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Details on transfer payment programs

Transfer payment programs/funding agreements with total planned spending of $5 million or more

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Atlantic Innovation Fund – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: May 10, 2001
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2019–20

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Atlantic Innovation Fund – Voted
• Type of transfer payment: Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The objectives of the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) are to:

  • increase activity in and build capacity for innovation and research and development (R&D) that lead to technologies, products, processes or services that contribute to economic growth in Atlantic Canada

  • increase the capacity for commercialization of R&D outputs

  • strengthen the region’s innovation capacity by supporting research, development and commercialization partnerships and alliances among private-sector firms, universities, research institutions and other organizations in the Atlantic system of innovation, and to increase their critical mass

  • maximize benefits from the national R&D programs

  Contributions to non-profit organizations are non-repayable. Contributions to for-profit businesses to fund R&D projects that involve the commercialization of a product, process, technology or service are repayable, either conditionally or unconditionally.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Research and Development, and Commercialization; Innovation Ecosystem

Expected results: The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) AIF investments aim, among other things, to contribute to leveraging funds toward innovation projects, encourage the development of partnerships for technology development and commercialization, and increase the number of commercialized technologies, products, processes and services.

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Evaluation of ACOA’s Economic Development Programs, 2027–28

Financial information (dollars)

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Business Development Program – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: July 25, 1995
• End date: Ongoing
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2023–24

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Business Development Program – Voted
• Type of transfer payment: Grant and Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: Through the Business Development Program (BDP), ACOA works to create opportunities for economic growth in Atlantic Canada by helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) become more competitive, innovative and productive. In addition, the Agency works with communities to develop and diversify local economies. It also champions the strengths of the region, in partnership with Atlantic Canadians.

  Budget 2018 introduced a new innovation program for ACOA: the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program. All new innovation-related projects that were historically funded through the BDP are now funded through REGI, except to implement special initiatives at Cabinet direction.

  The objectives of the BDP are to:

  • improve the growth and competitiveness of Atlantic Canadian SMEs

  • provide for dynamic and sustainable communities in Atlantic Canada

  • provide for initiatives that strengthen Atlantic Canada’s economy

  The BDP also includes temporary funding:

  • The Northern Isolated Communities Initiative to improve current and new food initiatives with the goal of strengthening and diversifying economic activity in the North. This initiative is being delivered exclusively in Newfoundland and Labrador to a select number of potential eligible recipients. Ending March 31, 2027.

  In general, contributions to for-profit businesses are repayable, either conditionally or unconditionally. Under some of the BDP’s elements, non-repayable contributions to for-profit businesses may be allowed.

  Contributions to non-profit organizations are generally non-repayable but are conditionally repayable if a project results in what would be considered a commercial activity.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Indigenous recipients
• Government

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada; Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Atlantic Canada; Businesses are innovative and growing in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Inclusive Communities; Diversified Communities; Research and Development, and Commercialization; Innovation Ecosystem; Business Growth; Trade and Investment; Policy Research and Engagement

Expected results:

Improve the growth and competitiveness of Atlantic Canadian SMEs through:

• strengthened innovation and commercialization capacity
• more Atlantic Canadians with the motivation and skills required to successfully start, sustain or grow a business
• access to accurate, timely and relevant business information
• increased export capacity and sales for SMEs
• increased flow of foreign direct investment into Atlantic Canada
• access to funding for SME expansions/modernizations

Provide for dynamic and sustainable communities in Atlantic Canada with increased economic and business activity through:

• improved community capacity, including that of official language minority communities, to identify economic development needs and opportunities
• access to capital for Atlantic Canada businesses
• access to information and counselling for Atlantic Canada businesses
• improved capacity to address economic and business development needs and opportunities
• policies and programs that strengthen Atlantic Canada’s economy. This is done through well-informed policy decisions reflecting opportunities and challenges of the Atlantic region’s economy while considering enterprise and community development potential

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Evaluation of ACOA’s Economic Development Programs, 2027–28

Financial information (dollars)

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Community Futures Program – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: May 18, 1995
• End date: Ongoing
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2021–22

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Community Futures Program – Voted 
• Type of transfer payment: Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The Community Futures (CF) Program’s purpose is to help communities develop and implement local solutions to local problems. The program provides financial support to CF organizations that, in collaboration with other partners and stakeholders, can assess their situation and develop strategies to meet their needs to provide support to SMEs and social enterprises and to undertake appropriate community economic development initiatives.

  The CF Program provides non-repayable contributions to CF organizations, also known in Atlantic Canada as Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs), and their associations. More information on services provided through the CBDCs can be found on ACOA’s website.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• Not-for-profit organizations and charities

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Inclusive Communities

Expected results:

The ultimate outcomes under the program are:

• economic stability, growth and job creation
• diversified and competitive local rural economies
• economically sustainable communities

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Horizontal Evaluation of the Community Futures Program, 2029–30

Financial information (dollars)

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Innovative Communities Fund – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: April 1, 2005
• End date: Ongoing
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2021–22

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Innovative Communities Fund – Voted 
• Type of transfer payment: Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The Innovative Communities Fund’s (ICF) objective is to diversify and enhance the economies of Atlantic communities, many of which are vulnerable to industry closures and major economic adjustments. In doing so, the program capitalizes on the opportunities and strengths that exist in these communities as identified in each community’s regional and/or sectoral strategic economic development plan. The focus of the ICF is the long-term sustainable economic development of communities in Atlantic Canada.

  The objectives of the program are as follows:

  • enhance community or regional capacity through the development of competitive, productive, strategic industry sectors

  • strengthen community infrastructure in rural communities to improve their economic development capacity

  • support initiatives that enhance communities’ capacity to overcome economic development challenges and take advantage of their strengths and assets, and of the opportunities presented

  Contributions issued under the ICF are non-repayable.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Indigenous recipients
• Government

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Diversified Communities; Inclusive Communities

Expected results:

Key results expected under the ICF are:

• Community mobilization – improved community capacity to identify economic development needs and opportunities
• Community investment – improved capacity to address economic and business development needs and opportunities
• Community-based business development – access to capital, business information and counselling for Atlantic Canda businesses

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Evaluation of ACOA’s Economic Development Programs, 2027–28

Financial information (dollars)

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: October 18, 2018
• End date: Ongoing
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2021–22

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation – Voted. 
• Type of transfer payment: Grant and Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The REGI program builds on the objectives of the Innovation and Skills Plan. The goal of the program is to provide streamlined, nationally coordinated yet regionally tailored support for business productivity and scale-up, particularly for SMEs, women entrepreneurs and other under-represented groups, and to enhance the regional industrial and technology clusters and regional innovation ecosystems.

  The program provides assistance through two streams:

  • The Business Scale-up and Productivity Stream to invest in and support businesses, including high-growth firms, at various stages of development to accelerate their growth and assist them in scaling up, and to enhance their productivity and competitiveness in both domestic and global markets

  • The Regional Innovation Ecosystems Stream to create, grow and nurture inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs and foster an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation, growth and competitiveness

  The following temporary initiative is delivered through the REGI program streams:

  • The Regional Tariff Response Initiative to support SMEs impacted by tariffs by strengthening the competitiveness of Canadian businesses and helping them boost productivity, cut costs and build more resilient supply chains and to help them reach new markets and seize new opportunities, adapt to global trade disruptions and boost domestic trade. Ending March 31, 2028.

  • The Regional Defence Investment Initiative to accelerate the integration of businesses and regional ecosystems into domestic and international defence supply chains to increase their industrial and innovation capacity. Ending March 31, 2030.

  • The Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative to help SMEs adopt and adapt artificial intelligence solutions by bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and broader marketplace applications, positioning Atlantic Canadian businesses for future success. Ending March 31, 2029.

  Contributions issued under the REGI program may be unconditionally or conditionally repayable, or non-repayable.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Academia and public institutions
• Indigenous recipients
• Government

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada; Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Atlantic Canada; Businesses are innovative and growing in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Business Growth; Innovation Ecosystem; Trade and Investment; Inclusive Communities; Research and Development, and Commercialization

Expected results:

• The region’s businesses are innovative and growing, and they invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies
• Regional innovation ecosystems are strong, dynamic and inclusive

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Horizontal Evaluation of the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Program, 2027–28

Financial information (dollars)

Transfer payment programs/funding agreements with total planned spending of less than $5 million

Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Atlantic Policy Research Initiative – Voted

Timeframe of the transfer payment program

• Start date: July 1, 2000
• End date: Ongoing
• Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2013–14

Funding Details

• Name of program terms and conditions: Atlantic Policy Research Initiative – Voted 
• Type of transfer payment: Contribution
• Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Purpose and objectives

• Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The Atlantic Policy Research Initiative (APRI) is the primary funding instrument through which ACOA supports policy research. The objectives of the program are to:

  • generate and disseminate knowledge that enhances policy knowledge, taking into account regional economic opportunities and challenges

  • support and influence the policy research priorities that impact the Atlantic region, particularly those directly related to economic development

  • establish and promote networks among stakeholders

  The program provides non-repayable contributions.

Recipients

General targeted recipient groups:

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Academia and public institutions
• Government
• Other

Departmental Results Framework

Link to departmental result(s): Communities are economically diversified in Atlantic Canada; Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Atlantic Canada; Businesses are innovative and growing in Atlantic Canada

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Policy Research and Engagement

Expected results: The key expected result supported by APRI is well-informed policy decisions reflecting opportunities and challenges of the Atlantic region’s economy while considering enterprise and community development potential.

Evaluation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Not applicable – Transfer payment program with less than $5 million in total planned spending

Financial information (dollars)