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Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program applicant guide

This applicant guide is a companion for the Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) Community Economic Development and Diversification program.

Contents

 

Overview

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), as a Regional Development Agency (RDA), will make strategic investments in initiatives with not-for-profit organizations that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada’s Prairie provinces through the Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program.

Through this program, PrairiesCan seeks to enable communities to leverage their capacity, strengths and opportunities to:

PrairiesCan will make targeted investments in not-for-profit organizations that aim to generate sustainable, inclusive growth and help communities in the Prairies to fully participate in, and benefit from, economic opportunities. These investments may include dedicated, temporary supplementary funding from the Government of Canada or through the department’s own special allocations in response to specific challenges.

Investment priorities

PrairiesCan will invest in the following priorities:

The Government of Canada is committed to promoting equity and equality in our society. An inclusive approach to business growth brings diversity to the economy and enriches the community.

Eligible applicants – Mandatory criteria

Under CEDD funding, eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations that support community economic development and/or diversification, including:

Funding available

Not-for-profit programming generally provides non-repayable contributions. Repayable contributions may be considered in specific situations.

PrairiesCan will take into consideration all other sources of funding available to the applicant. Preference will be given to projects that leverage funding from provincial governments, the private sector, and other non- government sources.

Successful applicants will need to sign a contribution agreement and will be reimbursed on the basis of documented claims for eligible costs incurred and paid and/or the fulfillment of conditions specified in the contribution agreement being met. Successful applicants will also be required to complete claims and progress reports at key phases of the project, as well as a final project report.

Eligible activities

Eligible activities support the development and diversification of the Prairies’ economy and activities where economic and/ or employment benefits accrue primarily within the Prairies.

For CEDD programming, eligible activities funded will respond to a specific opportunity, challenge, or market need or demand and be in the areas of:

Eligible project costs

Supported costs must be reasonable and necessary for project implementation. They must also be incremental meaning that they are beyond the normal operating boundaries of an organization and are directly attributable to implementing the project. Examples of eligible costs we can support include:

PrairiesCan reserves the right to make the final determination on the value of contributions, the inclusion of any in-kind contributions, and to exclude expenditures deemed to be ineligible or outside the scope of the project.

Ineligible project costs

Costs that are deemed unreasonable, not incremental, and/or not directly related to project activities will be ineligible for reimbursement. These include, but may not be limited to:

Generally, the following costs/activities will not be supported:

Costs incurred prior to the Project Proposed Start Date will not be eligible.

Project costs incurred by the applicant in the absence of a signed funding agreement with PrairiesCan are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant.

Guidelines for in-kind costs/contributions

Under not-for-profit programming, only project costs incurred and directly paid by the applicant can be reimbursed by PrairiesCan. An in-kind contribution is a project cost that does not involve an expense incurred and paid for by the project applicant. Typically, these expenses are borne by third parties for items or services that are in turn provided to the applicant at no cost or at a reduced cost (e.g., a deep discount not typically offered to others). Such costs are used to demonstrate a more accurate picture of the project scope, including project funding, leveraging, and demonstration of participant and/or private sector contributions to a project.

The cost must be for an item considered by PrairiesCan to be essential to a project's success, eligible under the programming, and would otherwise be purchased and paid for by the applicant. For example:

In-kind costs may only be included in the project when there is a clear plan and commitment from the applicant on how the costs can be verified.

Application requirements

PrairiesCan requires the items below to support your application for funding:

If the project has confirmed funding at the time of application, please attach proof of all sources of non-RDA funding. PrairiesCan considers the following as sources of confirmed funding:

This documentation is necessary in order to consider non-RDA funding as confirmed.

We may require additional documentation and information as part of a more detailed assessment.

Please attach any supporting documents that you feel will support your application. There is no maximum number of attachments for additional documentation. Examples include:

Please note:

Attributes of a strong project

PrairiesCan targets its investments toward strong projects that clearly demonstrate:

Economic results

Projects will create economic results or benefits for the Prairies. The economic results should be clear, measurable, directly attributable to the project, and can be reported against during and at the end of the project.

If you are successful in obtaining PrairiesCan funding for your project, you will be expected to report on progress against the economic results a minimum of twice per year. Depending on the nature of the proposed project, results may be measured and reported up to one year past the proposed end date.

Economic results will vary depending on your project’s alignment with PrairiesCan’s investment priorities.

PrairiesCan typically funds projects that will produce long-term results in all of the following areas:

If any of the mandatory indicators are not selected, then please explain why the indicator in question cannot be selected for your project.

Additional medium-term performance indicators available to measure the success of your project include (you can select from the list below where your project will produce specific results):

Official languages

Under the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada is committed to supporting the development of official language minority communities (English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities in the rest of Canada). More than two million Canadians belong to an official language minority community. The intention is to enable these communities to thrive and to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the population.

Applicants seeking funding under not-for-profit programming may assist PrairiesCan in fulfilling its obligations under the Official Languages Act by identifying aspects of the proposed project that may benefit Francophone communities in the Prairies or by being willing to modify the proposed project to extend its benefits to the Francophone community. This may be as simple as including a French-speaking service provider who is able to offer business services in French as part of the project or offering the final product resulting from the project in French.

Please follow up with your PrairiesCan project officer to explore how you might modify your proposed project to assist the department in extending benefits to the Francophone community.

Environmental assessment compliance

Projects involving physical works may be subject to the Impact Assessment Act (2019). Recipients of PrairiesCan funding will be responsible for obtaining all certificates, consents, permits and approvals required for compliance with applicable legislation and for complying with the requirements of such legislation. Should an environmental assessment be required, it will be necessary to plan several months before the Project Proposed Start Date to allow sufficient time for the completion of the assessment.

The Impact Assessment Act defines as project as:

  1. a physical activity that is carried out on federal lands or outside Canada in relation to a physical work and that is not a designated project or a physical activity designated by regulations made under paragraph 112(1)(a.2); and
  2. a physical activity that is designated under section 87 or that is part of a class of physical activities that is designated under that section.

“Federal lands” are defined as:

Reporting requirements

All contribution agreements jointly signed between PrairiesCan and a successful applicant include a requirement for periodic reports in order to demonstrate progress in implementing the project and achieving the economic results. These progress reports are required at least twice a year to support claims for reimbursement of project costs. Recipients are also required to provide financial statements to PrairiesCan throughout project implementation.

How to complete the application

Tips

  1. Note that the fields marked with the * are mandatory and need to be completed in order to submit this form.
  2. Character count includes spaces.
  3. Remember to click save after each section.

Organization information

Legal name of applicant organization: *

The legal name as shown on the certificate of incorporation or registration.

Operating name (if different than legal name):

Provide the name you are operating under if different from the full legal name.

Mailing address (Including suite, unit, apt #): *

The mailing address of your organization.

Mailing address line 2:

Additional mailing address information.

City: *

The city in which your organization resides.

Province/Territory: *

The province in which your organization resides.

Country: *

The country in which your organization resides.

Mailing postal code: *

The mailing postal code of your organization.

Telephone country code: *

The telephone country code of your organization.

Telephone: *

The telephone number of your organization.

Facsimile country code:

The facsimile country code of your organization.

Facsimile:

The facsimile number of your organization.

Website:

Your applicant organization’s website address (if available).

Email address:

Include the general email address of your organization.

Are you an Indigenous (First Nation, Métis or Inuit) organization or government? *

Select yes or no.

Corporate Status: *

Indicate if your organization is a for-profit or not-for-profit.

Organization Type (select best fit): *

Select from the drop down menu that most accurately reflects your organization type.

I have a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number: *

Select yes or no.

Provide your CRA Business number or GST number (first 9 digits only): *

The unique business number or GST number assigned to your organization by the CRA. A business number or GST number must be obtained through the Canada Revenue Agency. For information on obtaining a business number visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/business-number.html.

Jurisdiction of Incorporation: *

Select from the drop down menu your organization’s jurisdiction of incorporation.

Incorporation number: *

As shown on your certification of incorporation.

In the province of:

Indicate in which province your organization was incorporated.

Date of incorporation:

Indicate the date your organization was incorporated.

Alternative number and Alternative number type:

Please enter if you do not have a CRA Business Number or Incorporation Number, so your organization can be identified (such as band number, education number).

Number of employees working for your organization (full time equivalents): *

Indicate the number of full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) working for your organization (and any affiliated companies if applicable). Part-time employees should be calculated based on their equivalent to an FTE (in other words, 1 part time employee working approximately 20 hours per week should be represented as 0.5 FTE).

Provide a brief summary of your organization (Maximum of 500 characters). *

The description of your organization and an explanation of the organization’s mandate and priorities. Include the date your organization established business in Canada. Indicate if your organization is a subsidiary of another company.

Click Save.

Project information

If you have an existing portal account, the project contact may be selected and sub-sections will be pre-filled.

Project Primary Contact *

This person will be contacted for any follow-up on this application and is also a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter a legal agreement with PrairiesCan. Enter primary contact person information in sub-sections below (primary contact name, title, email address, and phone number).

Project Secondary Contact

This person will be contacted if the primary contact is unavailable. Enter secondary contact person information in sub-sections below (secondary contact name, title, email address, and phone number).

Project information

Project title (maximum of 90 characters): *

Provide a project title that accurately reflects the activities and results of the project. Should your project be approved, this description may be disclosed on the Open Government Portal website as part of its proactive disclosure guidelines. A project title can be a maximum of 90 characters including spaces.

Project address is the same as mailing address? *

Select “Yes” if the address at which the project will be undertaken is the same as the organization’s mailing address. If checked, the mailing address will be automatically entered.

Project address / location (Including suite, unit, apt #): *

If the project address is different from the mailing address, enter the location at which the project will take place.

Project address line 2:

If you would like to provide additional project address information, please fill out this section.

Project city, province/territory, and postal code. *

The project location address.

Briefly describe your project activities in plain language. This is an important section as it will be used in summary documents to describe your project at various review stages (maximum of 1,000 characters including spaces). *

The description should provide a high-level overview of the project and outline the main elements of the project. It should provide an understanding of why you are seeking financial assistance, how you will use the funds, and how the funds will support the objectives of your project. Do not use technical language in this section.

Eligible projects should provide linkages to job creation and long-term resilience through projects that will meet program objectives.

Please refer to the eligible project activities for more details.

Briefly describe the economic benefits associated with this project. (1,000 characters including spaces) *

Provide an explanation as to how economic outcomes (such as job creation, revenue growth, etc.) will be achieved. A job created refers to a job that did not exist prior to the project, but which was created as a result of the project. Identify the numbers of jobs requiring highly qualified personnel, which is defined as individuals with university degrees at the bachelor’s level and above. Identify and detail all assumptions to support the reasonableness of your economic outcomes. All projects will be screened for significance of outcomes and the likelihood of achieving them.

If your project supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to inclusive growth (under-represented groups) you may include this in your explanation. Note: recipients will be encouraged to track inclusiveness indicators.

You will be provided another opportunity to explain in the Benefits section.

Please refer to the economic results for more details.

Which RDA priority does this project best support? *

Choose 1 priority that best aligns with your project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes. Your project may be compared to similar projects within the chosen priority area.

Refer to the eligible priorities for more details.

Priority definitions are as follows:

Advanced manufacturing – This is defined by developing and adopting innovative technologies to:

  • create new products;
  • enhance processes ;
  • establish more efficient and cost-effective ways of working.

Clean resources – This refers to transitioning from the old resource economy into a new resource economy. It is where innovation drives economic and environmental competitiveness in the energy, mining and forestry sectors. It leverages Canada's natural resources advantage to transition to a low-carbon economy.

Clean technology – This refers to any process, product or service that reduces environmental harm in order to:

  • control costs;
  • meet new regulations;
  • improve global competitiveness;
  • reduce harm to climate, water, land and air.

Digital industries – This includes:

  • information and communication technology (ICT);
  • digital and interactive media;
  • content industries.

Health/bio-sciences – This includes a wide range of companies, such as:

  • pharmaceutical developers and makers;
  • medical devices and biomedical innovators;
  • digital health solutions producers;
  • precision health.
  • disruptive technologies, such as:
    • artificial intelligence (AI);
    • big data analytics;
    • 3-D printing;
    • Robotics;
    • Nanotechnologies.

Natural resources value-added processing – This includes processing natural resources in the energy, mineral or forestry sectors. This adds value to the raw materials.

Value-added agriculture – This is a complex and interdependent sector that includes agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture. It also includes food and beverages processing

To select 1 of the priorities, click on the magnifying glass icon, and the “Lookup records” window will appear where you can then select a priority from. For example:

Screenshot - RDA priority selection
 
Screenshot - Lookup records
Explain how this project supports the indicated priority. (Maximum of 2,000 characters) *

Explain in detail how the project’s objectives, activities and outcomes align with the selected priority.

Project Timelines

Proposed start date: *

This is the proposed date the agreement between the Recipient and PrairiesCan could come into effect. The earliest project start may be not earlier than the date of Expression of Interest submission. If the application is approved, eligible project costs incurred after this date may be reimbursed with proper documentation. Any costs incurred prior to this date would be not eligible for reimbursement under the terms of the agreement and are outside of the scope of the project.

Proposed end date: *

This is the anticipated date the project activity will cease.

Funding

Project costs *

Description

List the various cost items you anticipate incurring in the implementation of the project. Each cost item should have its own line (see instructions below).

Recipients must ensure all project cost items are clearly verifiable.

Type

Indicate if the cost is capital (such as purchase of equipment and associated costs such as installation) or non-capital (such as salaries, professional fees).

Amount

The anticipated amount of the cost item.

Total project costs

Automatically sums the cost items listed above. Note: This total must equal the total expenditures from the Cash Flows section below.

To add a project cost item, click on the Screenshot - Add a new cost item button button and the following window will appear for you to provide the information. Click the Submit button once complete. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting this Submit button.

Screenshot - Create new cost item

Cash flows *

Fiscal year (ending March 31)

Select appropriate fiscal year for cash flows.

Total fiscal expenditures

Anticipated total project costs incurred from each fiscal year.

RDA funding

The amount of PrairiesCan funding being requested to support each fiscal year expenses.

Non-RDA funding

Automatically generated: the portion of project expenditures not covered by PrairiesCan funding.

  1. To enter cash flow information, click the down arrow on the far right for the fiscal year you are interested in. Click the Edit option that appears. Note: the fiscal years shown below are for illustrative purposes only.
Screenshot - Cash flows table
  1. Enter the Expenditures and RDA Amount Requested information and then hit Submit. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting the Submit button. Note: the fiscal year shown below is for illustrative purposes only.
Screenshot - Edit cash flow
Total expenditures, total RDA funding requested and total non-RDA funding

The system will automatically calculate total PrairiesCan funding requested, as well as Total Fiscal Expenditures. Note that this total must equal total projects costs from the project cost section.

Total expenditures: *

This is the sum of the Total Fiscal Expenditures column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Note: This total must equal the Total project costs from the Project Costs section above.

RDA funding requested: *

This is the sum of the PrairiesCan Funding column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Total non-RDA funding: *

This is the sum of the Non-RDA funding column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Note: This total must equal the Amount provided by funding partners from the Funding Partners section below.

Screenshot - funding overview

The solid arrows point to the fields that must balance and the dotted lines indicate what column is being summed to produce those totals. Note: the fiscal years shown below are for illustrative purposes only.

Funding Partners *

Funding Partners

The first line in the list of funding partners is reserved for the applicant organization. Please add other funding partners or contributors, if any, in subsequent rows. Identify all potential contributors that will provide a monetary contribution to the project. Refer to the guidelines on in-kind contributions.

In-kind contributions, such as goods and services, toward project costs that do not involve a cost incurred or paid for by the applicant, should be demonstrated in the application at fair market value.

Identify all potential project contributors including the applicant organization that will provide funding as a monetary contribution or in-kind contribution. Note: applicants must ensure all contributions are clearly verifiable.

Funding Category

Select from the drop down menu the description that best reflects the funding source.

Funding Confirmed

In the case where your organization (Applicant) is a source of funding, indicate yes if you have cash on hand. In the case of other funding sources, indicate yes if there is written documentation supporting the funding.

Amount

The anticipated amount of funding this partner (Applicant or funding partner) will provide.

  1. To add a funding partner, click on the Screenshot - Add new funding partner button button and the following window will appear for you to input the information. Click the Submit button once complete. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting this Submit button.
Screenshot - Create funding partner
  1. To edit what your organization will be contributing towards this project, click the down arrow on the far right for the fiscal year you are interested in. Click the Edit option that appears and a similar pop-up window as shown above will appear.
Screenshot - Funding partners list
Total amount provided by funding partners

Automatically sums the funding amounts listed above.

Note: This total must equal the Total non-RDA funding from the Cash Flows section above.

Briefly describe any partnerships (non-financial and financial), including any costs covered (maximum of 1,200 characters, including spaces) *

Describe the partnerships that would be important to the success of the proposed project.

Click Save.

Benefits

Primary activity: *

Choose 1 primary activity that best aligns with your project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes. Your project may be compared to similar projects of a chosen primary activity. Refer to eligible activities for more details.

Indicator: *

Note that these should be measured from the project proposed start date until typically 1 year following the project completion. The most common indicators are below, although additional indicators pertaining to your project can be added. If your project does not have a value to report for a listed indicator, input a value of “0” (zero) and enter a target date.

Number of jobs created (highly qualified personnel including STEM) in Canada: *

Provide the number of jobs created as a result of this project that are professional, science, and technology-related jobs – based on an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) definition of ‘science and technology-related jobs’. See definition of this in the glossary. Number of jobs created includes the number of HQP (highly qualified personnel, including STEM) jobs expanded as a result of project supported through PrairiesCan funding. Expanded refers to transitioning a seasonal or part-time employee to a year-round or full-time position, or similar increase in hours.

  • One FTE job = 12 person-months of employment. (In the case of seasonal or part time employment, person months of employment should be converted to FTE job).
  • Inclusiveness sub-types include women, Indigenous Peoples, and youth.
Number of jobs created (non-highly qualified personnel) in Canada: *

Provide the number of jobs created as a result of this project that are not considered highly qualified personnel (HQP) as per the definition above. Number of jobs created includes the number of non-HQP jobs expanded as a result of projects supported through PrairiesCan funding. Expanded refers to transitioning a seasonal or part-time employee to a year-round or full-time position, or similar increase in hours.

  • One FTE job = 12 person months of employment. (In the case of seasonal or part time employment, person months of employment should be converted to FTE job).
  • Inclusiveness sub-types include women, Indigenous Peoples and youth.
Number of jobs maintained: *

The number of person months of employment maintained as a result of PrairiesCan investments. A job maintained refers to a job that existed within the applicant organization prior to the project, but that would not continue, or would likely be lost if the project is not funded. Jobs maintained must be a direct result of the project activities. One FTE job = 12 person months of employment (in case of seasonal or part-time employment, person months of employment should be converted to FTE job).

Number of contributing partners engaged in advancing community-based projects (i.e. providing financial or in-kind support): *

The number of new and on-going project partners (e.g., individuals, businesses or organizations) that contributed (financially or in-kind) to the community-based project.

Note: In-kind contributions may include volunteer or staff time.

Revenue Growth: *

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated sales year over year from the proposed funding start date up to 1 year following the proposed end date.

The example below illustrates how to calculate the revenue growth.

For example, a firm has $1 million in revenue at the time of application. They plan to grow to $2 million next year, $3 million the year after and $4 million the year after (which is the last year of the project), and finally $5 million for the year after the project. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amount (that years’ forecasted revenue minus the original level they were at when they applied) from each year. In this example, the revenue growth measurable would be $1 million + $2 million + $3 million + $4 million = $10 million.
Revenue at time of application   Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total
$1 million Actual revenue $2M $3M $4M $5M $14M
Revenue growth $1M $2M $3M $4M $10M
Export Sales Growth: *

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated sales growth related to exports year over year from the proposed funding start date up to 1 year following the proposed end date.

The example below illustrates how to calculate export sales growth.

For example, a firm has $500,000 in export sales revenue at the time of application. They plan to grow to $1 million next year, $1.5 million the year after and $2 million the year after (which is the last year of the project), and finally $2.5 million for the year after the project. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amount (that years’ forecasted revenue minus the original level they were at when they applied) from each year. In this example, the export sales growth measurable would be $500,000 + $1 million + $1.5 million + $2 million = $5 million.
Export sales at time of application   Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total
$500,000 Actual export sales $1M $1.5M $2M $2.5M $7M
Export sales growth $500,000 $1M $1.5M $2M $5M
Incremental private sector investment attracted: *

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated private sector capital invested through the project. Does not include private sources of project funding outlined at the start of the project.

Examples of incremental private sector investment include new venture capital financing, investment from a new partner, etc.

The example below illustrates how to calculate incremental private sector investment attracted:

For example, a firm has identified $1 million in private sector investment at the start of the project. They plan to attract an additional $1.5 million next year, and an additional $2 million the year after. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amounts (excluding any funding outlined at the start of project) from each year. In this example, the total incremental private sector investment attracted would be $1,500,000 + $2,000,000 = $3,500,000.
Business sales growth resulting from commercialization or adoption (mandatory for technology commercialization or technology adoption projects): *

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated sales growth (domestic or international) from the specific product, process, service or technology being commercialized or adopted through the project year over year from the project proposed start date up to 1 year following the proposed end date.

The example below illustrates how to calculate business sales growth resulting from commercialization.

For example, a firm has no revenue from business sales resulting from commercialization at the time of application. They plan to grow to $100,000 next year, $500,000 the year after and $1 million the year after (which is the last year of the project), and finally $2 million for the year after the project. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amount (that years’ forecasted revenue minus the original level they were at when they applied) from each year. In this example, the business sales growth resulting from commercialization measurable would be $100,000 + $500,000 + $1 million + $2 million = $3.6 million.
Business sales at time of application   Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Total
$0 Actual sales from commercialization $100,000 $500,000 $1M $2M $3.6M
Sales growth from commercialization $100,000 $500,000 $1M $2M $3.6M
Value of expenditures in research and development (mandatory if doing research and development activities): *

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated expenditures related to research and development year over year from the proposed funding start date up to one year following the proposed end date.

Number of SMEs assisted (businesses or organizations): *

For organizations that support businesses, provide a numerical value of the number of SMEs that will be supported by this project.

Please provide information on any other significant economic benefits that your project could achieve (maximum 2,000 characters including spaces). *

Provide a detailed explanation as to how the economic outcomes listed above will be achieved and list any applicable economic outcomes not listed above. Identify and detail all assumptions to support the reasonableness of your economic outcomes. All projects will be screened for significance of outcomes and their likelihood of achievement. If none apply, simply write ‘not applicable’.

Does your project have activities that will benefit Francophones? If your project includes activities that will directly benefit the Francophone community in the Prairie provinces or if you are willing to modify your project to extend its benefits to the Francophone community, choose yes.*

Select Yes or No.

If yes, describe how the project activities will benefit Francophones (maximum of 1,500 characters including spaces). *

Explain how this project will or could benefit the Francophone community in the Prairie Provinces and what specific activity(ies) will or could be included. If Francophones will not benefit from the project, simply write ‘not applicable’.

For example:

  • The project will hire bilingual staff.
  • The project will ensure that any communication tools are produced in French (final report, exhibit, video, etc.)
Clearly outline if the project aligns with other Government of Canada priorities, provincial government priorities, industry needs, and your organization’s long-term research, capital, and/or strategic plans (maximum of 1,500 characters including spaces).

Clearly outline if the project aligns with other Government of Canada priorities; provincial government priorities; industry needs; and your organization’s long-term research, capital, and/or strategic plans. This is not a mandatory field. If none apply, simply write ‘not applicable’.

For example:

  • The project will advance the Government of Canada’s priority of … by …

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Timelines

Full project description (maximum of 3,000 characters including spaces):

This description should provide a clear understanding of the following:

  • objectives of the project;
  • key activities of the project and how these activities will achieve the intended objectives of the project;
  • outline the plan to achieve the objectives and key activities;
  • describe the engagement and/or commitment from other partners (e.g., industry, other levels of government); and
  • clearly address any project risks and mitigation measures to address these risks (e.g., project delays, staff turnover, other challenges) to secure confirmed funding.
Project Timeline – Milestone *

A milestone is a project activity that can be clearly defined and measured. Provide a list of significant activities or project milestones than can be measured and tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. These should be significant milestones that will be used to ensure your project’s performance over the course of the project, up to the stated completion date of the project.

Select ‘+Add New Project Timeline’ to enter information.

Screenshot - Timelines
Date of expected completion *

This is the date that the milestone should be completed by.

Timeline Comments (maximum of 1,000 characters including spaces). *

Add any information necessary to provide additional clarity regarding the milestones.

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Market

Are other organizations currently providing a similar activity, service, or product?

Select Yes or No.

Describe how your activity, service, or product is different or unique compared to others (maximum of 1000 characters including spaces).

Commercial Project Applicants: How many years has your organization been doing business in the indicated target market/sector? List your major competitors. Describe how your project could affect your competitive position and/or market share within Canada and internationally, if applicable. Identify if your project will adversely impact other businesses in Canada.

Non-commercial Project Applicants: Identify any similar or complementary initiatives in Canada or internationally. Does your project build upon or duplicate other initiatives or clearly illustrate that your project is not duplicating existing activities/services/products? Outline how your activity, service or product is different or unique.

Provide the rationale for the project and the Regional Development Agency’s involvement in the project (maximum of 2,000 characters including spaces).

Fully explain how the project will fill a market gap or an industry need or take advantage of an opportunity.

  • describe the opportunity, gap, or challenge and how your project is a solution;
  • provide a rationale for government’s role in the project;
  • provide details on how this project is incremental to the organization’s current operations or activities;
  • clearly outline if the project aligns with other Government of Canada priorities; provincial government priorities; industry needs; and your organization’s long-term research, capital, and/or strategic plans;
Which Prairie province(s) will directly benefit from this project? Select all that apply.

Select all provinces that will directly benefit.

Will the project result in the generation of revenues?

Select yes or no.

If yes, please explain (maximum of 1,000 characters including spaces):

Explain how much and what the revenues will be used for in the comment box.

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Management

Clearly demonstrate that your organization has effective governance measures in place to execute this project. Indicate how oversight will be provided to the project (maximum of 2000 characters including spaces). *

Provide an explanation of how your organization is governed (e.g., board of directors, advisory board) and its structure along with a brief explanation of key executives’ credentials (e.g., indicate the level of experience of the board members, such as the number of years of experience each member has on the board of directors). Clearly demonstrate that your organization has effective governance measures in place to provide appropriate oversight of this project. Indicate how these individuals will specifically be involved in providing oversight on the project.

Describe the qualifications and related experience of the key individuals that will be responsible for managing and implementing the project. (maximum of 2000 characters including spaces) *

Provide an explanation of how your project will be managed and its structure along with the qualifications and experience of those members of your organization who will be directly managing and implementing this project. Clearly demonstrate that your organization has the management skills and leadership to carry out this project.

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Documents

Upload here the supporting documents to be provided with your application

Upload the following mandatory documents (marked *) and other supporting documents:

  • financial statements for past 2 years (including the most current); *
  • confirmation of other (non-RDA) sources of funding - funding will only be considered confirmed if written proof is provided; it is mandatory that you attach confirmation of other (non-RDA) sources of funding if “confirmed” funding has been selected; *
  • detailed budget; and *
  • supporting documents.

Please attach any supporting documents that you feel will support your application. There is no maximum number of attachments for additional documentation. Examples include:

  • project plan;
  • letters of support;
  • regulatory approvals and resolutions;
  • board minutes;
  • list of the Board of Directors.

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Diversity and inclusion

Is your organization majority (i.e. over 50%) owned or led by individuals who self-identify as:

The purpose of this question is to gather information related to the ownership/leadership of the organization to see which diverse groups PrairiesCan funds. Answer related sub-questions below. Please refer to the glossary for definition on “majority-owned” and any of the diverse groups.

Screenshot - Diversity questions (1 of 4)
 
Screenshot - Diversity questions (2 of 4)
Will your project directly support any of the following diverse groups?

The purpose of this question is to gather information related to the benefits or targeted clients for the project to see which diverse groups directly benefit from PrairiesCan funding. Answer related sub-questions below. Please refer to the glossary for definitions.

Screenshot - Diversity questions (3 of 4)
 
Screenshot - Diversity questions (4 of 4)

 

If yes is selected for any of the following diverse groups, please specify (maximum of 1,500 characters)

Provide an explanation on how your project will directly support the diverse group selected.

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Signing authority

The application form must be submitted by a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement.

First name: *

Provide the first name of the member of the organization with signing power/the authority to enter into an agreement. This person should be either the primary or the secondary contact.

Last name:

Provide the family name of the contact. *

Title:

Provide the contact person’s job title (e.g., President, Executive Director). *

Email address:

Provide a valid e-mail address.

Telephone country code:

The telephone country code of where the contact person can be reached.

Telephone:

Provide a phone number where the contact person can be reached. *

Cellular country code:

The cellular country code of your organization.

Cellular phone:

The cellular number of your organization. *

Attestation

Before you can complete and submit your application, it is necessary in this final step for you to affirm that you are aware of certain statutory obligations, that your organization meets the eligibility requirements for the program, and that the collected information may also be used for consideration under other government programs.

Please ensure the attestation is completed by the primary contact, who is also the member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into the legal agreement with PrairiesCan.

Click off the check box to indicate you have read and agree with the acknowledgements.

Authorized official of the applicant organization acknowledgements

The application form must be submitted by a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement.

On behalf of the Applicant Organization, I hereby acknowledge and agree that:

I authorize PrairiesCan, its officials, employees, agents and contractors to make credit checks and enquiries of such persons, firms, corporations, federal, provincial and municipal government departments/ agencies, and non-profit, economic development or other organizations as may be appropriate, and to collect and share information with them, as PrairiesCan deems necessary in order to assess this application, to administer and monitor the implementation of the subject project, and to evaluate the results of the project and related Programs.

I have read and agree with the above acknowledgements and certify that all statements and information furnished in this application are true, complete, and correct to the best of my knowledge. *

Annex: Glossary

Below is a short glossary of terms used in this guide:

Assessment
Thorough review and analysis of all aspects of an application prior to entering into a contribution agreement. This includes scoping of the project to meet program and departmental objectives as well as Government of Canada guidelines for funding contributions.
Black community(ies)
This term is a designation used for people of full or partial descent from over 200 ethnic of cultural origins, including sub-Saharan African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The majority of "Black" Canadians are of Caribbean origin, though the population also consists of African-American immigrants and their descendants (including Black Nova Scotians), as well as many native African immigrants.
Contribution
A monetary payment to a successful Recipient that does not result in the acquisition by the Government of Canada of any goods, services, or assets. The payment(s) will be for assisted costs as identified in the Contribution Agreement with PrairiesCan. The successful Recipient must first pay the cost of the service or good and then submit a claim, which provides proof that the cost has been incurred and paid for by the Recipient. PrairiesCan then reimburses such costs on the percentage basis specified in the Contribution Agreement.

Contributions are subject to performance conditions specified in a Contribution Agreement and therefore a Recipient is required to report to PrairiesCan on results achieved. A contribution is to be accounted for, is subject to audit and, where profit is generated by the project, it may be subject to repayment conditions also specified in the contribution agreement.
Diverse groups
Includes, but is not limited to people living with disabilities, Indigenous persons, youth, immigrants, persons from racialized communities, and people from Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs).
Gender
This refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender is usually conceptualized as a binary (girl/women and boy/man), yet there is considerable diversity in how individuals and groups understand, experience, and express it. Self-identifying gender is an expression of what a person internally feels and/or the gender a person publicly expresses in their daily life. A person's current gender may differ from the sex a person was assigned at birth (male, female, or intersex) and may differ from what is indicated on their current legal documents. A person's gender may change over time.
Incremental
Activities to be undertaken that are additional to the applicant’s current operations or activities.
Indigenous peoples
Refers to those persons who identify with at least one Indigenous group, that is First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. Aboriginal peoples of Canada (referred to here as Indigenous peoples) are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
In-kind costs/contributions
Contributions, such as goods and services, toward project costs that do not involve a cost incurred or paid for by the applicant. These types of contributions should be demonstrated in the application at fair market value.
Innovation ecosystem
An ecosystem is a dynamic, complex structure formed by the interaction and linkage of resources and participants that are necessary and contribute to continuous innovation in an economy. These include investors, entrepreneurs, technical and business development service providers, and academia amongst others.
2SLGBTQI+
Refers to those persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, two-spirit, non-binary or gender queer, questioning, asexual, pansexual, agender, bigender, gender variant, and pangender.
Majority-owned/led
Majority owned or led is defined as an enterprise where one or more of the diverse groups has long-term control and management of the organization and an active role in both strategic and day to day decision making. In for-profit enterprises, this may include an equity stake.
  • Long-term control and management of the organization – have been engaged in the operation, management and ownership of the organization for at least two years
  • Active role in strategic decision making – involved in elements related to the establishment of priorities, objective and goals for the organization; overall operations of the organization
  • Day to day decision making – involved in elements related to the financial management, human resources, supply management, logistics or customer services (for example)
  • Equity stake — demonstrates an ownership in the company
Majority-owned is where an individual(s) owns more than 50% of the company.
Newcomer to Canada or immigrant
Person(s) who have landed in Canada within in the last ten years.
OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), ‘science and technology-related jobs’
This includes occupations beyond those typically associated with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or merely the natural sciences. It includes physical, mathematical, and engineering science professionals, and other professionals in fields such as business, legal, information, social science, creative, religious, and public service administration.
Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities in provinces and territories other than Quebec.
Person with a disability
A person with long-term or recurring disabilities related to hearing, vision, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, mental health, memory, and developmental impairment or functional limitation and who consider themselves to be disadvantaged by reason of that impairment.
Project
The group of activities and actions, which are cost-shared, that occur in the period between the Proposed Funding Start Date and the Proposed End Date.
Project Start Date
This is the date an agreement between a Recipient and the department comes into effect. Any costs incurred prior to this date are not eligible for reimbursement under the terms of the agreement and are outside of the scope of the project. It can be thought of as the start date for the project as defined by the contribution agreement.
Proposed End Date
The date it is anticipated that project activity will cease. (This does not include a repayment period when applicable.)
Racialized communities
Groups that have been socially constructed as races, other than an Indigenous Peoples, persons from Black communities, or persons who are Caucasian in race or white in colour, based on characteristics such as ethnicity, language, economics, religion, culture, and/or politics. For example, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian/East Indian, Southern Asian, non-white West Asian, North African or Arab, non-white Latin American, persons of mixed origin (with one parent in one of the visible minority or racialized groups in this list), or other racialized or visible minority group.
Women
The use of the word “women” is inclusive of cisgender and trans individuals.
Youth
Person(s) who are between the ages of 15 and 34.

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