Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative's (SADI) Transparency Standards

The Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) maintains high standards of transparency as it delivers support to strategic industrial and pre-competitive development in the aerospace, defence, space and security industries. Strong transparency measures ensure increased accountability and company compliance, helping to protect the interests of Canadian taxpayers.

Information on SADI's objectives and performance results, as well as information on contribution recipients, are published on the website of the Industrial Technologies Office (ITO). The ITO keeps the public informed about the status and the impact of SADI's contributions by publishing an annual report that includes project results, as they relate to program objectives and accomplishments.

Transparency is also enhanced by publishing on ITO's website the project selection process and a set of clear assessment criteria that project proposals are measured against.

In addition, SADI contribution agreements include provisions to hold recipient companies accountable for their contractual obligations by giving the government sufficient leverage to act on behalf of the taxpayer. Should a breach of the contribution agreement occur, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is able to publicly identify a company that defaults on its obligations and make public any remedies exercised by him against the company.

To further increase transparency and accountability, contribution agreements allow the Minister to publish the amount of repayments received from recipient companies twice annually on ITO's website.

The SADI contribution agreements also requires companies to comply with the Lobbyists' Registration Act, holding them accountable for any lobbying activities they may undertake. Lobbying activities include external consultants lobbying on behalf of a company or company representatives who directly undertake lobbying activities.

Recipient companies are required to recertify their compliance with the terms of their contribution agreement, including those relating to lobbyists, on a regular basis when submitting claims for payment.