental plan
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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 2025. Cat. No. AC2-8E-PDF, ISSN: 2371-719X
From the Minister
I am pleased to present the 2025-26 Departmental Plan for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). The Agency’s focus moving forward is clear: economic growth, boosting productivity and increasing the region’s competitiveness. This creates jobs, helps small and medium-sized enterprises grow, and drives innovation in both traditional and emerging sectors of the economy – all while improving the quality of life for Atlantic Canadians.
Atlantic Canada has tremendous growth potential and ACOA will continue to empower Atlantic Canada’s businesses and communities to innovate, go green and grow stronger. It will support key sectors, empower under-represented groups, and help communities diversify their economies. By prioritizing affordability and sustainable growth, the Agency aims to make life better for all Atlantic Canadians. Together with all levels of government, it will build a vibrant, inclusive Atlantic Canada poised for long-term prosperity.
ACOA will continue its progress by investing in skills training, innovation and technology development. These efforts will help create quality jobs, make life more affordable, and drive economic growth in communities across Atlantic Canada. Programs such as the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative, the Elevate Tourism Initiative, and the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative are examples of how the Agency is positioning Atlantic Canada for continued success.
I invite you to read this report for more details on ACOA’s plans to strengthen Atlantic Canada’s economic foundation, enhance the vitality and prosperity of the region’s communities, and ensure a brighter, more affordable future for all.
With the wind in our sails, we are charting a course toward new horizons for Atlantic Canada.
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings
Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibility 1: Economic development in Atlantic Canada
In this section
Description
Support Atlantic Canada’s economic growth, wealth creation and economic prosperity through inclusive clean growth and by building on competitive regional strengths. Help small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) growth through direct financial assistance, and indirectly through business support organizations. SMEs become more innovative by adopting new technologies and processes, and by pursuing new avenues for expansion and market diversification to compete and succeed in a global market.
Quality of life impacts
This core responsibility contributes to the “Prosperity” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and the indicators of gross domestic product per capita, productivity, investment in in-house research and development (R&D), firm growth, and employment. This core responsibility also contributes to the “Environment” domain.
Indicators, results and targets
This section presents details on the department’s indicators, the actual results from the 3 most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and the target dates approved in 2025-26 for economic development in Atlantic Canada. Details are presented by departmental result.
| Departmental Result Indicators | Actual results | Target | Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of high-growth firms in Atlantic Canada |
|
800 | March 31, 2026 |
| Value of export of goods from Atlantic Canada |
|
$39,000,000,000 | March 31, 2026 |
| Value of exports of clean technologies from Atlantic Canada |
|
$670,000,000 | March 31, 2026 |
| Revenue growth rate of firms supported by ACOA programs |
|
7% | March 31, 2026 |
| Departmental Result Indicators | Actual results | Target | Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value of business expenditures in R&D by firms receiving ACOA program funding |
|
$105,000,000 | March 31, 2026 |
| Percentage of businesses engaged in collaborations with higher education institutions in Atlantic Canada |
|
15% | March 31, 2026 |
| Departmental Result Indicators | Actual results | Target | Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
Percentage of Atlantic Canadian SMEs that are majority owned by women, Indigenous people, youth, visible minorities or persons with disabilities |
|
|
March 31, 2026 |
Percentage of professional-, science- and technology-related jobs in Atlantic Canada’s economy |
|
33% | March 31, 2026 |
| Amount leveraged per dollar invested by ACOA in community projects |
|
$1.10 | March 31, 2026 |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for ACOA’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
The following section describes the planned results for economic development in Atlantic Canada in 2025-26.
In 2025-26, ACOA will remain a reliable source of place-based investments in Atlantic Canada to build a stronger and more resilient economy that works for everyone. This will help firms scale up, develop new markets and adopt new technologies and processes to be more productive and sustainable. Activities will help Atlantic Canadians, including groups such as Indigenous peoples and rural communities that are under-represented in the economy, to advance and diversify regional economies in an inclusive way.
ACOA’s overarching strategic priority will be enhancing productivity and growth. The Agency will emphasize efforts aimed at closing the productivity gap of the region. This will be done by focusing on 3 areas:
- Growing strategic sectors: ACOA will promote place-based economic diversification and market expansion by propelling key sectors such as biosciences, cybersecurity, clean technologies, and aerospace and defence.
- Technology adoption: The Agency will help SMEs increase the adoption of automation and advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to optimize their value, create efficiencies and reduce waste.
- Workforce development: ACOA will work with businesses to ensure that key industries have the skilled workers needed to enhance their productivity, and help communities attract and develop the talent required to foster economic growth.
The Agency’s focus on productivity, competitiveness and diversification, combined with ACOA’s flexible programming and close relationship with its business clients, will help Atlantic Canadian SMEs, sectors and communities navigate economic insecurity, mitigate the impacts of U.S. trade disruptions, and ensure future growth and competitiveness. The region has strong and deep trade ties with its trade partners, particularly in the U.S., and the Agency’s flexible programming can help mitigate disruptions to those ties by enhancing the region’s value proposition.
Atlantic Canada has the ingredients to become an economic force and a magnet for investment in the future. It has seen recent population, employment and capital investment development that create the right conditions for growth. Through its promotion of Atlantic issues and its suite of programming, ACOA will prioritize productivity to foster economic competitiveness, boost business growth, and lead to higher living standards. Advocacy and pathfinding in national policies and programs will also help Atlantic Canadian stakeholders leverage opportunities and ensure the region is at the forefront of Canada’s overall economic success.
The Agency will maximize the potential of its suite of programming, including the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, one of the Government of Canada’s 4 flagship platforms for economic development. It will also enhance competitiveness and growth through technology development, commercialization, adoption and adaptation, productivity improvements, and market expansion with trusted trading partners. Broad-based support will be complemented by more targeted growth-enabling initiatives such as the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative. This initiative will support innovative approaches for building houses, including designing and upscaling modular homes, the use of 3D printing, panelized construction, as well as implementing net-zero and climate-resilient homebuilding practices to build houses faster and make them more affordable. Additionally, the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative will help SMEs adopt and adapt artificial intelligence (AI) solutions by bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and broader marketplace applications, positioning Atlantic Canadian businesses for future success. Finally, focused investments such as the Tourism Growth Program and its Elevate Tourism Initiative will help diversify regional economies, notably by investing in tourism products and experiences that will encourage visitation to and within Atlantic Canada.
ACOA’s key priorities and its Minister’s mandate letter commitments are guiding principles in the achievement of its core responsibilities through the 3 departmental results below:
Departmental result 1: Businesses are innovative and growing in Atlantic Canada
The Agency will work with SMEs to capitalize on sector strengths and capacities, develop and diversify markets, and scale up by:
Results we plan to achieve:
- helping businesses at various stages of development – from start-up to maturity – to enhance their productivity, adapt and green their operations, accelerate their growth, scale up, optimize their supply chains, and be competitive in domestic and global markets. This includes leveraging company-oriented growth plans under the Accelerated Growth Service, led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Innovation Canada in partnership with other federal and provincial organizations. The service builds a pipeline of clients with strong potential for growth and provides them with focused sales and export support in a dynamic trade environment
- accelerating digitization and the use of transformative technologies in Atlantic Canada. This will ensure businesses have the capacity to implement advanced-manufacturing solutions to be more innovative, agile and resilient in response to changing market conditions. This includes increasing the use of e-commerce to facilitate business transactions, better meet consumer demand, generate added sales and increase efficiency
- enabling and diversifying growth through exports in key industry sectors and dynamic markets, ensuring a greater presence for Atlantic Canadian companies in key markets either in person or through e-commerce and virtual trade, and promoting foreign direct investment with the Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy
- continuing to deliver the 3-year Tourism Growth Program in Atlantic Canada to support the tourism industry and contributing to the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, which charts a course for long-term growth, investment and stability. This includes implementing the Elevate Tourism Initiative, a focused effort to enhance regional tourism offerings. ACOA will also collaborate with federal, provincial and industry partners to implement the Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism
- advocating and partnering to foster the participation of Atlantic Canadian companies in emerging clean technologies such as wind-to-hydrogen, energy storage, small modular reactors, hydroelectricity and critical mineral development, and supporting Atlantic Canadian companies in traditional energy industries as they transition to a low-carbon future. This includes working closely with motivated partners through ACOA’s Clean Growth Initiative
- positioning Atlantic Canadian firms to leverage major Canadian Coast Guard and defence procurement through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits policy by networking with regional stakeholders and global aerospace and defence firms
Departmental result 2: Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Atlantic Canada
The Agency will help businesses invest in new technologies to improve their efficiency, productivity, competitiveness and growth, notably by:
Results we plan to achieve:
- fostering investments in R&D among Atlantic Canadian firms to enhance their productivity, reduce their environmental footprint, and improve their capacity to innovate to help create industry-advancing solutions for some of the biggest sectoral challenges, and to grow trade through partnerships between innovators. This includes supporting the region’s innovators who develop and commercialize clean technologies, products and services
- creating, growing and nurturing inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs and foster an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation, growth and competitiveness by convening innovation ecosystem stakeholders. This includes supporting collaboration between SMEs and the region’s business incubators and accelerators, research organizations and post-secondary institutions
- addressing the AI adoption lag among Canadian businesses and helping enhance productivity, growth and competitiveness. Support will focus on investing in companies developing AI-based solutions and addressing challenges faced by SMEs, such as skills gaps, AI integration complexities, and compliance with regulatory and industry standards
- helping advance energy innovation by leveraging the region’s significant potential for renewable energy, electrification and energy efficiency while also enhancing its competitiveness in the global marketplace
Departmental result 3: Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada
The Agency will invest in inclusive growth, support the launch and growth of SMEs, and invest in community capacity to plan, attract, hire and retain skilled talent to support a clean and sustainable economy. ACOA will:
Results we plan to achieve:
- support local and regional economic diversification in communities to foster place-based growth in key sectors and to support them in the transition to a cleaner economy
- promote diversity and inclusion to enhance SME competitiveness by delivering support for under-represented entrepreneurs, helping existing SMEs adopt more inclusive practices, and addressing gaps in the ecosystem to help all entrepreneurs grow their businesses and pursue new opportunities
- reach a larger number of Indigenous businesses by supporting efforts that target capacity building, working closely with Indigenous communities and organizations, pathfinding to national programs to leverage support, and increasing knowledge and awareness by convening federal and provincial governments, stakeholders and community partners through joint participation in key committees, initiatives and communities of interest
- help non-profit, third-party organizations such as Community Business Development Corporations support SMEs in small, rural and remote communities
- help communities attract and develop the talent required to foster economic growth by acting as a pathfinder, notably supporting federal and provincial partners with better labour market matches. This includes working with provincial and federal partners to support the inclusive workforce of the future by improving school-to-work transitions, helping to build new skills in growing sectors, increasing digital skills, and recruiting and retaining skilled newcomers by leveraging initiatives such as the Atlantic Immigration Program
Key risks
ACOA has identified 2 main risks to fulfilling its mandate. The first is a risk that the Agency’s economic development programming may be affected by external factors that contribute to uncertainties for economic growth in Atlantic Canada, such as potential trade disruptions with the U.S. The second is a risk that the capacity of ACOA’s stakeholders – other governments, partners, communities and clients – for the identification, development and successful implementation of strategic projects may not be sufficient to support the optimal achievement of its program objectives.
ACOA will continue to capitalize on the flexibility of its programs, including emergency funding, on its advocacy role, close relationship with its business clients, and on its integrated planning to mitigate potential risks associated with an evolving economy and the depth of regional stakeholders’ capacity. The Agency will also conduct analyses on regional economic issues and collaborate with stakeholders to foster client and community capacity to help achieve targets under key federal priorities.
Planned resources to achieve results
Table 4: Planned resources to achieve results for economic development in Atlantic Canada
| Resource | Planned |
|---|---|
| Spending | $333,256,478 |
| Full-time equivalents | 379 |
Complete financial and human resources information for ACOA’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
ACOA programs will be delivered with an inclusion lens to support groups that are under-represented in Atlantic Canada’s economy and among its entrepreneurs and workforce, notably through capacity-building activities that increase access to opportunities for diverse groups in rural and urban communities. These groups include women, Indigenous people, Black and racialized Atlantic Canadians, persons with disabilities, newcomers, international students, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, youth, older workers, as well as persons living in remote and rural areas, Acadians and francophones. The Agency will include and collaborate with various communities and actively seek out and incorporate the diverse views of Atlantic Canadian stakeholders on economic development issues.
ACOA integrates gender-based considerations for new initiatives, program evaluations, data and reporting mechanisms, including agreements with Statistics Canada for disaggregated data and enhanced administrative data collection with voluntary declarations for under-represented groups and gender and diversity commitments in contribution agreements. ACOA will also foster its internal corporate diversity and inclusiveness with initiatives and the continued implementation of its Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Action Plan.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The Agency’s activities and initiatives under its sole core responsibility of supporting economic development in Atlantic Canada advance objectives related to several of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), as outlined in the 2022–2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. They include the following:
- SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy: Advance the development and deployment of clean and renewable energy. This includes advancing priority transmission projects and supporting new and developing clean technologies and energy sources
- SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: Support workers, businesses and communities in their transition to a greener and more inclusive economy through economic development and diversification, skills and training investments, and project development and growth assistance. This includes supporting efforts to green supply chains and to decarbonize and electrify sectoral and business operations to remain competitive in Canada and internationally. It also includes supporting the Government of Canada’ interim Sustainable Jobs Plan in Atlantic Canada
- SDG 10 – Reducing Inequalities: Support the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act by fostering inclusion within the Agency and taking an inclusion lens on program delivery
- SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 – Climate Action: Fostering practices that promote sustainable development in its internal operations and project management activities
More information on ACOA’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in ACOA’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Innovation
In 2025-26, ACOA will continue to pursue high-impact innovations and make them an integral part of its operations and programming. For example:
- working with partners to explore innovative ways to grow Atlantic Canadian SMEs through trade and investments, and adapting programming to meet their needs in an ever changing environment
- monitoring results on a continual basis to better focus on clients and their needs to grow and scale their businesses
- implementing a client-centric approach to the design of internal processes and claims processing to adapt to evolving client expectations
Program inventory
Economic development in Atlantic Canada is supported by the following programs:
- Inclusive Communities
- Diversified Communities
- Research and Development, and Commercialization
- Innovation Ecosystems
- Business Growth
- Trade and Investment
- Policy Research and Engagement
Additional information related to the program inventory for economic development in Atlantic Canada is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
In this section
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- management and oversight services
- communications services
- legal services
- human resources management services
- financial management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- real property management services
- materiel management services
- acquisition management services
Outside of these services, ACOA created the Office of Inclusion, Equity and Anti-Racism. This office is a neutral entity that provides leadership, strategic direction, policy advice, professional development, and expertise with respect to inclusion, equity and anti-racism within the Agency. It will engage external stakeholders in supporting corporate inclusion initiatives to remove systemic barriers.
Plans to achieve results
This section presents details on how the department plans to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.
In 2025-26, ACOA’s Internal Services will continue to support sustainable change and the modernization of its processes. This includes being inclusive, equitable and accessible, and aiming to be free of racism, harassment and discrimination. Ultimately, these efforts will support the Agency’s standard of excellence for Atlantic Canadians through effective programs and services. To do so, Internal Services will:
- continue to implement strategies that align with government priorities, providing accurate and timely information for decision making as well as modernizing operations to support efficiencies and maintaining a high standard of program delivery and services that benefit Canadians, support regional representation and maintain a diverse workforce
- continue to modernize the Agency’s grants and contributions program management system and the associated client web portal to enhance program operations, improve client services and streamline program delivery. This modernization effort aims to make it easier for the public to access ACOA services, ensuring a more user-friendly and efficient experience
- support the Government of Canada’s updated Digital Ambition strategy, notably by modernizing tools and investing in strategies such as AI to improve operational and internal process efficiencies
- implement the third year of its 2023–2026 Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Plan to promote and support a diverse and inclusive workplace. This includes continued support for the Elder-in-Residence Initiative, which fosters stronger Indigenous reconciliation within the Agency; continued delivery of the Diversity, Inclusion, Competence, Excellence (DICE) course, which was specifically designed to promote awareness and action regarding diversity and inclusion in the workplace; and prioritizing official languages training for equity employees throughout the Agency
- continue to prioritize mental health, wellness and official languages by supporting activities and initiatives aligned with the Clerk’s Call to Action and other government-wide strategies such as the “Nothing Without Us” accessibility strategy, the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy and the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Program, and ensuring compliance toward the modernized Official Languages Act
- continue to advance the conversation on values and ethics through a renewed Code of Conduct and by fostering a culture of trust and accountability at all levels of the organization
- continue to develop employee leadership at all levels with the new Building and Supporting Leaders talent management approach, with specific consideration for employees from equity groups. For example:
- participation of ACOA employees in the Atlantic Federal Council’s Diverse Leadership Development and Building Black Leaders programs, as well as in the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Mosaic Leadership Development program and Mentorship Plus initiative
- greater access to language training to align with the Agency’s priorities on representation and succession planning
- enhanced leadership coaching opportunities
Planned resources to achieve results
Table 5: Planned resources to achieve results for internal services this year
| Resource | Planned |
|---|---|
| Spending | $28,767,878 |
| Full-time equivalents | 193 |
Complete financial and human resources information for ACOA’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024-25.
ACOA is resolute in supporting the Government of Canada’s commitment that 5% of the total value of all contracts be awarded to Indigenous businesses. ACOA is a Phase 2 organization and was required to achieve the minimum 5% target by the end of fiscal 2023-24. The Agency surpassed the target, with a result of 27.8 %, and plans to surpass it for the next 2 years.
Table 6: Percentage of contracts planned and awarded to Indigenous businesses
| 5% reporting field | 2023-24 actual result | 2024-25 forecasted result | 2025-26 planned result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses | 27.8% | 5% | 5% |
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of ACOA’s planned spending and human resources for the next 3 fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2025-26 with actual spending from previous years.
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department's planned expenditures from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 7: Three-year spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2022-23 Actual expenditures | 2023-24 Actual expenditures | 2024-25 Forecast spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic development in Atlantic Canada | 402,753,191 | 447,178,438 | 363,917,964 |
| Internal services | 30,372,837 | 31,252,148 | 29,992,234 |
| Totals | 433,126,028 | 478,430,586 | 393,910,198 |
Analysis of past three years of spending
The Agency’s 2024-25 forecast spending represents a decrease from the 2023-24 actual expenditures, largely due to the conclusion of temporary funding related to the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 8: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2025-26 Planned spending | 2026-27 Planned spending | 2027-28 Planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic development in Atlantic Canada | 333,256,478 |
241,991,966 | 227,596,202 |
| Internal services | 28,767,878 |
28,610,499 | 28,610,283 |
| Totals | 362,024,356 | 270,602,465 | 256,206,485 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
In the 2025-26 Main Estimates, the Agency’s available funding is $362.0 million. This represents a decrease of $31.9 million from the 2024-25 forecast spending of $393.9 million. The variance is explained as follows.
- A total decrease of $44.2 million due to:
- the absence of
- $31.0 million related to the reprofiling of funds from fiscal year 2023-24 to fiscal year 2024-25
- $2.7 million in temporary funding for the Keir’s Shore Landing project
- $1.5 million in temporary funding for the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship
- the conclusion of
- $9.0 million in temporary funding announced in Budget 2019 for the Canada Coal Transition Initiative – Infrastructure Fund
- the absence of
- This decrease is offset by a total increase of $12.3 million due to:
- $7.7 million related to the reprofiling of funds as a result of project/contracting delays
- $1.7 million in temporary funding announced in Budget 2024 related to the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative
- $1.6 million in temporary funding for the BioAccelerator project
- $1.3 million in other adjustments
In 2026-27, planned spending is $270.6 million, a decrease of $91.4 million from the $362.0 million in the 2025-26 Main Estimates as a result of the following.
- A total decrease of $92.7 million due to:
- the conclusion of
- $76.5 million related to interim funding in replacement of the Regional Development Agency Repayment Recycling Mechanism
- $5.8 million in temporary funding announced in Budget 2024 related to the renewal of top-up funding for the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program
- $4.3 million in temporary funding announced in Budget 2023 related to the Tourism Growth Program
- a reduction of $5.5 million in temporary funding for the BioAccelerator project
- a reduction of $0.6 million in other adjustments
- the conclusion of
- This decrease is offset by a total increase of $1.3 million due to temporary funding announced in Budget 2024 related to the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative.
In 2027-28, planned spending is $256.2 million, a decrease of $14.4 million from the $270.6 million in 2026-27 planned spending as a result of the following.
- A total decrease of $14.4 million due to:
- the absence of
- $4.8 million in temporary funding in support of the Halifax International Security Forum
- the conclusion of
- $9.0 million in temporary funding for the BioAccelerator project
- $0.6 million in temporary funding in support of a renewed Food Policy for Canada
- the absence of
More detailed financial information on planned spending is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
![[alt text]. Text version below:](/content/dam/acoa-apeca/images/programs/transparency/2024-25/DP25-26_FundingGraph_EN.jpg)
Text description of graph 1
| Fiscal year | Total | Voted | Statutory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | $433,126,028 | $423,859,785 | $9,266,243 |
| 2023-24 | $478,430,586 | $468,950,861 | $9,479,725 |
| 2024-25 | $393,910,198 | $385,279,873 | $8,630,325 |
| 2025-26 | $362,024,356 | $352,527,037 | $9,497,319 |
| 2026-27 | $270,602,465 | $261,197,089 | $9,405,376 |
| 2027-28 | $256,206,485 | $246,801,109 | $9,405,376 |
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
Actual spending: 2022-23, 2023-24. Planned spending: 2024-25, 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Planned spending for 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 does not include amounts stemming from Budget 2025, funding for the recently approved Commerce and Purchasing (CP) collective agreement, and the replacement of the current recycling mechanism expected in 2026-27 and beyond.For further information on ACOA’s departmental appropriations, consult the 2025-26 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides a general overview of ACOA’s operations for 2024-25 to 2025-26. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management. The forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis; as a result, amounts may differ.
A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes for 2025-26, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on ACOA’s website.
Table 11: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ended March 31, 2026 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2024-25 Forecast results | 2025-26 Planned results | Difference (forecasted results minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | 273,373,781 | 238,686,815 | (34,686,966) |
| Total revenues | 19,964 | 31,037 | 11,073 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 273,353,817 | 238,655,778 | (34,698,039) |
Analysis of forecasted and planned results
Planned total expenses for fiscal year 2025-26 are $238.7 million, a decrease of $34.7 million compared to the 2024-25 forecast results. The decrease in planned expenses for fiscal year 2025-26 is due to the sunsetting of multiple initiatives.
Total revenues represent the gain on disposal of tangible capital assets. A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes for 2025-26, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, is available on ACOA’s website.Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
Table 12: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
| Core responsibilities and Internal Services | 2022-23 Actual full-time equivalents | 2023-24 Actual full-time equivalents | 2024-25 Actual full-time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic development in Atlantic Canada | 386 | 371 | 366 |
| Internal services | 210 | 199 | 206 |
| Totals | 596 | 570 | 572 |
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
The human resource levels at ACOA in 2022-23 reflect the additional temporary staffing required to support the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 emergency response efforts. In the following years, the number of FTEs declined due to several factors, including the phasing out of COVID-19 emergency initiatives and the reduction outlined in Budget 2023 as part of the “Refocusing Government Spending to Deliver for Canadians” initiative, effective in 2024-25.
Table 13: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
| Core responsibilities and Internal Services | 2025-26 Planned full-time equivalents | 2026-27 Planned full-time equivalents | 2027-28 Planned full-time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Development in Atlantic Canada | 379 | 373 | 373 |
| Internal services | 193 | 190 | 190 |
| Totals | 572 | 563 | 563 |
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
Human resource levels at ACOA show a decrease to the total full-time equivalents base, reflecting the reduction announced in Budget 2023 related to the Refocusing Government Spending to Deliver for Canadians initiative. The Agency will continue to achieve its results by allocating its human resources to best support its priorities and programs.
Corporate information
Departmental profile
Appropriate minister(s):
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P.
Institutional head:
Laura Lee Langley, President
Ministerial portfolio:
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Enabling instrument(s):
Part I of the Government Organization Act, Atlantic Canada 1987, R.S.C., 1985, c. 41 (4th Supp.), also known as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Act. See the Department of Justice Canada website for more information.
Year of incorporation / commencement:
1987
Departmental contact information
Mailing address:
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
P.O. Box 6051
Moncton, New Brunswick
E1C 9J8
Telephone:
1-800-561-7862 (toll free in Canada and the United States)
TTY:
7-1-1 (ask your TTY operator to connect the call to 1-888-576-4444)
Fax:
506-851-7403
Email:
Website(s):
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on ACOA’s website:
Information on ACOA’s departmental sustainable development strategy can be found on ACOA’s website.Federal tax expenditures
ACOA’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.
This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and Gender-based Analysis Plus of tax expenditures.Definitions
List of terms
- appropriation (crédit)
- Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
- Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
- core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
- An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
- Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
- A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
- departmental result (résultat ministériel)
- A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
- departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
- A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
- departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
- A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
- Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
- A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
- full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
- A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
- gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
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Is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.
- government priorities (priorités gouvernementales)
- For the purpose of the 2025-26 Departmental Plan, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne : building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
- horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
- Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)
- For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
- non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
- Non-budgetary authorities that comprise assets and liabilities transactions for loans, investments and advances, or specified purpose accounts, that have been established under specific statutes or under non-statutory authorities in the Estimates and elsewhere. Non-budgetary transactions are those expenditures and receipts related to the government's financial claims on, and obligations to, outside parties. These consist of transactions in loans, investments and advances; in cash and accounts receivable; in public money received or collected for specified purposes; and in all other assets and liabilities. Other assets and liabilities, not specifically defined in G to P authority codes are to be recorded to an R authority code, which is the residual authority code for all other assets and liabilities.
- performance (rendement)
- What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
- performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
- A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of a department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
- plan (plan)
- The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
- planned spending (dépenses prévues)
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For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
- program (programme)
- Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
- program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
- Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
- result (résultat)
- A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.
- statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
- Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
- target (cible)
- A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
- voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
- Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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