Details on transfer payment programs

December 3, 1987

Ongoing

Contribution and grant

Appropriated annually through Estimates

2018-19

Programs: Innovation, Business Growth, Business Services, Community Initiatives

Businesses, Communities, Technologies

The Western Diversification Program (WDP) contributes to the department's mandate to promote economic development and diversification in western Canada and advance the West's interests in national policy, program and project development and implementation. Contributions to not-for-profit organizations are non-repayable; contributions to western Canadian commercial projects or for-profit organizations may be repayable.

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, data sources to capture results achieved under the WD's Departmental Results Framework (DRF). Key results include:

• 1,511 jobs created (including 559 HQP jobs);
• $11.7 million in export sales;
• $249.1 million in business sales growth resulting from commercialization;
• $516.1 million in incremental private sector investment attracted; and,
• $17.3 million in business expenditures in research and development (BERD).

For more information on results achieved, see the "Results: what we achieved" section in the main document and supplementary information on WD's Program Inventory.

WD's internal audit function has been transferred to the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG). All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including WD, will be conducted by OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).

A longitudinal study of WDP clients from 2009-10 to 2019-20 was undertaken in 2020-21. The study gathered and analyzed economic performance data of WD-assisted recipients focused on the Western Innovation Initiative (WINN) for-profit clients and the Western Diversification Program (WDP) not-for-profit clients. Other expected outcomes of the study included lessons learned and best practices to refine program parameters and examine default rates in for-profit clients. Long-term impacts for WDP projects include creation, expansion and maintenance of businesses, and commercialization of products, services and technologies. The study concluded that WINN projects were a major source of revenue for its clients. The study found that the WINN program reduced the growth of debt of enterprises that receive funding and increased the salaries and wages of their employees. As part of best practices and lessons learned, the study suggested that the department continue to use National Research Council of Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) staff to assess the technology aspects of applications, and require applicants to undertake primary market research. 

The WDP is delivered through continuous intake or call for proposals process. Potential applicants and stakeholders were engaged through active outreach, media strategies and information provided on WD's public website.

May 18, 1995. 

The Program started in 1986 and was previously delivered by Human Resources Development Canada).

Ongoing

Contribution

Appropriated annually through Estimates

2010-11

Businesses, Communities, Technologies

Programs: Business Services

The Community Futures (CF) Program was designed to help communities develop and implement local solutions to local problems. The program provides financial support to CF organizations, which are incorporated, not-for-profit organizations. CFs provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises and undertake community economic development initiatives.

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, data sources to capture results achieved under the WD's Departmental Results Framework (DRF).

Key results include:

• Based on the latest available data from Statistics Canada, western Canadian firms that accessed lending services through the WD-funded Community Futures (CF) program increased their sales by 7.68 percent and their employment growth by 6.82 percent annually, compared to non-CF clients whose sales increased by 2.49 percent and employment by 0.82 percent annually from 2012 to 2017;  and
• CFs provided 6,065 loans to rural businesses with a value of $205.6 million that leveraged an additional $61.8 million.

For more information on results achieved, see the "Results: what we achieved:" section in the main document and supplementary information on WD's Program Inventory.

WD's internal audit function has been transferred to the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG). All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including WD, will be conducted by OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).

The last evaluation for the Community Futures Program was completed in 2019-20. The next evaluation is scheduled for 2024-25.

Eligible applicants for the CF Program are the CF Organizations. WD has a long standing strategy of engaging with these organizations to build awareness of WD's programs among prospective proponents.

Not applicable

October 18, 2018

REGI: Ongoing

WEF: March 31, 2020

WES Ecosystem Fund: March 31, 2023

REGI: Grant and Contribution

WES: Contribution

Appropriated annually through Estimates

2018-19

Businesses, Communities, Technologies

Programs: Innovation, Business Growth

The Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) Initiative builds on the objectives of the Innovation and Skills Plan. The goal of REGI is to provide streamlined, nationally coordinated, regionally tailored support for business productivity and scale-up, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women and Indigenous entrepreneurs, and other underrepresented groups. REGI assists in the enhancement of regional industrial and technology clusters and regional innovation ecosystems. The program provides assistance through two new program streams:

• Business Scale-up and Productivity Stream (BSP): Funding offered under this stream supports high-growth businesses that are scaling up and producing innovative goods, services or technologies. It offers interest free repayable funding to incorporated businesses.
• Regional Innovation Ecosystems Stream (RIE): Create, grow and nurture inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs and foster an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation, growth and competitiveness.

The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) provides nationally coordinated, regionally tailored investments to help women entrepreneurs and support regional innovation ecosystems through two program streams:

• WES Ecosystem Fund: A five-year program to help non-profit, third party organizations deliver support for women entrepreneurs and address gaps in the ecosystem; and,
• Pilot Contribution Program (Women Entrepreneurship Fund): A two-year program that invests directly in women-owned or women-led businesses to help them grow and reach new markets.

Contributions issued under REGI may be unconditionally or conditionally repayable, or non-repayable. Contributions issued under the WES are non-repayable only.

REGI includes Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) in two streams:

1. Pilot Contribution Program (known as the Women Entrepreneurship Fund (WEF)
2. WES Ecosystem Fund

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, and data sources to capture results achieved under WD's Departmental Results Framework (DRF).

Key results include:

• 5,012 jobs created (including 4,124 HQP jobs);
• $202.1 million in export sales;
• $11.0 million in business sales growth resulting from commercialization; and,
• 291 businesses created, maintained, or expanded (including 199 Indigenous businesses, 35 youth businesses, and 12 women businesses).

For more information, see the "Results: what we achieved" section in the main document. 

WD's internal audit function has been transferred to the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG). All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including WD, will be conducted by OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).

Not applicable as this is a relatively new program. An evaluation of REGI and WES is scheduled for 2023-24.

The REGI initiative and WES were delivered through continuous intake or call for proposals process. Potential applicants and stakeholders were engaged through active outreach, media strategies and information provided on WD's public website.