ARCHIVED - Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency - Supplementary Tables

Name of Transfer Payment Program:  Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) – Voted

Start date:  May 10, 2001

End date:  Ongoing

Fiscal Year for Terms & Conditions:  2009-10

Strategic Outcome:  A competitive Atlantic Canadian economy

Program Activity:  Enterprise Development

Description:  The AIF focuses on research and development (R&D) projects in the areas of natural and applied sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts and culture, where these are explicitly linked to the development and commercialization of technology-based products, processes or services.

Contributions to not-for-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.

Expected results:  Key expected results are listed below.

• increase activity in and build capacity for innovation and R&D, which leads to technologies, products, processes or services that contribute to economic growth in Atlantic Canada (measured by indicators such as the dollar amount invested in AIF R&D projects);
• increase the capacity for commercialization of R&D outputs (measured by indicators such as the dollar amount invested in commercialization projects and revenues resulting from commercialization);
• 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 (measured by indicators such as the number of partnerships for technology development and commercialization created); and
• maximize benefits from national R&D programs (measured by calculating funds invested in AIF projects by other national programs).

	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Contributions	54.3	59.9	59.6	59.9

Fiscal Year of Last Completed Evaluation:  2009-10

Decision following the Results of Last Evaluation (Continuation, Amendment, Termination, Pending, or N/A):  Continuation

Fiscal Year of Planned Completion of Next Evaluation:  2013-14

General Targeted Recipient Group:  Eligible recipients include commercial and non-commercial entities such as (but not limited to) private-sector firms, business associations, research institutions, universities, colleges, and other post-secondary educational institutions. Federal departments (including federal research laboratories and institutes) and provincial government departments are not eligible recipients.

Initiatives to Engage Applicants and Recipients:  It is part of the AIF process to engage potential applicants via technical sessions outlining the AIF program requirements and frequently asked questions. ACOA engages proponents and recipients on a regular basis, either one-on-one or via industry associations.

Name of Transfer Payment Program:  Business Development Program (BDP) – Voted

Start date:  July 25, 1995

End date:  Ongoing

Fiscal Year for Terms & Conditions:  2010-11

Strategic Outcome:  A competitive Atlantic Canadian economy

Program Activity:  Enterprise Development; Community Development; Policy, Advocacy and Coordination

Description:  Through the 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. The Agency also works with communities to develop and diversify local economies, and champions the strengths of the region in partnership with Atlantic Canadians.

The objectives of the BDP are to:

• improve the growth and competitiveness of Atlantic SMEs;
• provide for dynamic and sustainable communities in Atlantic Canada; and
• provide for policies and programs that strengthen the Atlantic economy.

Contributions to not-for-profit organizations are generally non-repayable, but are conditionally repayable if a project results in what would normally be considered a commercial activity.

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 permitted.

Expected results:  Key expected results under the three program activities are outlined below.

Enterprise Development – Improve growth and competitiveness of Atlantic SMEs through:

• strengthened Atlantic Canadian innovation and commercialization capacity (measured by indicators such as the amount leveraged per dollar invested by ACOA in innovation projects);
• enhanced Atlantic Canadian SMEs productivity and growth capacity (measured by indicators such as the percentage of participants in business skills building activities indicating that the activity improved their business skills);
• increased export activity by SMEs in Atlantic Canada (measured by indicators such as the export sales of ACOA-assisted firms versus that of comparable firms); and
• expanded foreign direct investment opportunities in Atlantic Canada (measured by indicators such as the number of foreign direct investment transactions completed where ACOA’s human or financial support contributed to bring the project to fruition).

Community Development – Provide for dynamic and sustainable communities for Atlantic Canada through:

• improved community capacity to identify economic development needs and opportunities (measured by indicators such as the presence of regionally based strategic plans, updated and current); and
• improved capacity to address economic and business development needs and opportunities (measured by indicators such as the amount leveraged per dollar invested by ACOA’s Community Investment projects).

Policy, Advocacy and Coordination – Provide for policies and programs that strengthen the Atlantic economy through:

• well-informed policy decisions reflecting opportunities and challenges within the Atlantic region’s economy, while considering enterprise and community development potential (measured by indicators such as the extent to which policy analysis and research, economic analysis and engagement activities are useful and provide input into decision making with respect to Atlantic Canadian regional economic development).

Enterprise Development	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Grants	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Total Contributions	89.7	87.9	88.7	88.7
Total	89.7	88.9	89.7	89.7

Community Development	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Grants	0.3	1.0	1.0	1.0
Total Contributions	32.8	16.5	12.7	12.7
Total	33.1	17.5	13.7	13.7

Policy, Advocacy and Coordination	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Contributions	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.5

Total Transfer Payments	123.1	106.9	103.9	103.9

Fiscal Year of Last Completed Evaluation:  2010-11

Decision following the Results of Last Evaluation (Continuation, Amendment, Termination, Pending, or N/A):  Continuation

Fiscal Year of Planned Completion of Next Evaluation:  2015-16

General Targeted Recipient Group:  Eligible commercial recipients include individuals, sole proprietorships, partnerships, co-operatives, corporate bodies, or Crown corporations that carry out (or are about to carry out) for-profit activities in Atlantic Canada. This does not include a government or individual municipality.

Eligible non-commercial recipients are not-for-profit incorporated entities and may include Crown corporations, provincial governments, municipal governments, not-for-profit organizations owned or controlled by a provincial or municipal government, local economic development associations, or post-secondary educational institutions.

Initiatives to Engage Applicants and Recipients:  ACOA’s Transfer Payment Programs (including the BDP) are designed, delivered and managed in such a way that they remain citizen- and client-focused, relevant to the applicants’ and recipients’ needs, and achieve the expected results for which they are designed. Engaging key stakeholders in discussions for the creation or the review of ACOA’s programming is part of the Agency’s operations. To ensure the ongoing relevance of programming, the Agency solicits feedback from clients and stakeholders on an ongoing basis, whether through information sharing or consultations and collaborations.

In ensuring that the BDP’s elements (business establishment and expansion, innovation, skills development and trade activities) are designed for continuous improvement to support expected outcomes, ACOA will continue to engage the following stakeholders:

• the business sector;
• community-based economic development organizations and volunteer groups;
• universities and colleges;
• research institutes; and
• other levels of government, and First Nations communities.

Additionally, BDP information is continuously shared with applicants and recipients through ACOA’s website and outreach events in communities across Atlantic Canada.

In 2010-11, the Agency consulted its applicants and clients through a satisfaction survey. The survey provided information to the Agency on the importance of various service features and on priorities for improvement. Action will be undertaken to address the priorities for improvement with regard to the BDP.

Name of Transfer Payment Program:  Community Futures (CF) – Voted

Start date:  May 18, 1995

End date:  Ongoing

Fiscal Year for Terms & Conditions:  2009-10

Strategic Outcome:  A competitive Atlantic Canadian economy

Program Activity:  Community Development

Description:  The CF program’s purpose is to help communities develop and implement local solutions to local problems. It provides non-repayable contributions to CF organizations (CFOs), also known in Atlantic Canada as Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs). The CBDCs collaborate with partners and stakeholders to assess their situation and develop strategies to meet their needs. They provide financial and technical support to social and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. CBDCs manage over 6,700 loans to rural businesses, totalling over $223 million in investments. Since April 1, 2011, the CBDCs have modernized their suite of loans products with offerings that now include products for Youth, First-Time Entrepreneur, General Business, Innovation and Social Enterprise. More information on services provided through the CBDCs can be found on ACOA’s website.

Expected results:  The ultimate outcomes under the CF program are listed below.

• Economic stability, growth and job creation (measured by employment growth variance within CFO regions)
• Diversified and competitive local rural economies (measured by the percentage of businesses funded by industry and the percentage of employed persons working in various industry sectors)
• Economically sustainable communities (measured by the survival rate variance of rural businesses)

	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Contributions	12.4	12.6	12.6	12.6

Fiscal Year of Last Completed Evaluation:  2009-10

Decision following the Results of Last Evaluation (Continuation, Amendment, Termination, Pending, or N/A):  Continuation

Fiscal Year of Planned Completion of Next Evaluation:  2014-15

General Targeted Recipient Group:  Eligible recipients under the CF program are CFOs (being legally incorporated non-profit organizations authorized by the minister responsible for the CF program to constitute a community for participation under the CF program), as well as any special-purpose, provincial, regional or national association of CFOs. This includes incorporated non-profit entities approved by the minister responsible for the CF program to pool investment resources of existing CFOs.

Initiatives to Engage Applicants and Recipients:  The Agency will continue to engage with and align its support to the CBDC network as part of the implementation of the Community Futures of Tomorrow (CFoT) concept. This will maximize all resources available, including the funds provided by the CF program. To this end, a CFoT Oversight Committee was established to oversee the implementation of the CFoT model. With a view to maintaining the long-term viability of the CF program, the committee acts as a governance body by ensuring that the model’s objectives are being managed collaboratively among individual CBDCs, the Atlantic Association of CBDCs, and ACOA. As part of ACOA’s due diligence processes and its accountability to Parliament, the Agency has a responsibility to ensure that appropriate governance practices are in place with respect to organizations to which it provides operational support. ACOA will be leading a collaborative process with the CBDC network to establish a common governance framework and the establishment of appropriate minimum standards. Governance improvements will centre around the following priority areas: 1) strengthened conflict-of-interest provisions so they apply to both employees and volunteer board members; 2) appropriate measures to ensure adequate board rotation; 3) transparency and open processes for board appointments; and 4) composition of CBDC boards that include representation from local economic stakeholders.

ACOA will continue to work with the other federal regional development agencies, the Community Futures Network of Canada (CFNC) and the Atlantic CBDCs to increase integrity, consistency and the collection of performance results and will implement the CF program performance measurement strategy. In collaboration with other federal government departments responsible for the management of the program, ACOA will present the initial performance results in 2012-13 and will continue to engage the CFNC in refining the collection and use of performance information needed by all stakeholders, including the CBDCs.

Name of Transfer Payment Program:  Innovative Communities Fund (ICF) – Voted

Start date:  April 1, 2005

End date:  Ongoing

Fiscal Year for Terms & Conditions:  2009-10

Strategic Outcome:  A competitive Atlantic Canadian economy

Program Activity:  Community Development

Description:  The ICF is designed to make non-repayable contributions to strategic projects that build the economies of Atlantic Canada's communities. The ICF focuses on investments that lead to long-term employment and economic capacity building in rural communities. Urban initiatives that stimulate the competitiveness and vitality of rural communities may also be considered on a selective basis. The ICF was originally a five-year program that started on April 1, 2005, and Budget 2010 confirmed the Government of Canada’s ongoing support for the ICF.

The program has two distinct components: Strategic Community Capacity is designed to support non-commercial and non-profit strategic initiatives that target the economic development needs of rural communities, and Proactive Investments is intended to stimulate transformative change. The latter component supports the proactive identification and implementation of strategic opportunities with local partners.

Expected results:  The ICF focuses on investments that lead to long-term employment and economic capacity building in rural communities. Key expected results under three of ACOA’s program sub-activities are:

• Community Mobilization – improved community capacity to identify economic development needs and opportunities (measured by the presence of current regionally-based strategic plans and the number of partners involved in planning);
• Community Investment – improved capacity to address economic and business development needs and opportunities (measured by the dollars leveraged on investments and the number of collaborators on projects); and
• Community-based Business Development – Atlantic Canadian businesses have access to capital, business information and counselling (measured by the dollars leveraged on investment by other sources).

	($ millions)
	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending 2012-13	Planned Spending 2013-14	Planned Spending 2014-15
Total Contributions	35.8	45.0	42.0	40.0

Fiscal Year of Last Completed Evaluation:  2009-10

Decision following the Results of Last Evaluation (Continuation, Amendment, Termination, Pending, or N/A):  Continuation

Fiscal Year of Planned Completion of Next Evaluation:  2014-15

General Targeted Recipient Group:  Eligible recipients for the ICF include non-commercial or not-for-profit organizations such as those listed below.

• local development associations
• municipalities and their agencies
• business or technology institutes
• industry/sector associations
• economic development associations
• local co-operatives
• universities
• educational institutions

Federal and provincial government departments are not eligible.

Initiatives to Engage Applicants and Recipients:  Clients have a strong understanding of ICF benefits and ACOA works proactively with partners to identify strategic community projects. Every ACOA regional office works toward higher impact investments – either through an investment strategy document or by collaborating with their provincial government on priority sectors or by undertaking policy research to identify the prominent sectors in their region.

In 2010-11, the Agency consulted its applicants and clients through a satisfaction survey. The survey provided information to the Agency on the importance of various service features and on priorities for improvement. Action will be undertaken to address the priorities for improvement with regard to the ICF.