Supplementary Table 3: Horizontal Initiatives

Name of Horizontal Initiative: Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPAs)

Name of lead department: Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)

Lead department Programs:

• Business Development and Innovation; and
• Community Economic Growth.

Start date of the Horizontal Initiative: April 17, 2008

End date of the Horizontal Initiative: Although the end date for project approvals is March 31, 2012, the initiative’s administration will continue until March 31, 2014.

Total federal funding allocation (from start to end date): $100 million

Description of the Horizontal Initiative (including funding agreement): WEPAs are multi-year, federal-provincial funding commitments to strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life in western Canadian communities. Specifically, WD has partnered with each western provincial government to develop projects in line with WEPA priorities. The last round of WEPAs included cost-shared agreements of $50 million over four years.

Shared outcome: A greater federal-provincial co-operation towards realizing the economic and regional development potential of the West by helping to create communities that are innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable.

Governance structure: Each WEPA is managed by a Federal-Provincial Management Committee and co-chaired by federal and provincial representatives that are designated by Ministers.

Planning Highlights: In 2013–14, WD will support projects that were approved in previous fiscal years and that are consistent with the following WEPA priorities:

• Supporting the creation and growth of knowledge-based research and development, as well as business clusters and the commercialization of new products, technologies and services out to market;
• Supporting trade and investment promotion;
• Enhancing business productivity and competitiveness; and
• Increasing value-added production in traditional industries.

Federal Partner: Western Economic Diversification Canada

Expected results for 2013–14:

Although the four provincial agreements are based on joint federal-provincial priorities, these priorities also align with WD’s Program Alignment Architecture. As outlined in the above table, WEPA projects can align with any WD program. As such, projects funded through WEPAs will contribute to achieving the following results:

Business Development and Innovation

Recipient projects will increase or expand capacity, awareness and use of new technologies, increase linkages among systems players as well as increase or strengthen technology clusters. They will improve productivity, expand or enhance competitiveness in businesses, increase participation in international markets, increase investment in Western Canada, enhance business capacity as well as increase skills, knowledge and competency of Western Canadians.

Community Economic Growth

Recipient projects will increase participation in the local economy by residents who face barriers or are disadvantaged, create more visible and stable local economies, increase the number and effectiveness of collaborative mechanisms that coordinate and plan community development as well as increase the capacity of communities to plan and support economic development.

* Note: This amount only includes WD’s planned spending since it is the only federal partner involved.

Results to be achieved by non-federal partners: Similar to federal results.

Contact information:

Tyson Purcha
Suite 1500, 9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 4H7
(780) 495-8422
Tyson.Purcha@wd-deo.gc.ca