2022–2023 Departmental Results Report – Supplementary information tables – Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more

Western Diversification Program (Voted)

Start date	December 3, 1987
End date	Ongoing
Type of transfer payment	Contribution and grant
Type of appropriation	Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions	2018–2019
Link to departmental result(s)	Departmental Results: Businesses, Communities, Technologies
Link to the department’s Program Inventory	Programs: Innovation, Business Growth, Business Services, Community Initiatives
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program	The Western Diversification Program (WDP), also known publicly as the Community Economic Development and Diversification program, 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.
Results achieved	PrairiesCan has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, and data sources to capture results achieved under its Departmental Results Framework (DRF). Key results achieved in 2022–2023 include: 1,751 jobs created (including 178 HQP jobs); $3.5 million in export sales; $563,000 in business expenditures in research and development (BERD); 17,251 jobs maintained; 15,639 participants trained; 2,019 partners engaged in community projects; 6,355 SMEs assisted. For more information on results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section in the main DRR document and supplementary information on PrairiesCan’s Program Inventory.
Findings of audits completed in 2022–2023	PrairiesCan has engaged the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) for internal audit function. All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including PrairiesCan, will be conducted by the OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022–2023	PrairiesCan did not complete an evaluation in 2022–2023. The next evaluation of the Western Diversification Program (also known as the Community Economic Development and Diversification program) is scheduled for 2025–2026. The evaluation is expected to be completed by March 2026.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–2023	The WDP is delivered through a continuous intake process. Potential applicants and stakeholders were engaged through active outreach, media strategies and information provided on PrairiesCan’s public website.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020–2021 Actual spending	2021–2022 Actual spending	2022–2023 Planned spending	2022–2023 Total authorities available for use	2022–2023 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–2023 actual minus 2022–2023 planned)
Total grants	0	0	7,381,281	0	0	(7,381,281)
Total contributions	130,242,298	120,774,875	164,444,753	238,473,992	212,750,133	48,305,380
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	130,242,298	120,774,875	171,826,034	238,473,992	212,750,133	40,924,099
Explanation of variances	Actual spending increase related to Budget 2021 Tourism Relief Fund, Canada Community Revitalization Fund and Hudson Bay Railway.

Community Futures (CF) Program (Voted)

Start date	May 18, 1995 (The Program started in 1986 and was previously delivered by Human Resources Development Canada)
End date	Ongoing
Type of transfer payment	Contribution
Type of appropriation	Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions	2010–2011
Link to departmental result(s)	Departmental Results: Businesses and Communities
Link to the department’s Program Inventory	Program: Business Services
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program	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.
Results achieved	PrairiesCan has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, and data sources to capture results achieved under its Departmental Results Framework (DRF). Key results: Based on the latest available data from Statistics Canada,^{Footnote 1} businesses that accessed lending services through the PrairiesCan-funded Community Futures (CF) program increased their sales by 8.43% and their employment growth by 7.98% annually, compared to non-CF clients whose sales increased by 3.14% and employment by 0.22% annually from 2014 to 2019; and CFs provided 628 loans to rural businesses with a value of $34.4 million that leveraged an additional $29.1 million. For more information on results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section in the main DRR document and supplementary information on PrairiesCan’s Program Inventory.
Findings of audits completed in 2022–2023	PrairiesCan has engaged the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) for internal audit function. All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including PrairiesCan, will be conducted by the OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022–2023	The last evaluation for the Community Futures Program was completed in 2019–2020. The next evaluation is scheduled for 2024–2025. The evaluation is expected to be completed by March 2025.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–2023	Eligible applicants for the CF Program are the CF organizations. PrairiesCan has a long standing strategy of engaging with these organizations to build awareness of its programs among prospective applicants.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020–2021 Actual spending	2021–2022 Actual spending	2022–2023 Planned spending	2022–2023 Total authorities available for use	2022–2023 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–2023 actual minus 2022–2023 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	26,058,699	32,978,791	17,667,868	17,667,868	17,667,868	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	26,058,699	32,978,791	17,667,868	17,667,868	17,667,868	0
Explanation of variances	Not applicable.

Growth Through Regional Innovation Program (known as Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI))

Start date	October 18, 2018
End date	REGI: Ongoing Women Entrepreneurship Fund (WEF): March 31, 2020 Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Ecosystem Fund: March 31, 2023
Type of transfer payment	REGI: Grant and Contribution WES: Contribution
Type of appropriation	Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions	2018–2019
Link to departmental result(s)	Departmental Results: Businesses, Communities, Technologies
Link to the department’s Program Inventory	Programs: Innovation, Business Growth
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program	The 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 under-represented groups. REGI will assist 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): Invest in and support businesses at various stages of development, including high-growth firms, to accelerate their growth and assist them in scaling up, and enhance their productivity and competitiveness in both domestic and global markets. 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. 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.
Results achieved	PrairiesCan has developed a Performance Measurement Framework that includes performance indicators, expected results, and data sources to capture results achieved under its Departmental Results Framework (DRF). Key results in 2022–2023 include: 8,922 jobs created (including 5,724 HQP jobs); $397.4 million in export sales; $24.9 million in business sales growth resulting from commercialization; $1.0 billion revenue growth; $308.2 million in Business Expenditures in Research and Development (BERD); 27,554 SMEs assisted; and, 168 businesses created, maintained, or expanded. For more information, see the “Results: what we achieved” section in the main document.
Findings of audits completed in 2022–2023	PrairiesCan has engaged the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) for internal audit function. All audits of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including PrairiesCan, will be conducted by the OCG in accordance with their RDA Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP).
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022–2023	An evaluation of REGI and WES is currently in progress and scheduled for completion by March 2024.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–2023	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 PrairiesCan’s public website.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020–2021 Actual spending	2021–2022 Actual spending	2022–2023 Planned spending	2022–2023 Total authorities available for use	2022–2023 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–2023 actual minus 2022–2023 planned)
Total grants	0	0	2,458,176	0	0	(2,458,176)
Total contributions	216,406,603	220,315,484	176,557,926	270,159,930	212,916,520	36,358,594
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	216,406,603	220,315,484	179,016,102	270,159,930	212,916,520	33,900,418
Explanation of variances	Actual spending increase related to the Budget 2021 Jobs and Growth Fund and additional project approvals for Business Scale Up and Productivity (BSP) and Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE).

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Date modified:: 2023-11-09