Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative application form and guidelines

This Application Guide has been developed to provide instructions to applicants on how to complete a FedNor Application for the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative.

This guide is organized according to the sections of the Application for Financial Assistance Form. When completing the Application for Financial Assistance, applicants are expected to complete the fields in each section or indicate if a field is not applicable.

It is highly recommended that you read this Applicant Guide in its entirety before starting an application. All sections of the application must be completed, as applicable, and must contain all required information outlined in this guide in order to be considered for funding. Please pay particular attention to the eligibility criteria to determine if you can apply. Applicants are encouraged to address all submission requirements and ensure that the application submitted contains sufficient detail to enable a thorough review and assessment. Submitting an incomplete application may result in the delay of assessment and/or rejection of an application.

By completing and submitting the Application for Financial Assistance, the applicant acknowledges that the information contained therein is subject the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Applicants are encouraged to contact FedNor if they have any questions regarding the Application for Financial Assistance. For more information, please contact:.

• Natalie Brabant – Natalie.brabant@ised-isde.gc.ca, 705-626-8897
• Richard Pohler – Richard.Pohler@ised-isde.gc.ca, 844-805-8723

How will projects be screened?

Projects will be screened based on the following criteria:

1. Eligibility: The extent to which the applicant meets the criteria of who can apply.
2. Alignment: The extent to which the applicant demonstrates how their project aligns with the following:
   • objective of the fund
   • priority areas
3. Other funding: The extent to which the applicant has secured project funding from other sources.
4. Inclusive growth: The extent to which the project benefits or encourages the inclusion of under-represented groups.

Completing the FedNor Application for Financial Assistance Form

This section provides information on how to complete the various sections of the FedNor Application for Financial Assistance.

Please consider the following when completing the application:

• Fields are mandatory unless marked with an asterisk (*). If a required field does not apply to you or the project, please enter “Not applicable”, zero (0), or a similar response.
• Limit answers to the space provided. Point form, or a bullet list, are acceptable, provided that the information is clear.
• While working on your application, please remember to regularly save the file.

FedNor Application for Financial Assistance Form

Applicant and Contact Information

• Legal name of Applicant: Provide the legal name of your business, per your Letters Patent or Incorporation Documents, if available.
  Operating name (if different from legal name): The name under which business is publicly conducted. e.g., 123456 Ontario Ltd operating as XYZ Technologies.
• Provide a description of your organization and its mandate: Provide a brief overview of the business, including the main areas of business which generate revenues for the company.
• Location: Provide the address where the headquarters of the company is located.
• Authorized Contact Information^{Footnote 1}: Identify and provide contact information for the person who is authorized^{Footnote 2} to represent the business or organization, and who will be the main point of contact regarding the project. Ensure to indicate if the contact is an authorized signing officer.
• Alternative Contact Information^{Footnote 1}: Identify and provide contact information for a secondary contact that can be reached should the main contact be unavailable.
  Ensure to indicate if the contact is an authorized^{Footnote 2} signing officer.
• Mailing Address: Select “Same as” if the mailing address is the same as the physical address (#3). If different, provide the complete mailing address.
  Date of Incorporation or Registration (YYYY-MM-DD): Provide the date stated on the company’s Articles of Incorporation, if incorporated, or the date the company was registered.
  Business Number / Enterprise Number: Provide the unique nine-digit numerical identifier assigned by the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Type of legal entity: Select the type of legal entity from the list provided.
• Official language preferred for correspondence. Select the language in which you would like to receive correspondence related to your application.

Project Information

1. Project Name: Provide a short name for your project that can be used in communications related to the project.
2. Project Location (street, unit number, etc.): Provide the address where the project will be taking place and/or managed from, most notably if different from the company address.
   Estimated start date (YYYY-MM-DD): This date is the first day you anticipate incurring expenses for your project, typically the date of a submitted application.
   Estimated completion date (YYYY-MM-DD): This date is the last day you anticipate incurring expenses for your project.
3. In what official language will your project’s services be offered? Select the language(s) which apply. English, French or Both
4. Please Identify the FedNor Program which you are applying. Select Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI)  from the pull down menu.
5. Provide a description of the project and the key activities to be undertaken: Please indicate you are applying for the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI) and briefly describe the project's main activities and the anticipated results of the project. Please ensure to identify the project type, and program objectives that your project falls within.
   1. help with the greening of operations and products and environmentally sustainable practices;
   2. improve productivity; and
   3. strengthen commercialization and integration into supply chains.

   Program Priorities

   Four priorities have been identified for the ARRI. Please indicate if your project falls within one (or more) of the four priorities. Should it be outside of these priorities, your project may still be considered for funding.

   • Transition to the greening of products or operations / environmentally sustainable practices.
     • Projects that support a clean growth economy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. This could include projects with benefits related to renewable energy, the adoption of practices or technology to reduce your carbon footprint or waste, the commercialization of clean technologies, products, or services, light weighting/advanced materials, regional supply chain localization, and other.
   • Generating important economic benefits and promoting business development of regions, and improving resilience and international competitiveness of the aerospace sector.
     • Projects that support workforce development to help SMEs address labour and skills shortages (e.g., indirect support via NPOs offering business counselling/support services or directly to SMEs for training, upskilling or hiring activities) in respect of regional and provincial jurisdictions.
   • Improving inclusivity and diversity to address barriers faced by certain population groups.
     • Projects that provide targeted support for specific groups in the economy, including women, Indigenous peoples, youth, and visible minorities, to promote a greater level of inclusion by addressing barriers.
   • Supporting the digital adoption of the aerospace industry and enhanced cybersecurity.
     • Projects that support the adoption or development of Industry 4.0 solutions, advanced manufacturing solutions or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help firms better manage inventory and on-time delivery, lower human risks and operating costs, increase production speed and quality of products;
6. Describe measurable social-economic benefits of the project: Please describe how the project supports enhancing innovation, productivity, and competitiveness of the aerospace sector in the region and/or your organization. Please describe the ways this project will result in a stronger integration into global aerospace supply chains, and/or generate export sales.
7. Total number of jobs to be created at the end date of project: A job created refers to a job that did not exist within the applicant organization prior to the project, but that was created as a direct result of the project activities. An FTE can consist of one person at full-time employment, or more than one person at part-time employment, such that the total working hours of those part-time employees pooled together is equivalent to the hours of one person working full-time. Generally, full-time positions will involve between 35-40 hours in a regular workweek. Do not include FTEs who are employed by suppliers or contracted services.
8. Total number of jobs maintained at the end of project: 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. An FTE can consist of one person at full-time employment, or more than one person at part-time employment, such that the total working hours of those part-time employees pooled together is equivalent to the hours of one person working full-time. Generally, full-time positions will involve between 35-40 hours in a regular work-week. Do not include FTEs who are employed by suppliers or contracted services. Jobs maintained must be a direct result of the project activities.

Project Costs and Funding Sources

• By completing this section, you will be providing FedNor with the key project financing information it needs to assess whether resources requested are appropriate for further review. It is in this section where you will identify the cost of the project, broken down by year, cost category and funding source(s). It is also where you will identify the amount of assistance you are requesting from FedNor.
• This section should only contain information pertinent to the project as proposed in the rest of the Application for Funding.

Certification

Please read this section to ensure that you are able to acknowledge and/or certify all of the listed statements. Provide the name and title of the person submitting the application, the name of the person with signing authority for the Applicant, and the date on which the application was completed.

Submitting your Application

Applications can be completed and submitted electronically, or printed and sent to the nearest FedNor office.

If you are submitting the application electronically, you may now click on the “Submit” button. You do not need to sign the form. You will receive an automatic notification within 24 hours of the successful submission of your application. This notification will contain a reference number, please retain this information and a copy of your submission package in case of system overloads or errors.

FedNor may contact applicants for additional details to complete the application.

The results of the Application review will be communicated to applicants electronically or in writing.

Phase Two Detailed Application

Upon initial review of the Phase One Application for Financial Assistance, applicants will be invited to submit a Phase Two Detailed Application, Annex and provide supporting documentation. The information required and instructions on how to proceed will be provided to applicants.

Application Review

Phase Two Detailed Applications will be evaluated on their ability to support the objectives of the program and meet the following criteria:

• Applicant can demonstrate it has an established track record in the delivery of projects;
• Applicant has the expertise and the resources required to complete the proposed project;
• Applicants have established a clear project governance structure and decision-making process;
• The project addresses a need identified by end users and will not duplicate existing efforts or projects;
• Accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure due diligence in administering public funds and the ability to report on performance measures; and
• Identification of a person and position responsible for project delivery and management along with key officers that have signing authority.

Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants will be required to report to FedNor on project expenditures and activities, the results/outcomes of the project, and achievement of performance indicators as identified in contribution agreements.

Note

• A complete Application for Financial Assistance must first be submitted to determine your proposal's eligibility.
• Electronic or Written confirmation that an application may proceed to a Phase Two Detailed Application should not be interpreted as FedNor's approval of the proposed project or authorization to start with the proposed activities.
• Applicants cannot presume that financial support will be provided toward their project until written approval is obtained through a signed contribution agreement.

If you decide to accept public funding, depending on the nature of your project and the targeted clientele, you may be asked to assume official languages obligations among other obligations outlined in your contribution agreement.

FedNor requires that all projects conform to requirements set out in the Canadian Impact Assessment Act 2019 (IAA 2019).  The Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and its regulations establish the legislative basis for the federal impact assessment process.

Regulations define the types of projects subject to IAA that may require an impact assessment, the information to be provided in project descriptions, Agency deliverables provided to proponents, circumstances of when the Minister may suspend the legislated timelines, and what costs can be recovered from proponents.

Contact Us

Applicants are encouraged to contact FedNor if they have any questions regarding the Application for Financial Assistance. For more information, please contact:.

• Natalie Brabant – Natalie.brabant@ised-isde.gc.ca, 705-626-8897
• Richard Pohler – Richard.Pohler@ised-isde.gc.ca, 844-805-8723