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Details on transfer payment programs
Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Community Futures Program
Timeframe of the transfer payment program
- Start date: 1986
- End date: Ongoing
- Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2010–11
Funding Details
- Name of program terms and conditions: Community Futures Program
- Type of transfer payment: Contribution
- Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through Estimates
Purpose and objectives
-
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:
The Community Futures Program is a national program administered by regional development agencies. The ultimate objectives of the program are to foster economic stability, growth and job creation; help create diversified and competitive local rural economies; and help build sustainable communities.
FedNor provides financial support to 24 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in Northern Ontario that are incorporated, not-for-profit, community-based development organizations, each governed by a local volunteer board of directors.
CFDCs offer a variety of products and services to support business growth and community economic development, including access to capital, strategic community planning and socio-economic development; support for community-based projects and special initiatives; and business information, planning and support services.
Three of the CFDCs are Indigenous organizations that FedNor funds to support business development in First Nation communities and for their members across the region.
Twelve of the 24 CFDCs are required to provide equitable services in both official languages to the official language minority communities in their respective jurisdictions.
FedNor provides financial contributions to support the ongoing operations of individual CFDCs through either one-, three- or five-year agreements.
Contributions issued under the Community Futures Program terms and conditions are non-repayable.
Recipients
General targeted recipient groups:
Not-for-profit organizations and charities; Indigenous recipients; Other.
Departmental Results Framework
Link to departmental result(s): Businesses are innovative and growing in Northern Ontario
Link to the department's Program Inventory: Business Development
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: 2029–2030
Financial Information (dollars)
| Type of transfer payment | 2025–2026 forecast spending |
2026-2027 planned spending |
2027-2028 planned spending |
2028-2029 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total contributions | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 | 8,360,008 |
Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation
The following programs and initiatives are delivered using the terms and conditions for this transfer payment program: Regional Growth through Innovation, the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, the Regional Defence Investment Initiative and the Black Entrepreneurship Program.
Timeframe of the transfer payment program
- Start date: October 18, 2018
- End date: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation—Ongoing; Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative—March 31, 2029, Regional Tariff Response Initiative—March 31, 2028, Regional Defence Investment Initiative—March 31, 2026, Black Entrepreneurship Program—March 31, 2030
- Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2018–19
Funding Details
- Name of program terms and conditions: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation
- Type of transfer payment: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation—Grant and Contribution; Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative—Contribution; Regional Tariff Response Initiative—Contribution; Regional Defence Investment Initiative—Contribution; the Black Entrepreneurship Program—Contribution
- Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through Estimates
Purpose and objectives
- Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:
- Regional Economic Growth through Innovation is a national program delivered by the regional development agencies that builds on the objectives of the Innovation and Skills Plan. The program’s objective is to provide streamlined, nationally consistent and regionally tailored support for business productivity and scale-up, and assist the enhancement of regional clusters and regional innovation ecosystems. The core program has two streams:
- Business Scale-up and Productivity Stream: Invest in and support businesses at various stages of development, including high-growth firms to accelerate their growth and assist them in scaling up, enhance their productivity and competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.
- Regional Innovation Ecosystems Stream: Create, grow and nurture inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs and foster an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation, growth and competitiveness.
- The Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative is a national program delivered by the regional development agencies to help bring new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to market and help accelerate AI adoption in critical sectors, such as agriculture, health sciences, manufacturing, mining and forestry.
Specifically, the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative helps to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and broader marketplace consumption with support spanning two pillars:
- AI productization and commercialization: Support AI scale-ups address common challenges on their journey from lab prototypes to real-world applications, including securing growth capital, talent acquisition, data management, and navigating regulatory and business conduct frameworks.
- Adoption of AI applications: Support will address AI adoption lag among small and medium-sized enterprises. Support will focus on addressing challenges, such as skills gaps, AI integration complexities, and compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
- The Regional Tariff Response Initiative is a national program delivered by the regional development agencies to help businesses respond to global trade pressures. The program aims to support tariff impacted small and medium-sized enterprises and sectors boost productivity, catalyze growth, and diversify markets.
- The Regional Defence Investment Initiative supports the development and integration of businesses, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), into defence supply chains, both domestically and internationally, as well as support for the increased industrial and innovation capacity of dual use suppliers and technology centers, and defence-related strategic regional assets, all in support of Canada’s defence and security needs while bolstering regional economic development. This program will be delivered under two streams:
- Business Scale-up and Productivity: Supports businesses, mainly SMEs, to increase production and innovation capacity, improve productivity and competitiveness, explore and secure new markets, meet defence certification/qualification standards, and support business start-up and scale-up, with the objective of integrating into defence supply chains (domestic and international) and responding to major military contractors and Government of Canada procurement opportunities.
- Regional Innovation Ecosystems: Supports regional innovation and research centres, specialized not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous-led organizations, and industry associations which provide technical and business support services to SMEs, help with supply chain development and integration, and conduct collaborative industrial research for activities that include early development and those that directly or indirectly (e.g., dual-use technologies) relate to enhancing Canada’s defence capabilities, including pre-construction readiness activities and the capacity of local firms to bid on these projects.
- The Black Entrepreneurship program is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, and financial institutions. The regional development agencies deliver the National Ecosystem Fund which supports not-for-profit, Black-led organizations to develop new services or expand those they already offer such as mentorship, networking, financial planning, and business training for Black entrepreneurs.
- Regional Economic Growth through Innovation is a national program delivered by the regional development agencies that builds on the objectives of the Innovation and Skills Plan. The program’s objective is to provide streamlined, nationally consistent and regionally tailored support for business productivity and scale-up, and assist the enhancement of regional clusters and regional innovation ecosystems. The core program has two streams:
Contributions 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; Individual or sole proprietorships; Other.
Departmental Results Framework
Link to departmental result(s):
Businesses invest in the development and commercialization of innovative technologies in Northern Ontario
Businesses are innovative and growing in Northern Ontario
Link to the department's Program Inventory: Regional Innovation Ecosystem
Expected results:
The ultimate outcomes under the program are:
- Businesses adopt innovations and commercialize innovative products or services.
- Businesses will be innovative and growing, and the number of high-growth firms will expand in Canada.
- Regional innovation ecosystems expand the number of supported businesses.
- Regional innovation ecosystems will be strong, dynamic and inclusive.
- Regional clusters will support competitiveness and growth.
Evaluation
Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:Regional Economic Growth through Innovation—2027-2028; Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative—Not applicable; Regional Tariff Response Initiative—Not applicable, Regional Defence Investment Initiative—Not applicable, Black Entrepreneurship Program—2029-2030
Financial Information (dollars)
| Type of transfer payment | 2025–2026 forecast spending |
2025–2026 planned spending |
2027–2028 planned spending |
2028–2029 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total contributions | 25,622,417 | 35,156,596 | 42,332,476 | 13,470,000 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 25,622,417 | 35,156,596 | 42,332,476 | 13,470,000 |
Name of the transfer payment program or funding agreement: Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP)
The following programs and initiatives are delivered using the terms and conditions for this transfer payment program: Northern Ontario Development Program and the Economic Development Initiative for official language minority communities.
Timeframe of the transfer payment program
- Start date: April 1, 1996
- End date: Northern Ontario Development Program—Ongoing; Economic Development Initiative—Ongoing
- Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2011–12
Funding Details
- Name of program terms and conditions: Northern Ontario Development Program
- Type of transfer payment: Northern Ontario Development Program—Grant and Contribution; Economic Development Initiative—Contribution
- Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through Estimates
Purpose and objectives
-
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:
The Northern Ontario Development Program’s objective is to promote economic development, economic diversification, job creation and sustainable, self-reliant communities in Northern Ontario. This is achieved by providing financial support, through transfer payments, to small and medium-sized enterprises and not-for-profit organizations, including municipalities, municipal organizations, community development organizations and research institutions, in two main priority areas: community economic development, and business growth and competitiveness.
The Economic Development Initiative encourages economic growth in Northern Ontario’s Francophone communities and capitalizes on economic opportunities made possible through the use of both official languages.
Contributions 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; Other.
Departmental Results Framework
Link to departmental result(s):
Communities are economically diversified in Northern Ontario
Businesses are innovative and growing in Northern Ontario
Link to the department's Program Inventory:
Community Economic Development and Diversification
Expected results:
The ultimate outcomes under the program are:
- Northern Ontario communities and businesses show improved capacity to respond to economic development challenges and opportunities.
- Northern Ontario communities and businesses show increased growth and competitiveness.
- Northern Ontario communities and businesses are economically diverse, viable and sustainable.
Evaluation
Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Northern Ontario Development Program—2030–2031; Economic Development Initiative—TBD
Financial Information (dollars)
| Type of transfer payment | 2025–2026 forecast spending |
2026–2027 planned spending |
2027–2028 planned spending |
2028–2029 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total contributions | 34,410,800 | 21,640,000 | 14,313,670 | 19,594,330 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 35,410,800 | 21,640,000 | 14,313,670 | 19,594,330 |