2024–25 Departmental Plan: Supplementary information

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, adMare is expected to achieve the following results:

• Canada's life sciences sector is strengthened through the creation and scale-up of life sciences companies in Canada;
• Promising research in the life sciences sector and health technology is de-risked, advanced and translated into commercial and therapeutics opportunities in Canada;
• Highly qualified personnel are trained with cross-disciplinary business and scientific skills to drive economic growth in Canada's life sciences sector.

Key performance indicators will include:

• Ratio of leveraged contributions from other sources;
• Number of cooperative students, interns, post-doctoral fellows trained, and scientists;
• Annual number and annual total dollar value of funded collaborations;
• Annual number of SME-adMare collaborations;
• Number of new companies formed or scaled, and maintaining operations in Canada as a result of adMare's activities

BHER engages directly with a range of stakeholders from across the Canadian WIL ecosystem, including industry associations, employers/businesses, provincial government, and post-secondary institutions. Such engagement takes place in various forms, including individual meetings.

ISED regularly engages with BHER and receives updates on progress towards deliverables and key performance targets, as well as the status of their activities such as building tools, creating WIL placements, and engaging partners.

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) Grow Your Business Online is designed to support up to 90,000 consumer-facing businesses across Canada digitize and take advantage of e-commerce opportunities.

It aims to help increase digital adoption for eligible small businesses by providing microgrants of up to $2,400 per business to help with the costs associated with the adoption of digital technologies related to e-commerce. It also provides job placements to youth by hiring and training them to work as e-commerce advisors, so that they can help these businesses assess their digital needs and develop their e-commerce strategy.

CDAP Grow Your Business Online is delivered by third party non-profit organizations that receive non-repayable contributions.

Short-term: Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, including those from equity deserving groups, access financial and non-financial business support services to digitize their businesses.

Medium-term: Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, including equity deserving groups, improve their digital and e-commerce capabilities.

Long-term: Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, including those in equity deserving groups, are able to sustain and grow their businesses.

Grow Your Business Online

Ultimate Recipients

Eligible ultimate recipients must be small businesses that meet all of the following criteria:

• A for-profit business (including for profit social enterprises and cooperatives)
• A registered or incorporated business;
• A consumer-facing business;
• A business that can be accessed by customers or provides in person services to customers;
• A business with a minimum of one employee (other than the owner) OR that had at least $30,000 in annual revenue in the most recent tax year;
• Recipients must commit to maintain a digital adoption strategy for 6 months post intervention
• A business will be required to consent to participating in follow-up surveys, having their information shared with the Government of Canada (ISED and Statistics Canada), and having the name of their business published as a recipient of funding.

Transfer Payment Recipient

Must be Canadian incorporated (federally or provincially) not-for-profit organizations and may be:

• A business and entrepreneur support organization;
• A research/innovation hub;
• An Indigenous organization;
• A Provincial/Territorial Crown corporation, agency or other entity created by a provincial/territorial government or provincial/territorial ministry;
• A business accelerator or incubator; or,
• A consortia of non-profit and for-profit organizations/entities where the not-for-profit organization is the lead proponent (i.e. the holder of the contribution agreement).

Canada Digital Adoption Program – Boost Your Business Technology stream supports Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises who are looking to leverage new technology to improve productivity, increase efficiency and foster innovation. The program provides funding and expertise to businesses, as well as training and work placement opportunities for youth.

Boost Your Business Technology offers support in the form of grants to help SMEs offset the cost of retaining a Digital Advisor who will develop a digital adoption plan tailored to the business. The grant will cover up to 90% of the cost to develop the digital plan, up to a maximum grant value of $15,000.

To support the implementation of the plan, the SME will be able to apply for a zero-interest loan from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) (up to $100,000) as well as a wage subsidy up to $7,300 for a youth placement.

The program expects to achieve two sets of results:

For the SMEs:

SMEs use CDAP business supports to adopt digital technology to improve their productivity and competitiveness.

Indicators:

• Number of SMEs that complete a digital needs assessment, and,
• Number of SMEs that complete a digital adoption plan

For the Youth placement:

The youth placement component helps participating youth learn valuable work skills as well as provide SMEs with additional help through their digital transformation.

Indicators:

• Percentage of youth that report to have benefited from the youth placement

Boost your Business Technology:

Canadian for-profit businesses with revenues between $500,000 and $100 million and between 1 and 499 FTEs.
The Boost your Business Technology stream supports small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that require more advanced technology, such as small manufacturing and food processing operations, among others. These businesses are able to access advisory expertise for digital adoption plans followed by zero-interest loans from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) for implementation. Boost your Business Technology also works with a third party intermediary to create opportunities for students and recent graduates to benefit from work placements in firms undertaking digital transformation.

Through the activities supported by the program, the CFI is expected to help enhance the capacity of research institutions to:

• Attract and retain the world's top research talent;
• Train the next generation of researchers;
• Enable researchers to undertake world-class research and technology development that leads to social, economic and environmental benefits for Canadians;
• Support private sector innovation and commercialization.

Key performance indicators include the following:

• Researchers attracted to the institution from outside Canada.
• Researchers retained at the institution.
• Trainees using CFI-funded infrastructure.
• New or improved public policies or programs.
• Peer-reviewed publications, conferences presentations, and books or reports.
• New or improved products, processes or services.
• Direct technology transfer (e.g., patents, intellectual property rights, licensing agreements, spin-off
• companies).
• Use of CFI-funded infrastructure by private-sector partners.

To support its overall goal to advance clean technology innovation in Canada, SDTC is expected to undertake the following activities:

• Fund the development and demonstration of new sustainable development technologies related to climate change, clean air, clean water, and clean soil;
• Foster and encourage innovative collaboration and partnering amongst the private sector, academics and not-for-profit organizations to strengthen the Canadian capacity to develop and demonstrate sustainable development technologies; and,
• Enable the timely diffusion by the ultimate recipients of new sustainable development technologies in relevant market sectors throughout Canada, enabling Canadian entities to compete globally in the clean technology space.

SDTC will collect from the ultimate recipients qualitative and quantitative performance information that will allow it to measure the impact of its activities and the benefits to the Canadian economy and society. Key performance indicators include the following:

• Number of new clean technologies supported by SDTC under the SD Tech Fund;
• Amounts of co-funding leveraged by SDTC funded projects;
• Number of jobs created by SDTC-funded companies;
• Sales revenues of SDTC-funded companies; and,
• Annual reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from clean technologies funded by SDTC under the SD Tech Fund.

ISED reviews the Corporate Plan and Annual Report that SDTC submits each year to monitor progress towards the achievement of expected results and compliance with the terms and conditions of the funding agreement.

SDTC seeks to foster and encourage innovative collaboration and partnering amongst the private sector, academia, not-for-profit and other organizations with similar mandates to develop and demonstrate environmental technologies.

Through activities supported by CIFAR Core contributions, the program is expected to achieve the following results:

• CIFAR supports advanced and interdisciplinary research and training and learning;
• CIFAR enables collaboration between researchers and non-profit, private, public sector and international organizations;
• CIFAR networks share and mobilize knowledge created by the CIFAR community;
• Researchers develop and broaden their research capabilities through their participation on international and interdisciplinary research teams;
• CIFAR's approach accelerates knowledge advancement with the potential to generate economic and social benefits.

Key results indicators include:

• Number of participants in CIFAR research programs;
• Number of early-career researchers participating in the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program;
• Total number of CIFAR Catalyst Grants awarded;
• Number of knowledge mobilization activities held, including those by the AI & Society program;
• Total number of partnerships with governments, research organizations, industry, and foundations;
• Number of publications or projects produced by active CIFAR supported researchers;
• Number of CIFAR researchers who report co-authoring with other CIFAR researchers;
• Percentage of participants in CIFAR knowledge mobilization activities who plan to integrate new ideas from these activities into their work;
• Percentage of Canadian researchers reporting that participation in CIFAR activities has positively informed or impacted their research.

Through activities supported by CIFAR PCAIS contributions, the program is expected to achieve the following additional results:

• CIFAR supports advanced and interdisciplinary research and training and learning;
• CIFAR enables collaboration between researchers and non-profit, private, public sector and international organizations;
• CIFAR networks, share and mobilize knowledge created by the CIFAR community;
• Canada produces highly qualified personnel in artificial intelligence;
• Canada's international profile, capacity and artificial intelligence research competitiveness is maintained.

Key results indicators include:

• Number of active Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence (CCAI) Chairs;
• Number of active research teams at the PCAIS national institutes;
• Total number of active research partnerships between CIFAR or PCAIS national institutes and industry;
• Number of knowledge mobilization activities held, including by the AI & Society program;
• Number of peer-reviewed publications across PCAIS national institutes;
• Number of collaborative projects and publications examining the societal implications of artificial intelligence;
• Number of CCAI Chair-supervised graduates, including Master and PhD students and Post-Doctoral Fellows;
• Canada's Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index rankings, relative to peer nations;
• Canada's Tortoise Global AI Index rankings, relative to peer nations.

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, CANARIE is expected to achieve the following results:

• Enhancing opportunities for collaborative knowledge creation and innovation within Canada's research and education communities through the maintenance and development of the CANARIE Network and related tools and services;
• Expansion of the research and education community's access to and utilization of the CANARIE Network and the availability of tools and programming that increase the effectiveness of its use; and
• Enabling the creation of innovative information and communication technology products and services and the acceleration of their commercialization in Canada.

Key performance indicators include:

• Number of connected institutions;
• Annual traffic volume;
• Number of projects funded to enhance or expand network infrastructure, redundancy, and capacity features

Expected results for 2024-25 to 2026-27 period:

• Canada attracts and secures investments to develop a domestic battery supply chain.

Performance indicators:

• Value of capital investments in Canada secured through the contribution agreements; and,
• Number of suppliers associated with, and or supplying to, a funded project establishing locations in Canada.

The CAN Health Network (CHN) brings together health-care organizations from across Canada to conduct joint technology demonstration/validation projects and to create an environment where these organizations can leverage their purchasing power to issue joint procurement opportunities for successful participating Canadian businesses.

The CHN was established as a pilot project led by the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and funded via their Regional Economic Growth program. Since 2019, the CHN has received a total of $12,450,000 in support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) and Prairies Economic Development Canada.

Budget 2022 announced $30 million over four years, starting in fiscal year 2022–23, to build upon the success of the CHN, and expand it nationally to Quebec, the territories, and Indigenous communities. This expansion will support the growth, commercialization and adoption of Canadian health-care solutions, helping ensure that Canada is prepared for future threats to our health-care system.

Short Term:

• Health organizations and businesses across Canada are aware of and participate in the program.
• Demonstration projects create jobs.

Medium Term:

• Member organizations (I.e., Edges) receive useful services and support.
• Participant companies commercialize their innovations.
• Projects lead to the adoption of new health technology nationally, and in particular, in Indigenous and remote communities.

Long Term:

• Procurement of health technologies is performed collaboratively across health organizations in provinces/territories.
• Participant companies grow and contribute to economic growth in Canada.

The CAN Health Network is responsible for engaging with member Edges, the recruitment of new Edges, and launching Calls for Innovation (COI) to attract Canadian companies to undertake the project activity under each COI. These engagement activities are reoccurring and support the success of the CAN Health Network, in particular, scaling Canadian innovation in hospitals across multiple provinces and driving specialization between the Network.

The CAN Health Network will continue to:

• devote efforts in expanding into Quebec and the territories, including launching nation-wide Call for Proposals and facilitating joint procurement opportunities for Canadian health operators;
• establish sub-networks to drive specialization within the Network and enhance offerings in specific health-care verticals, and;
• seek to partner with Canadian, and potentially other international organizations, involved in health technology and commercialization to bolster CAN Health's offerings and its long-term financial sustainability (a stipulation of the 2022 budget decision).

Budget 2019 provided $80 million over four years to support three or more Canadian cyber security centres across Canada that are affiliated with post-secondary institutions to address the growing need for Canada to:

• enhance and expand cyber security research and development;
• increase commercialization; and develop skilled talent.

The Lead Recipient of the program is the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC), a not-for-profit organization federally incorporated under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and located in Canada.

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, the following results are expected to be achieved:

• Industry and academia collaborate to promote research and development, commercialization and training in the field of cyber security;
• Students and workers receive training to develop cyber security-related skills and knowledge;
• Funded eligible projects lead to new or improved cyber security products and knowledge;

Key performance indicators include:

• Number of funded collaborative R&D, commercialization and skills projects;
• Number of post-secondary students participating in cyber security training activities (courses, programs, co-op, and/or Work-Integrated-Learning (WIL) programs;
• Number of professionals participating in cyber security training, reskilling and upskilling activities;
• Number of IP filings and number of other IP (i.e., any IP not formally filed) generated as a result of network R&D and commercialization activities.

Through a contribution to the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC), ISED will provide $39 million in funding announced in Budget 2021 to provide dedicated computing capacity for Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers as part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. DRAC will provide funding to ultimate recipients for the procurement and operation of AI computing infrastructure, which will be spread across three national AI host sites, namely; the University of Laval, the University of Alberta, and the University of Toronto.

The objective of this project is to provide dedicated computing capacity for Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIFAR)'s AI Chairs at the national artificial intelligence institutes in Edmonton, Toronto, and Montréal. DRAC, in collaboration with CIFAR, the AI institutes, the Regional Organizations, and the Host Sites will acquire, deliver, and support three new dedicated compute systems designed and dedicated for AI research integrated into the National DRI platform.

By providing dedicated computing capacity for AI research, this project will support talent and expand research capacity in Canadian AI.

In support of the Agreement's objectives, the recipient is expected to achieve the following expected results:

Immediate:

• Increased technological capacity in the AI ecosystem
• Increased technological capacity in the DRI ecosystem

Intermediate:

• The DRI ecosystem responds to AI stakeholders
• The DRI system responds to user needs

Ultimate:

• Increased accessibility by under-represented groups (e.g., women, visible minorities), niche users, and early career and non-traditional discipline researchers
• Increased accessibility to infrastructure capacity by Canadian AI researchers.

The Digital Literacy Exchange Program (DLEP) was renewed in Budget 2022 for $17.6M over three years starting in 2022–23. By March 31, 2025, DLEP is expected to provide digital literacy training to 100,000 Canadians from underrepresented groups across Canada.

These groups include persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, individuals who do not speak English or French at home, individuals aged 65 or older, individuals who have not completed high school, individuals who have low-income, residents of rural and remote areas, newcomers to Canada, and individuals from official language minority communities.

Budget 2018 committed $572.5 million to ensure that Canadian researchers have the digital tools they need to support scientific excellence. The objectives of the program are to ensure: Canadian researchers have the tools they need to conduct leading-edge research, researchers are better equipped and be able to optimize research data to generate cutting-edge knowledge and ideas, world-class digital tools and services are available that enable collaboration and leverage research data to gain new science and research insights, a cohesive national vision for future investments, leveraging contributions from federal, provincial, institutional and private sector sources, an agile and responsive DRI system that is able to efficiently and effectively respond to emerging needs and opportunities within the research community.

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) is one of the two recipients of funding under the Digital Research Infrastructure Strategy, via a non-repayable contribution. It has the objective of providing funding for Advanced Research Computing (ARC), Research Software (RS), and Data Management (DM), to support the work of Canadian researchers and scientists.

CANARIE is the other recipient of funding under the Digital Research Infrastructure Strategy, also via a non-repayable contribution program. Its objective is to provide ultra high-speed networking capability to enable researchers to exchange large volumes of data obtained through high-performance computing resources. CANARIE also supports cybersecurity initiatives, as well as private firms in advancing innovation and commercialization using network technologies.

Through the contribution with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) and the eligible activities expected to be completed under it, the DRI Strategy is expected to achieve the following results through the 2022–23 to 2024–25 period:

• Increased technological capacity in the DRI ecosystem across ARC, RS and DM;
• Canada's researchers have improved skills and more training provided;
• DRI resources are safeguarded;
• DRI funding is leveraged by other investments to provide greater value for money.

Through the contribution with CANARIE and the eligible activities expected to be completed under it, the DRI Strategy is expected to achieve the following results:

• Enhanced opportunities for collaborative knowledge, creation, and innovation within Canada's research and education communities, through the maintenance and development of the CANARIE Network and related tools and services;
• Expansion of the research and education community's access to and utilization of the CANARIE Network and the availability of cybersecurity tools and programming that increase the effectiveness of its use;
• Enabling the creation of innovative information and communication technology products and services and the acceleration of their commercialization in Canada.

The 50 – 30 Challenge Ecosystem Fund provides funding to successful organizations, known as Ecosystem partners, to help 50 – 30 Challenge participants meet the diversity and inclusion goals.

The Ecosystem partners support participants by linking them to best practices and tools, providing guidance and advising on other diversity supports specific to each organization's unique needs. The Ecosystem partners also promote the What Works Toolkit, and report on the progress of 50 – 30 participants to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Ecosystem partners are awarded a three year, non-repayable Contribution Agreement with a minimum value of $3 million and a maximum value of $10 million.

Short-term:

• Increase awareness of the best practices and measures that fuel recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse employees and leaders.

Medium-term:

• Assist Canadian organizations to become more responsive to diversity by integrating diversity and inclusion practices into their management policies and practices.

Long-term:

• Agile, innovative and resilient Canadian organizations that benefit from both gender equity and 30% representation from other equity-deserving groups in leadership roles and senior decision-making positions within their organizations.

Contributions may be provided to the following eligible recipients:

• Canadian associations, not-for-profit organizations, and registered charities;
• Non-governmental organizations and Canadian public institutions such as academic institutions, colleges and universities, and health care institutions;
• Organizations representing First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments, and band councils;
• Private sector organizations (applications from the private sector must be made jointly with one or several not-for-profit partner organization(s); and,
• A coalition or consortium of multiple Canadian organizations comprised of public and/or private, not for profit and/or for profit organizations and/or any others listed above.

These Ecosystem Partners will provide supports and services to all organizations participating in the 50-30 Challenge:

• Large corporations;
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME); and,
• Post-secondary institutions, not-for-profits (including hospitals), charities, and agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs).

ElevateIP is a non-repayable contribution program. Its purpose is to help Business Accelerators and Incubators (BAIs) and BAI networks provide start-ups with access to professional intellectual property (IP) supports. ElevateIP will help BAIs provide the tools Canadian start-ups need to protect, strategically manage and leverage their IP.

ElevateIP aims to meet the following program objectives:

• facilitate IP supports by BAIs to start-ups at key junctures in the entrepreneurial process to enable the rapid scaling, growth and sustainability of start-ups in Canada
• help increase the IP capacity of the BAI ecosystem in Canada by enabling IP education for BAIs and their start-up members, facilitating the exchange of best practices, encouraging collaboration, and providing greater access to IP advice and support as an integrated component of general business supports offered by BAIs enable BAIs to provide targeted supports, supports that are customized to the unique requirements of each start-up, to help start-ups secure and maintain IP rights, while enabling longer-term IP benefits to be delivered through the BAI ecosystem

ElevateIP's expected outcomes for the 2023–24 to 2025–26 period include:

• Canadian startups accessing IP support services
• BAIs and start-ups supported have knowledge of Canada's IP system, including the value of IP
• Barriers to accessing IP support services are reduced
• Canadian companies make use of IP
• Canadian companies experience expansion and growth

The following indicators are monitored and reported on:

• Percentage of start-ups supported by BAIs accessing IP assistance
• Percentage of start-ups accessing IP support services from underrepresented groups (as defined as those majority owned by women, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities)
• Number of startups supported
• Startup satisfaction
• Percentage of firms supported that report increased knowledge and understanding of the IP system as a result of the support provided
• Percentage of Recipients that have developed and begun implementing plans to reduce/prevent barriers to participating in IP supports
• Percentage of start-ups that have a formal IP strategy
• Percentage of start-ups seeking new formal IP protection
• Revenue growth rate of startups
• Employment growth rate of startups
• Average number of FTEs hired per participating BAI

ElevateIP has a third-party delivery model that gives each of its five recipients independence to identify the best ways to serve their startup clients. Recipient BAIs have extensive experience with the startup ecosystem and are well placed to deliver ElevateIP supports directly to startups. ISED plays an oversight role, maintaining an ongoing dialogue and connecting regularly with its recipients to enhance processes and reduce recipient burden, while maintaining rigorous reporting and alignment with program objectives.

ISED has also committed to coordinating annual in-person meetings with all recipients and participating in outreach activities with recipients and other stakeholders (e.g., events, consultations, presentations, etc.) to help foster collaboration across recipients, and within the Canadian startup, BAI and IP ecosystems as a whole.

As of September 2023, ElevateIP recipients, have provided education and awareness training, and intellectual strategy support to more than 600 start-ups, of which approximately 40% are owned by individuals from under-represented groups, and over 80 business accelerators and incubators.

Through the activities undertaken with the contributions, Genome Canada is expected to achieve the following results:

• Increased breadth and depth of knowledge in genomics, including knowledge related to the ethical, environmental, economic, legal and social issues of genomics;
• Canada has a solid base of researchers that are trained to undertake future genomics research;
• The translation of research discoveries into application in the public and private sectors leads to socio-economic benefits either directly or through development toward, for example, commercialization;
• Canadian genomics research is enabled through the provision of leading-edge genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics technologies; and,
• Canada's international profile and visibility in genomics research is enhanced.

Key performance indicators will include:

• Annual number and value of large-scale genomics research projects, technology platforms, and translational research projects supported;
• Annual percentage of projects supported that have end-user partners;
• Annual number of highly qualified personnel and students involved in projects;
• Annual number of international projects led by Canadian researchers;
• Number of invention disclosures, patents and licenses;
• Number of prototypes, early-stage products, tools and process emanating from genomics research; and,
• Number of companies enhanced, advanced, or created

The GIC's expected results for the 2023–24 to 2025–26 period include:

• Developing ecosystems that create a global advantage for Canada by attracting investment, developing a global profile, and collaborating on projects at a national scale.
• Accelerating the scale-up of SMEs in cluster projects by fostering collaboration and integration into emerging value chains, in order to drive international opportunities, expand market share, and grow revenues.
• Strengthening connections and collaborations between private, public and academic organizations to drive impactful commercialization outcomes and develop domestic capacity.
• Addressing skills gaps, act as a magnet for global talent, collaboration, and skills and talent development, and foster opportunities for equity-seeking groups to benefit from connections, in order to drive innovation and contribute to inclusive economic growth.

The following indicators are monitored and reported publicly:

• Number of approved projects;
• Number of organizations participating in projects/ percentage of business partners that are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs);
• Dollar value of investment in projects (from Cluster program and all other sources);
• Number of Cluster member organizations; and,
• Innovation: Number of new IP rights generated.

The department maintains an ongoing dialogue with each recipient (the five Clusters) and has in place processes to monitor progress towards the achievement of expected results and compliance with the terms and conditions of contribution agreements.

Through the Clusters, the program has engaged more than 8,600 members across all five Clusters, with a strong representation of small and medium-sized enterprises and post-secondary institutions. More than 2,575 of these are actively engaged as partners in the Clusters' collaborative projects.

Indigenous tourism funding will provide $20 million over two years to help the Indigenous tourism industry recover from the pandemic and position itself for long-term, sustainable growth via two streams:

• $10M to support Indigenous micro and small operators;
• $10M to support scaling-up of major regional signature Indigenous tourism experiences

Short-term indicators will focus on the number of businesses that receive funding as a proportion of Indigenous tourism businesses, including by gender (e.g., proportion of women-owned businesses), Indigenous distinctions group, rural/urban, and disbursement across Canada.

Medium term indicators will analyze the number of Indigenous tourism businesses, the number of employees in the sector, and the sector's GDP contributions, to assess the initiative's economic impacts for Indigenous peoples.

Over the long-term (four years +), the initiative aligns with ISED's objective to support the recovery of Canada's broader tourism sector, alongside other federal measures. Indicators to measure success include: tourism as a percentage of Canada's GDP, tourism as a percentage of direct jobs, and growth in tourism revenues.

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, Mitacs is expected to achieve the following results:

• Students, graduates, and start-ups have access to work-integrated learning opportunities through Mitacs;
• Participation in Mitacs programs fosters the potential for collaboration between academia and industry, and across sectors;
• Scientific knowledge and investments in research and development are enhanced as a result of the internship;
• Post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows who have completed an internship improve their skills and on-the-job experience;
• Educated professionals pursue science and technology-related jobs in Canada; and,
• Participating organizations innovate and grow.

Key performance indicators include:

• Number of work-integrated learning opportunities (internships) funded;
• Percentage of new and returning host organizations;
• Percentage of firms planning increased overall investment in research and development;
• Percentage of host organizations reporting increases in intern professional skills development and experience as a result of the internship;
• Percentage of interns who are working in Canada after graduation; and,
• Percentage of organizations that developed, or anticipate developing, a new or enhanced process, product or service because of the project.

Contributions to the National Artificial Intelligence Institutes is a named recipient, non-repayable contribution program. An initiative of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), the program's objectives are to:

• accelerate the translation of artificial intelligence research into commercial or other innovations;
• grow the capacity of Canadian businesses, not-for-profit organizations, health providers including hospitals, or other public corporations and agencies to develop, adopt, use, or commercialize artificial intelligence; and,
• encourage the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence based in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth.

There are three eligible recipients of funds under the program: Amii in Edmonton, Alberta; Mila in Montreal, Quebec; and the Vector Institute in Toronto, Ontario. Each recipient is a not-for-profit corporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act that supports the advancement of artificial intelligence research, training, and innovation.

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada provided funding for the program in the amount of $60 million over five years, starting in 2021–22, with a maximum allowable contribution of $20 million to each eligible recipient.

Through activities supported by contributions, the program is expected to achieve the following results:

• Canada's national artificial intelligence institutes support capacity-building engagements with businesses, health and not-for-profit partners;
• Engagements foster new innovations;
• Engagements increase the capacity of partnering organizations to develop, adopt, use or commercialize artificial intelligence technologies;
• Partnering organization employees develop new skills and are better able to develop, adopt, use or commercialize artificial intelligence technologies;
• Engagements generate economic and social benefits.

Key results indicators include:

• Percentage of partners which report that their organization is better equipped to develop, adopt, use or commercialize artificial intelligence technologies as a result of their engagement;
• Percentage of people who participate in institute-offered training who indicate that they have developed new skills or knowledge as a result of participation in engagements.

Through this program, ISED supports 12 consumer advocacy organizations across Canada to continue 21 projects in the 2024–25 fiscal year.

Funded research projects focus on a range of issues including: Digital Consumer Protection; Systemic Barriers, Affordability and Other Risks to Vulnerable Consumers; Sustainable Consumption and the Circular Economy; and Consumers and the Financial Sector. These projects and their findings will help advance meaningful discourse in consumer advocacy across the country and help inform consumers on protection and awareness services and avenues available to them. As these research results are shared with federal officials in various departments and agencies and provincial consumer focused departments and agencies, they also assist in government consumer policy development and priority setting activities.

Development projects will continue to focus on strengthening consumer organizational capacity, consistent with the objectives of this stream of funding from previous cycles.

Additionally, focus on the retail sector, including groceries, will continue to significantly strengthen support for consumers and consumer advocacy. We support 4 consumer movement projects with the following priority topics: 1) Support for consumer stakeholder groups to examine retail practices that negatively impact consumers that include "shrinkflation" and "skimpflation"; and 2) Support for consumer stakeholder groups in developing, promoting and reporting on a standard grocery basket in Canada. Three existing projects continue to provide additional funding to expand activities to include work in these priority areas.

To further support to the retail sector, including groceries, new program funding will be used to hold a supplemental call for proposal in Winter 2024. The call will focus on innovative practices that will help better inform consumers on grocery price challenges and may include for example, crowdsourcing initiatives, and the development of new tools to help consumers make informed choices.

The next regular call for proposals, for the 2025–27 program cycle, will be launched in late 2024.

ISED monitors this program's performance in the following manner:

• Recipients are required, through their contribution agreements to provide: data, schedules, plans and reports in sufficient detail in order to be able to assess the progress of the project and carry out post completion monitoring;
• ISED has also established a performance measurement strategy that monitors;
• Communication of project results/interventions to stakeholders;
• Program results quoted and/or referenced in policy, legislative or regulatory processes;
• Impact of funded business plans or pilot projects (under Organizational Development contributions); and,
• Number of research and development projects funded by the Program.

The SBEDP aims to break down barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Canada, particularly equity deserving groups, to start, maintain, and grow a business, by providing targeted support to enhance overall sustainability, and drive growth, competitiveness, innovation, and productivity toward broader economic and social benefits. Initiatives under the SBEDP will align to one or more of the following objectives:

• Strengthen Canada's entrepreneurship ecosystem to be more accessible for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including those owned by equity deserving groups;
• Increase opportunities for SMEs to start, scale, grow, and maintain a business and/or adjust to new economic realities; and,
• Build awareness of issues faced by entrepreneurs, particularly equity deserving groups, to improve coordination of supports and close gaps in service.

Assistance for the SBEDP will be in the form of non-repayable contributions.

Currently, SBEDP funds initiatives including the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program, which provides support for ecosystem capacity building, training for 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, and knowledge-building activities, and the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP), an international trade workshop that helps Canadian SMEs develop their exporting capabilities by providing them with access to Canada's top exporting advisors, resources, networks, and training. TAP also offers Advanced Trade Certificates, which focus on providing specific training to program graduates.

Short-term:

• Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly equity deserving groups, have access to programs and services to start, maintain and grow their businesses, and are aware of the supports and partnerships available to them;

Medium-term:

• Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly equity deserving groups, receive support to start and grow their businesses; and,

Long-term:

• Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly equity deserving groups, sustain their businesses, and an overall increased participation of entrepreneurs from equity deserving groups in entrepreneurship and SMEs.

ISED will engage with recipients of the program to monitor progress of funded projects.

ISED is leveraging co-development with ecosystem organizations and entrepreneurs to develop strong projects, drive engagement and develop partnerships with recipients and entrepreneurship communities.

For Trade Accelerator Project (TAP), ISED will engage each delivery partner on a quarterly basis to obtain feedback on the program, funding, and the needs of SMEs.

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, SCN is expected to achieve the following results:

• National and international partnerships are created and/or strengthened for continued advancements in regenerative medicine;
• Scientific knowledge and outputs related to regenerative medicine are produced;
• Stem cell and regenerative medicine research is translated into clinical application and commercial products, leading to the development of innovative made-in-Canada therapies and technologies;
• Canada has a diverse base of HQP trained in regenerative medicine and its translation who are able and ready to bring forward Canadian regenerative medicine solutions; and,
• Advancements in regenerative medicine research create economic, social and health benefits for Canadians.

Key performance indicators will include:

• Number of research projects supported;
• Number of SCN supported researchers involved in international collaborations;
• Number of highly qualified people trained; and,
• Amounts of cash and in-kind partner contributions leveraged

The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) supports innovative projects that will help grow Canada's economy for the well-being of all Canadians. The program provides funding for two categories of projects:

1. Business and Innovation projects include streams for R&D and commercialization, firm expansion and growth, and investment attraction and reinvestment.
2. Collaborations and Networks projects include streams for development of national networks, and collaborative technology development and demonstration.

Eligible recipients can be corporations incorporated in Canada, and consortia of such entities, depending on the category of projects. The contributions can be repayable, non-repayable, or conditionally repayable depending on the stream. Through various additional top ups, including $7.2B announced in Budget 2021, $1.04B announced in Budget 2022 and $0.5B announced in Budget 2023, SIF now has funding of $18.5B over 13 years. The maximum contribution amount is $500M for an eligible project.

In recent years, the program has implemented measures to better engage clients, enhance program design, delivery and evaluation, and improve our overall client experience. Measures include a Partnerships Engagement team to bolster our collaboration with federal and provincial partners. This team increases both our ability to identify and attract high quality project proposals and readily refer them to a more suitable delivery partner when necessary. Moreover, to deal with high-priority, fast-moving, and complex projects that can overwhelm program resources, we created the Business Development & Investment Attraction team. This team helps us maintain quality engagement with our broader applicant base even while onboarding high-priority and complex projects on short timelines. We have also:

• Enhanced our website to feature improved guidance for applicants, including a decision-tree styled self-screening tool to quickly see whether SIF is the right fit for the project in question;
• Streamlined our assessment of Statements of Interest; maintaining the robustness of our assessment process while increasing its efficiency to serve applicants better;
• Improved our tracking of projects, including an automated count of the number of days each project has occupied the pipeline as part of our trajectory toward improved service standards; and
• Introduced mandatory pre-application consultations and added a digital pre-SOI form to make those consultations as efficient as possible.

Taken together, these changes have helped us to streamline the overall application process, add transparency, and communicate decisions more quickly. To keep the momentum, further improvements still are under development.

The $3.2 billion Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) will support high-speed Internet projects across the country over seven years. It has been designed to fund broadband infrastructure projects that will bring high-speed Internet at 50/10 Megabits per second (Mbps) to rural and remote communities. In addition to funding a diversity of high-speed Internet projects to connect Canadians, there is:

• up to $50 million available to support mobile Internet projects that primarily benefit Indigenous peoples, including projects along highways and roads where mobile connectivity is lacking;
• up to $750 million available for large, high-impact projects; and,
• a Rapid Response Stream for shovel-ready projects that can be completed quickly.

The UBF is part of the Government of Canada's coordinated plan to connect all Canadians, as outlined in Canada's Connectivity Strategy. It is also consistent with the Government's roadmap for supporting strong and resilient rural communities.

Businesses in high growth industries, including small and medium sized enterprises, will be the ultimate UII beneficiaries. Through the UII, employers will be positioned to identify gaps in their skill sets and have access to the skilled workforce necessary to continue to growth and innovate.

The targeted participants are mid-career workers, including those from underrepresented groups, who are looking for better career opportunities in high-growth industries, will be the targeted participants.

UII's lead national recipient and its partners engage business associations, sector leads and local communities to identify employers' skills needs and implement plans for meeting them, including through identifying and developing programs with private training providers and/or post-secondary institutions that are aligned with those needs.

ISED regularly engages with the lead national recipient to foster partnerships, receive key updates on the progress towards deliverables, performance targets, and the status of activities.

WES Ecosystem Fund — March 31, 2025

Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund – March 31, 2024

Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative – March 31, 2025

The WES is a whole of government strategy that continues to help increase women-owned businesses' access to the financing, networks and expertise they need to start up, scale up and access new markets. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada delivers the following WES initiatives:

• WES Ecosystem Fund: designed to help not-for-profit, third-party organizations strengthen capacity within the entrepreneurship ecosystem and offer business supports to diverse women entrepreneurs and those in rural and remote areas. Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund: provides loans of up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs, particularly for start-ups, equity-deserving groups or sole proprietorships which may experience more difficulty in accessing financing Loans are delivered through five loan administrators.
• Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative (IWVCI): designed to fund not-for-profit organizations to strengthen and build a more inclusive venture capital environment for Canadian women, especially for diverse, intersectional and/or under-served women.
• Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub: serves as a one-stop source of knowledge, data and best practices for women entrepreneurs. It delivers activities to support the advancement of women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds throughout the innovation ecosystem.

Ecosystem Fund, Loan Fund, IWVCI, and WEKH –

Expected Results:

Short-term:

• women entrepreneurs and women-led business organizations have access to programs and services to start, maintain and grow their businesses. They are aware of supports and partnerships available to them.

Medium-term:

• women entrepreneurs are able to start and grow their businesses.

Long-term:

• women entrepreneurs and women-led business organizations are able to sustain their businesses.

For Loan Fund delivery organizations, Ecosystem Fund and Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative recipients, ISED will regularly engage recipient organizations on funding delivery, reporting requirements and the evaluation of program activities as per the results framework.

ISED has regular and ongoing discussions with the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) on a variety of topics including review of research paper drafts (prior to publication), gaps or issues identified within the ecosystem, planned/proposed areas of research and annual conference planning. These discussions enable WEKH to best target resources and ISED to consider areas for future program/policy development.

The Accessible Technology Program (ATP) was renewed in a post-budget 2022 off-cycle decision for $5.8M for two years, starting in 2022–2023.

By March 31, 2024, the program is expected to fund 5 new projects and 4 commercially available solutions.

The not-for-profit recipient is engaged through regular monitoring and reporting to ISED. The transfer payment program recipient participates in regular meetings with ISED and the participating ISPs. ISED conducts site visits of the recipient on occasion and holds regular discussions with the recipient to discuss potential issues, trends and the future of the program.

Low income families and seniors who are eligible for the program receive a letter from the Government of Canada inviting them to participate. The program works through partnerships with community-based organizations that have trusted relationships with the eligible population to raise awareness of the benefits of the program and help these individuals register and participate in the initiative.

The Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP), through its three initiatives, aims to break down systematic barriers to start, maintain, and grow a business among Black entrepreneurs by providing targeted support to enhance overall sustainability, and drive growth, competitiveness, innovation, and productivity toward broader economic and social benefits.

The Loan Fund aims to help Black business owners and entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses now and into the future. The Loan Fund is delivered by the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada and provides loans of up to $250,000 for Black business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada.

The Knowledge Hub aims increase the understanding of Black entrepreneurship in Canada through the creation of a Hub that advances evidence-based research, identifies critical gaps, and strengthens coordination of support for Black entrepreneurs.

The BEP Ecosystem Fund, managed by Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), provides financial support to Black-led business support organizations who, in turn, provide business advisory services to Black entrepreneurs, allowing them to increase their existing offerings and grow the number of businesses they support.

The activities supported under the BEP Loan Fund and Knowledge Hub are expected to result in the following results, with their associated performance indicators

Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund Expected Results

Short-term: Black entrepreneurs have access to capital to start and grow their businesses

Medium-term: Black entrepreneurs receive support to start and grow their businesses

Long-term: Growth of Black businesses in the Canadian economy

Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

Outcome: Increase in understanding of Black entrepreneurship in Canada

Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund

ISED does not report on the Ecosystem Fund as this is administered by the Regional Development Agencies.

Eligible recipients include not-for-profit, Black-led support organizations who demonstrate:

• They are Black-led support organizations:
• the leadership positions (Directors, Founders, etc.) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black (minimum two-thirds);
• the governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, eldership circle, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black (minimum two-thirds);
• their mandate, activities and outcomes are focused on supporting members of Black communities; and,
• their ability to deliver business support services and to reach the Black community.

Knowledge Hub:

• The Knowledge Hub is administered through a collaboration between a not-for-profit, Black-led support organization(s) and an academic institution(s).

ISED maintains an ongoing dialogue with the administrator of the Loan Fund – the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) and their engagement with Ecosystem Partners and financial institutions.

ISED has regular and on-going meetings and discussions with the Knowledge Hub, including attending as observers in their quarterly meetings with Ecosystem Partners, and reviewing products such as the Ecosystem Mapping project and the National Quantitative Survey.

CanCode was renewed in Budget 2021, for $80M over three years starting in 2021–22.

By March 31, 2024, CanCode is expected to provide over 3 million student training opportunities in coding and digital skills. Targets for the program include 50% girls, 7% Indigenous youth, 17% youth located in rural remote and Northern communities, and 1% youth with disabilities.

CanCode 3.0 is also expected to provide over 120,000 teachers with access to tools and training to teach digital skills and coding to K-12 students.

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides science-based, expert assessments for federal departments and agencies to inform public policy development in Canada. Additionally, the CCA also conducts assessments for the private sector and other levels of government on a cost-recovery basis. ISED has funded the CCA since 2005, through federal budgets, in the amount of $3 million per year.

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) is a research and development (R&D) procurement program that supports the growth, scale-up, and commercialization objectives of innovative Canadian firms. ISC consists of two funding streams, Challenge and Testing, focused on early and late-stage research and development respectively. The program has five core objectives:

• Fuel the development and adoption of technological innovation in Canada;
• Support the growth of Canadian companies and commercialization of Canadian innovation through direct funding to support early-stage and late-stage prototypes;
• Encourage the procurement of technologies developed by companies led by underrepresented groups such as women, Indigenous, youth, disabled individuals, LGBTQ2+ and others;
• Foster greater industry-research collaboration through the release of challenges for solutions that address key Government of Canada priorities; and,
• Provide federal departments and agencies with opportunities to develop new capabilities to meet their research and development needs and advance government priorities.

Short-term:

• Canadian SMEs, including those that are led or majority-owned by underrepresented groups, are aware of, and participate in, the program
• Public sector institutions collaborate to promote innovation
• Canadian innovators are supported

Medium-term:

• Canadian SMEs develop their innovative solutions
• New and innovative products, technology and services are commercialized in Canada
• Funded projects lead to the creation of new jobs by, and increased diversity of, Canadian SMEs

Long-term:

• Supported Canadian SMEs grow and contribute to Canadian economic growth

• Continue to establish and enhance its digital presence (build awareness with subscribers, followers on social media, virtual sessions)
• Conduct targeted outreach to increase participation and drive quality applications to the program.
• Conduct feedback surveys with companies participating in the program.

The expected results for the 2023–24 to 2025–26 period are:

• Increased access to IP services for SMEs, women, and Indigenous innovators;
• Business and innovators are more aware of Canada's IP system, including the value of IP.

Key performance indicators include:

• Percentage of Canadian SMEs that hold at least one type of IP;
• Number of end-users (students and businesses) that report an increased knowledge and understanding of the IP system and IP issues.

Internal Trade Secretariat

The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) is an intergovernmental internal trade agreement that came into force July 1, 2017. The purpose of the CFTA is to reduce and eliminate, to the extent possible, barriers to the free movement of persons, goods, services and investment within Canada and to establish an open, efficient and stable domestic market. The Internal Trade Secretariat provides administrative and operational support to the Committee on Internal Trade, to its Chair and to other committees or working groups established under the CFTA or by the committee. The Secretariat supports the Committee on Internal Trade in preparing the reports, compiling and disseminating information from parties and ensuring appropriate support for the dispute resolution process. As a neutral third party, the Secretariat has facilitated ongoing negotiations to broaden and deepen the scope of the CFTA.

The Secretariat's work requires close and continuous contact with federal, provincial and territorial governments to facilitate the smooth and effective operation of the committees and working groups. The Secretariat plays an important role in assisting parties to fully implement the CFTA, to pursue negotiations mandated by the CFTA and to meet their outstanding obligations under the CFTA. All parties share the Secretariat's operating costs. As a Party to the CFTA, the federal government is to contribute to the annual Operating Plan and Budget of the Secretariat. ISED delivers this funding on behalf of the Privy Council Office (PCO) through a Grant Agreement with the Secretariat. The federal government's share of the Secretariat's budget is 50 percent.

In 2024–2025 the Secretariat will continue to support the functioning of the CFTA through the following:

• Operational services: providing efficient and effective support services to the Parties' ongoing implementation of the CFTA;
• Administrative services: providing sound management of both human and financial resources;
• Dispute resolution services: administer the dispute resolution mechanism of the CFTA to ensure it operates in a fair, transparent, efficient and effective manner;
• Information services: provide accurate and timely information management systems to Parties and;
• Communications services: inform both internal and external stakeholders of the objectives and achievements of the CFTA, as well as increase general public understanding.

These activities support the advancement of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) shared priorities and advance internal trade operations for Canada.

Performance targets include:

• Goal 1 – Operational services: timely summary of records for committee meetings and board meetings.
• Goal 2 – Administrative services: Submit quarterly activity and financial reports to the Board of Directors.
  Complete annual audit by August 31.

Consult with legal counsel and auditor as needed.

Periodically review administrative policies/procedures and revise as necessary

• Goal 3 – Dispute resolution services: Maintain/update statistical data on all disputes and complaints filed under the CFTA, including appropriate summary data identifying key issues and reflecting the current stage of the dispute.

Notifying the Parties when panellist terms are about to expire. Periodically review and revise documents related to the dispute settlement process.

• Goal 4 – Information services: Complete a draft of the CFTA Annual Report and, following approval at the ITSC Annual General Meeting, promptly publish on the CFTA website. Call for submission of Biennial Report on Incentives and Annual Procurement.
• Goal 5 – Communications services: Update websites promptly upon receipt of new information submitted to the Secretariat. Ongoing revision of the websites to make them more user-friendly for all stakeholders. Monitor and report on the media in regard to internal trade issues.

Budget 2019 provided $9.1 million to support construction of the Centre for Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria. This was in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, specifically Action #50: "In keeping with the United National Declaration on Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, we call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations, to fund the establishment of Indigenous law institutes for the development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justice in accordance with the unique cultures of Aboriginal peoples in Canada".

The creation of the world's first national Centre for Indigenous Law fills an important gap within the Canadian and international landscape. The Centre will be hosted by the University of Victoria and be home to the Indigenous Law Research Unit and the Juris Doctor/Juris Indigenarum degrees (JD/JID – Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders), and serve as a national centre for dialogue, research, and knowledge transfer.

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, the expected results are as follows:

• The proposed design of the Centre meets the expectations of stakeholders;
• The Centre, once operational, meets the needs of its stakeholders;
• Increase in enrollment of students, including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, in the Joint Degree in Indigenous Legal Orders and Canadian Common Law (JID/JD) Program;
• Increase in faculty members, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous in the JID/JD program;
• Activities conducted through the JID/JD program contribute to a better understanding of Indigenous law.

Key performance indicators include:

• Percentage of Indigenous stakeholders consulted in the development of the Centre who find that the proposed design meets their expectations;
• Percentage of students and faculty who use the Centre who find that the building meets their needs;
• Percentage of Indigenous stakeholders consulted in the development of the Centre who find that the building meets their needs;
• Number of new students enrolled in the JID/JD program, post-construction of the Centre;
• Percentage of new students enrolled in the JID/JD program who identify as Indigenous;
• Number of new faculty working in the JID/JD program;
• Percentage of faculty in the JID/JD program who identify as Indigenous

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Grants Program provides authority to fund specific OECD research projects that advance the mandate priorities of the Department. It allows ISED to influence the scope of projects, leveraging OECD expertise and resources to:

• Respond to specific economic and policy analysis gaps;
• Provide a better understanding of Canada's positioning within a global context by ensuring Canada is represented in OECD datasets and economic trend analysis; and,
• Target longer-term research on emerging trends and persistent economic challenges.

This year, the OECD grants program has funded five research projects to support ISED-relevant, comparative analysis on:

• tourism resiliency, workforce challenges, transition to a green economy, and investment attraction;
• skills needs associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop a more granular understanding of the emerging skills to facilitate technology development and adoption of AI in different Canadian industries and occupations;
• OECD facilitating member country discussion at the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) for 2023;
• benchmarking/comparative case study analysis of sectoral cluster policies, as well as conceptual work on the evaluation of ecosystem impacts and approaches to utilise sectoral clusters to advance public priorities;
• the performance and outcomes of firms patenting technologies within the 4th Industrial Revolution realm, focusing on Canada.

These projects are expected to be completed within the 2024–25 fiscal year.

The purpose of the contribution is to provide financial assistance to the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute for the purpose of increasing collaboration in spinal cord injury research, innovation and care, and accelerate the translation of discoveries and best practices into improved treatments.

Objectives include:

• developing and enhancing knowledge and skills on spinal cord injury;
• producing and using scientific research on spinal cord injury;
• academic, public, and private sector collaboration on spinal cord injury projects;
• new or innovative products, tools and processes, and the development / retention of highly qualified personnel result from funded spinal cord injury research projects; and,
• scientific research and innovation on spinal cord injury produces socio-economic benefits.

The RABC is expected to:

• Provide a forum for the discussion, development and consolidation of expert technical position and advice related to radio communication issues;
• Develop broad-based, unbiased technical expert advice on standards, guidelines, procedures, and policies relating to technical issues and technical considerations of spectrum management and usage, as well as the administration of national radio communications;
• Develop and maintain a membership that fully represents the radio communications community in Canada, including broadcasters, carriers and commercial service providers, experimenters, manufacturers, national security and public safety agencies, public utilities, and the scientific community; and,
• Invite non-members to participate in discussions when appropriate in order to ensure the Board's advice represents the radio communications community as fully as possible.

Support for Small Business

Business Innovation

Quantum Industry Canada (QIC):

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, Quantum Industry Canada (QIC) is expected to achieve the following results:

• Build awareness of the overall Canadian quantum ecosystem to increase membership and industry participation;
• Raise funds to ensure that QIC becomes a sustainable industry organization that benefits all members;
• Establish working groups and maintain their productivity and contributions to both QIC and Canada's overall goals;
• Liaise with other international industry bodies focused on quantum computing, quantum communication and cryptography, quantum sensing and quantum-safe cryptography;
• Represent member interests in work on quantum standards or strategies; and
• Organize member meetings to ensure all interests are reflected with increasing QIC membership.

Center of Expertise in Next Generation Networks:

CENGN aims to advance foundational work that could help inform the development of a potential future 5G and next generation innovation network. The main objective of the project is to increase the cybersecurity posture of the organization by maintaining an accurate risk assessment of the people, processes and platform to ensure adequate actions are taken in a timely manner to prevent future threats in line with our industry ecosystem

Accordingly, the CENGN organization will need to advance its foundational programming through 2023-2026, by:

1. Developing a cybersecurity strategy and roadmap for the organization
2. Organizing operations through an integrated security assurance platform
3. Developing a risk assessment framework for the organization featuring independent measurement at regular intervals
4. Delivering security awareness training to their staff
5. Imposing regular penetration testing across the organizations' infrastructure; and
6. Recommending further investments with the aim of complying with a standard security regulations framework

Monitoring of the progression of the project will be confirmed via Progress Reports that shall include confirmation of milestones, mentioned above, being met by stated deadlines.

Final Implementation Report will include:

1. description of how the Contribution met the expected outcomes of this project;
2. description of changes in Project timelines, justification, and the impact on the project; and
3. all information which identifies, demonstrates and quantifies the success of the project; and the direct and indirect benefits resulting from the project.

In2novation:

Through the activities undertaken with the contribution, In2novation is expected to achieve the following results:

• Increase its visibility among stakeholders in the French and Canadian innovation ecosystems, notably to federate them into a new community;
• Enable its clients to develop relationships more easily with R&D funding partners in both countries;
• Facilitate more projects to go forward through its matchmaking services involving both Canadian SMEs and Canadian academic research teams;
• Strengthen the commercial relationship as well as research collaboration and coordination between Canada and France.

Key performance indicators include:

• Number of matchmaking accompanied by financial support per year (from 4 to 6);
• Client satisfaction survey; and,

Creation of the new community.

Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC):

There are no expected results for 2024–25.

Quantum Industry Canada (QIC):

Quantum Industry Canada is the only eligible recipient obtaining funding through this contribution agreement under the Strategic Activity Program.

Center of Expertise in Next Generation Networks:

Not-for-profit organizations and charities

In2novation:

Ultimate recipients are expected to be:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises
• Universities

Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC):

National not-for-profit Indigenous tourism organizations

Quantum Industry Canada (QIC):

ISED engages with QIC on a regular basis to discuss project progress. QIC is expected to submit biannual progress reports to ISED throughout the project period, as well as a final report upon project completion.

Center of Expertise in Next Generation Networks:

ISED maintains its relationship with CENGN through ongoing dialogue and monitors its progress towards the achievement of expected results and compliance within the terms under the funding agreement of the Strategic Activities Program. In addition, ISED SIF team is currently evaluating CENGN's application to support and accelerate the adoption of digital solutions in Canada.

Along with CENGN, ISED has liaised with other networks to improve reporting exercises to aid in the delivery and evaluation of funding, informing SIF CAN's performance framework.

In2novation:

ISED engages with In2novation on a regular basis to discuss project progress. In2novation is expected to submit a progress report to ISED after the fiscal year, as well as a final report upon project completion.

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub will serve as a one-stop source of knowledge, data and best practices for women entrepreneurs. It will deliver a number of activities intended to support the advancement of women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds throughout the innovation ecosystem such as:

• Report on the progress of women entrepreneurs in Canada, including a measure or review of the entrepreneurship ecosystem supports for women in Canada;
• Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information;
• Advancing research on women's entrepreneurship; and,
• Supporting and sharing best practices and knowledge among women business support organizations.

Short-term: women entrepreneurs and women-led business organizations have access to programs and services to start, maintain and grow their businesses. They are aware of supports and partnerships available to them.

Medium-term: women entrepreneurs are able to start and grow their businesses.

Long-term: women entrepreneurs and women-led business organizations are able to sustain their businesses

Consolidated into SIF July 5, 2017. See SIF program for results.

No expected results for 24-25 as the funding for this specific CA is sunsetting.

Not-for-profit national tourism organizations; in particular eligible recipients are: Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Hotel Association of Canada, Tourism Human Resources Canada and Restaurants Canada. These organizations are encouraged to partner with tourism organizations at the national, regional or local level to amplify the benefits of their projects.

There are no targeted recipient groups for 2024–25, as the program is ending.