3.4 – Your department – Departmental overview – Placemat

PrairiesCan at a Glance

Mandate

• Grow and diversify the Prairie economy and advance Prairie interests in Ottawa

Annual, ongoing budget of…

• $149M
• *Includes Employee Benefits Plan
• **COVID-19 relief and recovery measures in the region have temporarily tripled the budget the Agency is responsible for – approaching $635M in 2021-22, and decreasing in subsequent years

Employees across the Prairies

• ~410

Key roles

• Investor: Make strategic investments and deliver targeted initiatives
• Advisor: Inform economic decision-making and advocate for Prairie interests
• Pathfinder: Support stakeholders to navigate federal economic programs and services
• Convener: Connect economic actors to support collaboration and growth

Prairie region

Demographics

• Population: over 7 million people
  *(~18% of Canada’s population)
• ~40% of Canada’s Indigenous population
• Federal Electoral Districts: 62
  • AB: 34
  • SK: 14
  • MB: 14

Prairie Economy

• 2020 Prairies Nominal GDP: $445.5 billion
  *(over 20% of Canada’s nominal GDP)
• Total Prairie International Exports of Goods 2021: $192.4B (33.1% of Canada’s)
• Prairie provinces and Newfoundland trail other provinces in economic recovery

Key and Emerging Sectors

• Natural Resources
• Agriculture
• Digital and Clean Technologies
• Clean Transportation

Key Opportunities

• Diversification and Green Transformation: Traditional sectors innovating to adapt to new economic reality and drive economic growth
• Talent: A young, entrepreneurial, and skilled workforce

 

Core grants and contributions programming

The main ways PrairiesCan funds businesses, not-for-profits, and communities

Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI)

• (~$267M)
• Regional Innovation Ecosystem: funding for not-for-profit organizations to support innovative entrepreneurship
• Business Scale-up and Productivity: support for innovative, high-growth businesses to scale-up
• *a portion of REGI funding is time-limited

Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD)

• (~$67.5M)
• Support for economic growth and diversification of communities

Economic Development Initiative (EDI)

• (~$1.8M/3 yrs)
• Support for projects in Official Language Minority Communities

Western Canada Business Services Network (WCBSN)

• (~$26.08M)
• Helping entrepreneurs start or expand small businesses, including rural areas and underrepresented groups

Note: funding allocations between core programming are approximate, as they vary from year-to-year based on regional need

 

Temporary grants and contributions programming

One-time programming to respond to urgent regional and community needs, including those resulting from the pandemic

Jobs and Growth Fund

• (2021-2024)
• $128.5M/3 yrs
• Supports businesses and organizations to recover, create jobs, and position local economies for long-term growth

Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative

• (2021-2024)
• $32.5M/3 yrs
• Helps the aerospace sector emerge from the pandemic

Canada Community Revitalization Fund

• (2021-2023)
• $95.3M/2 yrs
• Builds and improves community infrastructure projects

Tourism Relief Fund

• (2021-2023)
• $73.1M/2 yrs
• Supports tourism businesses and organizations

Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative

• (2021-2023)
• $20M/2 yrs
• Helps major Canadian Festivals and events that have been hit hard by the pandemic

National Quantum Strategy

• (2022-2029)
• To be launched Fall 2022
• Deliver funds in support of the ISED-led National Quantum Strategy

Regional Relief and Recovery Fund

• (Intake Closed)
• Critical financial support to businesses/organizations unable to access other federal pandemic support
• $750M to over 10,400 businesses/organizations by PrairiesCan and PacifiCan

Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund

• (Intake Closed)
• Pandemic-related support for the fish and seafood processing sectors
• $507K invested in 17 projects across the Prairies

Regional Air Transportation Initiative

• (Intake Closed)
• Support for businesses and organizations in regional air transportation ecosystems
• $22.4M invested in 16 airports and air carriers across the Prairies

Women Entrepreneurship Strategy

• (Intake Closed)
• Supports women entrepreneurs in growing businesses through access to financing, talent, networks, and expertise
• $26.7M approved for 80 projects in the Prairies since Dec. 2018

Black Entrepreneurship Strategy

• (Intake Closed)
• Supports Black business owners and entrepreneurs
• PrairiesCan invested $15.6M in 6 recipients

Canada Coal Transition Initiative

• (2018-2023)
• Helps communities impacted by transition away from coal

 

Results: Fiscal Year 2021-22

Total funding approved across 1,590 projects

• $596.3M

Budget 2021 Programs

• $129.8M
• 352 projects

Core Programs

• $213.8M
• 111 projects

Temporary Programs

• $252.7M
• 1,127 projects

Export sales from PrairiesCan-supported businesses

• $479.5M

Business sales from commercialization from PrairiesCan-supported businesses

• $102.5M

Over 8,400 jobs created

• AB: 3,920
• SK: 3,049
• MB: 1,504

Key Priorities

1. Recovery
   Equipping communities, businesses, and organizations for a successful post-pandemic economic recovery
2. Growth and Transformation
   Helping transform the economy by building new sources of value in emerging sectors
3. Inclusivity
   Fostering a more equitable and inclusive economy

Service locations

Service locations in Alberta

• Fort McMurray (New service location)
• Edmonton (Headquarters)
• Grand Prairie (New service location)
• Calgary (Existing office)
• Lethbridge (New service location)

Service locations in Saskatchewan

• Saskatoon (Existing office)
• Regina (New office)
• Prince Albert (New service location)

Service locations in Manitoba

• Thompson (New service location)
• Winnipeg (Existing office)
• Brandon (New service location)