Applicant Guide

Part I: Initiative Guidelines Details

1. Overview

Canada's steel and aluminum sectors are key contributors to the Canadian economy, providing well-paying jobs and key inputs for major industries.

As part of a heavily integrated North American Supply Chain, Canadian small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) users of steel and aluminum play an important role in transforming these inputs into finished or semi-finished products for the manufacturing, defence, aerospace, energy, automotive, and construction industries. However, global market dynamics have significantly impacted SMEs operating within Canadian steel and aluminum supply chains. In this environment, SME users of steel and aluminum are challenged to make investments to strengthen their productivity and competitiveness.

In response, on March 11, 2019 the Government of Canada announced the launch of the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative. This new Initiative, delivered by regional development agencies (RDAs) across the country, is a $100 million national initiative, that will provide non-repayable contributions to Canadian, downstream, SME steel and aluminum users for investments in innovative projects that will enhance productivity and/or augment firm competitiveness. These investments are expected to maintain and create jobs as well as promote economic growth through adoption of innovative technologies and processes.

On March 11, 2019 the WD launched a call for project applications under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative. Priority will be given to applications received from March 11, 2019, to April 8, 2019. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis, beginning on March 11, 2019, until all funding has been fully allocated. SME intensive users of steel or aluminum (i.e., steel and/or aluminum expenditures equal to or greater than 20 percent of total input costs), are invited to submit a project application for funding consideration.

The Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative will provide non-repayable funding, ranging from $150,000 to $1 million to firms that are pursuing business growth and expansion by enhancing productivity/competitiveness. Funding decisions will take into account the minimum amount required to carry out the project, and the level of innovation undertaken by the project. Applicants are eligible to receive up to 45 percent of total eligible projects costs. All project activities must be completed by March 31, 2020.

All project applications will be evaluated on their ability to achieve the Initiative's objectives and on their relative strengths in the following areas:

• Financial capacity;
• Management capability;
• Market potential/demand;
• Economic benefits
• Innovation benefits; and
• Public benefits

Only the strongest applications that demonstrate the highest merit and fit with objectives will be considered for funding.

It is highly recommended that you read this Applicant Guide before submitting an application form. Applicants are encouraged to address all submission requirements and provide sufficient detail to enable thorough review and assessment. Incomplete applications cannot be assessed and will be deemed ineligible.

Objectives

The objective of this Initiative is to help bolster the productivity and competitiveness of SMEs operating within the Canadian steel and aluminum supply chain through investments in innovative projects. These investments are expected to maintain and create jobs as well as promote economic growth through adoption of innovative technologies and processes.

More specifically, the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative will:

• Assist firms with high growth potential to scale up and expand;
• Support technology demonstration and the commercialization of new technologies;
• Encourage the early adoption or adaptation of leading-edge technologies and processes to improve productivity; and/or
• Increase businesses' capacity to grow.

Eligibility

I. Eligible Recipients

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Businesses such as: partnerships, social enterprises, incorporated companies, corporations or co-operatives, or an Indigenous organization such as Indigenous/First Nation/Métis Settlement owned businesses, and all other types of enterprises
• For-profit legal entities capable of entering into legally binding agreements;
• Employ between 10 to 499 individuals on a full-time basis in Canada;
• Intensive users of steel or aluminum (i.e., steel and/or aluminum expenditures are equal to or greater than 20 percent of total input costs); and
• Capable of demonstrating plans for projects pursuing productivity enhancements, and/or innovations to augment firm competiveness.

II. Eligible Activities

Eligible activities include activities that support and accelerate business growth and competitiveness. Project activities defined as product and process improvements linked to productivity enhancing investments or operations will be prioritized. These activities may include:

• Productivity Improvement: acquiring, adapting, adopting new technologies, and/or processes; process re-engineering; improving manufacturing capacity.
• Business Scale-Up: market development/expansion; diagnostics; adopting best management practices, processes, and systems; business opportunity development.
• Technology Commercialization: late stage product development geared toward market diversification and growth, such as technology showcasing and technology demonstration.

III. Eligible Costs

All costs must be reasonable and directly related to the eligible project activities. Eligible costs may include, but are not limited to:

• Cost of labour (e.g. wages and benefits);
• Capital costs (e.g. purchase of machinery, equipment);
• Operating costs that are directly related to the project (e.g. management fees)- up to 20 percent of the total project cost;
• Professional, advisory and technical services;
• Costs related to intellectual property;
• Technological development and commercial demonstrations;
• Subcontracting costs;
• Production and distribution of promotional material and management tools; and
• Maintenance costs.

IV. Ineligible Costs

Costs that are deemed unreasonable, or not directly related to project activities will be ineligible for reimbursement. These include, but are not limited to:

• Basic and applied research;
• Land and buildings acquisition;
• Goodwill;
• Entertainment expenses;
• Salary bonuses and dividend payments;
• Allowance for interest on invested capital, bonds, debentures, and other debts;
• Losses on investments, bad debts and associated expenses, other projects and contracts;
• Refinancing of existing debts;
• Amortization or depreciation of assets;
• Federal and provincial income taxes, GST (recoverable portion), taxes or surtaxes on excess profit;
• Provisions for contingencies;
• Lobbying activities or commissions paid to consultants to secure funding; and
• Donations, dues and membership fees.

Costs incurred prior to application submission date will not be eligible.

Funding

Financial Assistance

• Minimum funding request of $150,000 up to a maximum of $1 million. Only one application per firm is permitted under the Initiative.
• Contributions awarded will be based on the minimum amount required to carry out the project, and the level of innovation undertaken by the project.
• Applicants are eligible to receive up to 45 percent of eligible projects costs (i.e., for strong innovation projects that represent a forward-looking strategy aimed at advancing productivity, competitiveness and the growth potential of the firm over time).
• All contributions are non-repayable.
• Total government assistance, from all sources (federal, provincial, municipal), will be limited to 75 percent of eligible costs.

Financial assistance from government programs may have tax implications for a business. It is recommended that applicants obtain advice from a qualified tax professional.

Disbursement of funding

Payment of contributions will be based on reimbursement of eligible expenditures. If you are successful in obtaining funding for your project, WD will provide its funding based on submitted claims. WD will reimburse you for the approved portion of eligible project costs that you have incurred and paid. Since successful applicants must submit a claim for reimbursement, there will be a delay between the time costs are incurred, and when claimed costs are partly reimbursed. Successful applicants will therefore need to plan their project cash flow accordingly.WD will provide detailed instructions on this process to those applicants approved for funding.

Other Government Assistance, SR&ED and Other Tax Credits

WD considers tax credits received for activities undertaken between the project start and end date, as a source of government assistance. Such credits are considered for calculating the total amount of government funding that has been provided to a project.

Successful applicants who are in receipt of Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits and other similar federal or provincial tax credits for activities defined in the project are required to inform WD. WD is required to take into account all federal, provincial and municipal government assistance that will be obtained for your project. This calculation includes all the tax credits to which your company may be entitled. The total of these government contributions must not exceed 75% of the eligible costs. Applicants are advised to seek independent professional advice to determine the potential effect of Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative funding on project activities for which SR&ED tax credits, or other federal and provincial tax credits, are likely to be sought.

Application process

• A continuous intake of applications will be accepted, with priority given to applications received on or before April 8, 2019.
• Once the funds are fully allocated, proposals will no longer be accepted.
• Multiple and concurrent project submissions from the same applicant are not permitted.

Application for Funding

To be considered for funding, projects will have a complete and sufficiently detailed application, which will allow WD to thoroughly review and validate the information against the initiative's eligibility criteria.

Submissions to the Regional Economic Development through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative must include:

• A completed Application Form, with a request of at least $150,000 and no more than $1 million.
• The company's audited financial statements for the past 3 years. If audited statements are not available for the current operating year, acceptable financial statement standards could include:
  • Review engagement;
  • Notice to reader; or
  • CFO attested, or by the CEO if a company does not have a CFO.

The application will be assessed based on the mandatory Regional Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative criteria, as well as the viability of the firm and innovation, economic, and public benefits of the project.

Accessing and Submitting Your Application

WD asks all applicants to submit their proposals using WD’s online application form.  If there is a reason an applicant cannot use the online form (e.g. vision impairment), WD will accommodate with an alternate submission method. An online application can be saved, allowing you to complete it in more than one session.

Here are tips to follow:

• Save your application as soon as you can - To do so, the following nine fields on the application form must be completed so that Western Economic Diversification can find the saved application should you require technical support:
  • Question 1. Full legal name of your organization
  • Question 23. Project Title
  • Question 28. Province
  • Question 33. Salutation
  • Question 34. First name
  • Question 35. Last name
  • Question 36. Title
  • Question 37. Email address
  • Question 38. Telephone
• Save frequently – This will help prevent you from losing data that you have  inputted in the event there is an Internet interruption or your session is timed out.

Accessing your saved application form

Once you have successfully saved your application, an email will be sent to the email address of the Primary Contact (Question 37 in the Application Form). If the Primary Contact is not the person completing the application, he/she must forward this email to the individual who is. You can only access your saved application with the information (web link) included in this email, therefore it is critical that you save this email.

Upon receiving your saved project application email from WD, please do the following:

• Click on the Application Retrieval Link included in the ‘saved’ email.
  • You will require a GCKey to open your saved application.
• A GCKey is a unique username and password that allows access to, and protects your communication with, online Government of Canada programs and services.
• More information on GCKey is available here.
• If you do not already have a GCKey, you can register for one when opening your saved application for the first time.
  • Step 1. Select the “Continue to GCKey” button (this will be the second option on your screen).
  • Step 2. Select the “Sign Up” button on the right-hand side of the GCKey login page.
  • Step 3. Follow the instructions on your screens to create a username and password.
• Once you have registered for a GCKey, select the “Continue to GCKey” button and input your username/password.
  • WD recommends that you create a new (separate) GCKey for each individual application you submit. Creating a unique GCKey for each application allows you to share the GCKey with others in your organization who may need to view the application. In the event another individual must gain access to the saved application, sharing the GCKey is at your organization’s risk and discretion. As such, we do not recommend using the Sign-in Partner method using financial institutional partners; however, this option is available for those who prefer it.

It is important to note the following:

• You must save the link contained in the email you receive from WD after saving your application for the first time to retrieve a saved draft of your application. You will not receive another email when saving your work in the future.
• Once you have accessed the saved application form with your GCKey, only that GCKey will be able to access the form. Therefore, it is important that you do not lose your GCKey username and password.
• In the event another individual must gain access to the saved application, sharing the GCKey is at your organization’s risk and discretion.
• It is important to remember your GC Key username as it cannot be retrieved if lost.  In the event your GCKey username is lost, a new application will have to be started.
• If you experience technical difficulties related to accessing your saved application form, please contact WD at 1-888-338-9378.
• You must click the “Validate/Submit” button at the top of the application form twice to formally submit your application to WD. The first click will validate the fields of your application form. The second click will officially submit the form. A "saved" application that is not formally submitted will be considered incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
• Once you submit your application, you can no longer re-open the form. Be sure to either print a copy or convert it to PDF and save before you submit.

Additional Tips:

• Always save your application form once the minimum number of fields for saving is complete.
• Always save regularly as the online form does not automatically save.
• Logout when you are finished with the form for the day.
• If you are using two separate GCKeys for any reason, you may need to clear your computer browsing history and delete the cookies after logging out

If you are unable to submit your application using the online application tool, contact a WD Regional Office for assistance. It is recommended that applicants retain their GCKey information as it may be used for reporting purposes if an application is approved.

Submitting your application form

• Save a final version of your application using the ‘Save’ button at the top of the application form. Please ensure you have attached all required additional documentation (see Section 2 at the end of this document for a complete list).
• Print a copy for your records.
• Select the ‘Validate/Submit’ button at the top of the application.  This begins the submission process by validating all the information in your application meets the edit requirements and is completed without errors.  To formally submit your online application to WD, you must select the ‘Submit’ button a second time.
• Upon successful submission of your application, a confirmation email will be sent to the Primary Contact listed on the form. If the Primary Contact does not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submitting, please contact a WD Regional Office. A “saved” application that is not formally submitted will be considered incomplete and will not be considered for funding.

Assessment process

The Regional Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative assessment will be a competitive process. Applications will be evaluated on their ability to achieve the Initiative's objectives (see page 2) and on their relative strengths in the following areas:

• Financial capacity;
• Management capability;
• Market potential/demand;
• Economic benefits;
• Innovation benefits; and
• Public benefits.

Confidentiality

All proprietary data, commercially sensitive information and potentially valuable results or ideas will be protected from unauthorized, inadvertent or untimely disclosure. This information will be treated in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

These laws govern, protect and limit the collection, use and disclosure of personal and confidential information by federal government departments and agencies. Confidential commercial information will not be shared without the applicant's consent.

Reporting requirements

All contribution agreements will include performance indicators to measure the individual project performance and the project's effectiveness relative to objectives of the Initiative. Recipients will be required to submit, along with funding claims, regular progress reports and financial statements throughout the duration of the project.

Part II: Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum - Application Instructions

Overview

This Application Guide has been developed to provide instructions to applicants on how to complete WD's application for the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative.

The purpose of the Application is to:

1. Provide a detailed description of the proposed project, what the business or organization hopes to achieve by undertaking the project, and how the project will benefit the SME operating in globally dynamic steel and aluminum markets; and
2. Demonstrate that the applicant has the management, technical and financial capacity to complete the project.

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

Please limit individual answers to the space provided in the Application for Funding. The use of point form (or bulleted lists) is acceptable, provided that the information is clear. Supplementary materials other than those identified in the Application for Funding will not be reviewed as part of the submission.

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

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the online application form where possible. HTML and PDF (application form) versions of the application form are available, but will require applicants to print and sign the documents. In addition, the PDF form cannot be completed electronically.

You can complete this form in more than one session using your GCKey. Instructions for saving and retrieving your application are below.

Applicants are encouraged to contact WD if they have any questions regarding the Application. For more information call 1-888-338-9378.

Completing the Application for Funding

This section provides information on how to complete the various sections of the Application for Funding.

Organization information

1. Full legal name of your organization: The legal name as shown on the certificate of incorporation / registration.
2. If operating under a different name, identify the name: Provide the name you are operating under if different from the above
3. Mailing address (Including suite, unit, apt #):
4. Mailing address line 2:
5. City:
6. Province / State:
7. Country:
8. Postal / ZIP Code:
9. Telephone: The primary telephone number at which you can be contacted. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.
10. Fax: The number at which you will receive faxes. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.
11. Email address: Include the general email address of your company.
12. Website: Your company's website address (if available).
13. Canada Revenue Agency Business Registration Number (BN):The unique Business Number assigned to you by the Canada Revenue Agency. You must obtain a business number through the Canada Revenue Agency. Information on obtaining a business number can be found at www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/business-number.html.
14. Date your organization established business in Canada: Provide the date you started business operations in Canada.
15. Number of employees working for your organization: Indicate the number of Full-Time Equivalent employees (FTEs) working for you (and if applicable, any affiliated companies). Part-time employees should be calculated based on their equivalent to a FTE i.e. one part time employee working approx. 20hrs/week should be represented as 0.5 FTE.
16. Operating facilities existing in (check all that apply): Indicate all areas where your business has operating facilities.
17. Is the applicant organization a for-profit company registered in Canada? If you answer NO, you are ineligible for the Initiative.
18. Indicate all that apply: If applicable, indicate whether you are:
    • 18a - Incorporated federally
    • 18b - Incorporated provincially and if so, indicate the province or territory.
    • 18c - Date of Incorporation (attach a copy of your Incorporation documents).
19. Your organization is headquartered in: select the area that represents the location where your business is headquartered.
20. Is your organization a subsidiary of another company? Respond yes or no.
21. If yes, provide company name and location: Provide the full legal name of the parent company (21a) and select the corresponding location of the headquarters (21b).
22. Provide a brief description of your organization and its principle business lines? (maximum 500 characters including spaces) For the purposes of this application principal business line refers to the main areas of business which generates sales for the company.
23. Project Title (maximum 90 characters including spaces): Provide a project title that accurately reflects the activities and outcomes of the project. Should your project be approved, this description will be disclosed on WD's public website as part of its proactive disclosure guidelines. The description should:

    Examples:

    • Start with a verb (produce, create, develop, expand, increase, support).
    • Concisely capture the essence of the project and, clearly identify the purpose/result expected. The project description must be understandable by anyone.
    • Develop infrastructure and expertise for micro and nanotechnology commercialization.
    • Support the implementation of a wireless technology demonstration.
24. Project Address is the same as Mailing Address (If checked, the Mailing Address will be automatically entered.): Select if the address at which the project will take place is the same as the mailing address.
25. Project address (Including suite, unit, apt #): If the Project address is different from the mailing address, then enter the location at which the project will take place.
26. Project address line 2:
27. City:
28. Province:
29. Postal Code:
30. Proposed project funding start date: The start date is the first day you anticipate incurring expenses for your project. Note that project expenses incurred prior to application submission date will be considered ineligible.
31. Proposed Project End Date: The end date is the last day you anticipate incurring expenses for your project. Note that all projects activities must be completed by March 31, 2020.
32. Primary Project Activity: Please select the appropriate category that best reflects the projects primary activity:
    • Productivity Improvement includes acquiring, adapting, adopting new technologies processes; process re-engineering; improving manufacturing capacity.
    • Innovation - includes late stage product development geared toward market diversification and growth, such as technology showcasing and technology demonstration, as well as diagnostics, adopting best management practices, processes, and systems; business opportunity development.
33. Have you received or been granted remissions on a contractual basis from Canadian counter-measures resulting from the U.S. Section 232 Tariffs? Select Yes or No. For more information on remissions from the Department of Finance for surtaxes on goods imported from the U.S. go to:
    • www.fin.gc.ca/act/msab-meaa/index-eng.asp
    • www.fin.gc.ca/access/tt-it/rcsa-rcmaa-eng.asp
34. a) What percentage of your input costs does steel and/or aluminum represent? Check applicable percentage
    b) Please provide a high level breakdown. This table will help determine the distribution of the applicant's input cost and the relative proportion of the applicant's steel and/or aluminum input cost.

    The information provided in the table may come from the company's Income Statement. A Canadian Controlled Private Corporation can refer to the line items in the T2 Schedule 125 (Income Statement Information) reported annually to the Canada Revenue Agency in order to provide values in the above table.

    Project contact person - the authorized contact person for the project. This is the contact information that will be used by WD for any follow-up to this application.

35. Salutation:
36. First Name:
37. Last Name:
38. Title:
39. Email Address:
40. Telephone:
41. Cell:

Secondary project contact

This is the contact information that will be used by WD if the primary contact person is unavailable or unresponsive to any follow-up questions WD may have.

42. Salutation:
43. First Name:
44. Last Name:
45. Title:
46. Email Address:
47. Telephone:
48. Cell:

Project description

49. Briefly describe your project in plain language. This is important as this section will be used in summary documents to describe your project at various review stages. (maximum 500 characters including spaces). This should provide an understanding of why you are seeking financial assistance, how you will use the funds, and how the funds will support the commercial objectives of your organization.
50. Describe your project's objectives and how they meet the objectives of the program. (maximum 2000 characters including spaces).
    Include strategic rationale for undertaking your project, how it fits with your mandate and business model (i.e., would be applicable whether funding is obtained or not). How will it achieve the objectives of the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation Steel and Aluminum Initiative (See page 3).

    Explain the impacts of current steel and aluminum tariffs on your business, e.g. material costs increases, reduced sales revenue, lost business (customers, clients and contracts) etc.:

    • Is your firm suffering reduced revenues, lost market share, are at risk of layoffs etc.? Provide details on the impacts.
    • How is your firm currently mitigating the impacts of the steel and aluminum tariffs?
    • How will the proposed project mitigate the impacts of the current steel and aluminum tariffs?
    • Does your project include the adoption of innovative technologies and/or processes that will secure the competitiveness of the business in future years? Explain.

    If you have a productivity improvement project, describe the technology, equipment, and or processes that will be adopted and whether the technology is new to your company, the industry, and/or to Canada. Identify if and how the technology/process is leading-edge or innovative. Describe the productivity or efficiency savings that will be realized, and how this will enable your company to grow and expand.

    If you have a business scale-up project, describe how the primary actions of the proposed project will enable your company to accelerate growth. What scale of operations do you have now, what scale do you want to achieve and why (e.g. market demand)? What actions do you propose to take to achieve this scale? This could include adopting best management practices, processes, and systems; market development and expansion activities; and business opportunity development.

    If you have a technology commercialization project, provide an overview of your technology (product/service/process) that describes what it does and why you believe your technology is innovative. Innovation is defined as "an advance on state of the art as compared to similar commercially available solutions". Highlight the unique advantages of your technology, including where appropriate references to advantages such as total cost, speed to implement, ease of use and adoption, maintenance and support, and stability of technology and company. Describe your value proposition, what the market demand is, and why your technology is needed.

Financial

The funding summary details all sources of funding of the project. The applicant organization and WD are identified on the form. Please enter all other sources of funding in the spaces provided. If you are using the online application form and more space is required, click on "Add new source of funding" and an additional row will be provided. Please note it is mandatory to identify and confirm all other sources of funding.

51. Project funder: Identify all potential funders of the project.
    • Source: Where applicable, select the description that best reflects the funding source - Federal, Provincial or Municipal government body, or non-government.
    • Confirmed: For each funding source, indicate if the funding has been confirmed through a written funding commitment. In the case where your business (Applicant Firm) is a source of funding, indicate yes if you have cash on hand

    Under each fiscal year column, provide the project funding cash flow for each year. Use a commencement date of April 1st and an end date of March 31st to match WD’s fiscal year.

    Total project funding required - If you are using the online application form, this total is calculated automatically.

52. Percentage of other confirmed funding (calculated from the data provided above): If you are using the online application form, this percentage is automatically calculated based on the information provided in the table above. If you are using a PDF version of the form, this calculation can be made by taking the sum of all funding identified as "Non-Gov't" divided by the "Total project funding required."
53. Project Costs

    Please list the various costs you will incur in the implementation of the project. Please select the appropriate category from the drop down menu. Note: If funding is approved, all costs will be validated and confirmed through the assessment and claim submission process.

    Additionally you may be required to provide evidence that the costs are reasonable for the product/service procured. This may include evidence of multiple quotations or proof of a competitive process. In the assessment process, applicants may be asked to provide this evidence on short notice and within a short deadline and as such it is recommended you have this information readily accessible.

54. Has your company received government funding in the last five years from either federal provincial or municipal sources? Check yes or no.
55. Please provide your most recent 3 years of financial statements.
    If audited statements are not available for the current operating year, acceptable financial statement standards could include:
    • Review engagement;
    • Notice to reader; or
    • CFO attested, or by the CEO if a company does not have a CFO.

Management

56. Describe your organizational capacity to complete this project. Indicate how oversight will be provided to the project (maximum 1500 characters including spaces). Reference the number, quality, skills, and experience of your organization that demonstrate its ability to complete this project. Describe the governance structure that will ensure the success of the project, reduce project risk, and improve outcomes.
57. Provide a list of those who will lead the project. Include relevant prior experience, education, professional designations(s), and other achievements. Highlight relevant expertise that will facilitate your project's success. (maximum 1500 characters including spaces). Include a name for each management responsibility area even if the same person holds multiple responsibilities. Briefly highlight each member's academic qualifications and/or professional designations. The years of experience must be provided in a numeric format (e.g. 5, not five) and be relevant to their current management responsibility.
58. a) Specify the size of the project management team Indicate the number of individuals that comprise your management team.

    b) Specify the number of individuals comprising the project management team who belong to each of the following groups:

    If your board or ownership structure consists of any individuals from an under-represented group, please outline that information here. Disclosure of this information is optional. The purpose of collection is to help ensure Government of Canada programming is inclusive and does not negatively impact diverse groups.

Project Timelines

59. List key activities that occur between the proposed project funding start date and the proposed project funding end date. Key activities are milestones that can be tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. Provide a list of significant activities or project milestones that can be measured and tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. These should be significant milestones that will be used to measure your project's performance over the course of the project.
60. Comments on key activities (maximum 500 characters including spaces).
    Provide further detail on the activities of the project. This should elaborate on the project description that you provided in Question 49.
61. a-f) Estimate the following direct economic benefits to your organization resulting from the project. Note: these should be measured from the project funding start date to one year following the project completion date. Provide a numerical value. If your project will not achieve the economic benefit, simply put a "0". Note that 61d should be a subset of 61c.

    g) Provide a detailed explanation of how your project will achieve the economic benefits estimated above. Please provide information on any other significant economic benefits that your project could achieve. (maximum 1000 characters including spaces) Provide a detailed explanation as to how these economic outcomes outlined in 61g will be achieved. Ensure to identify and detail all assumptions to support the reasonableness of your economic outcomes. All projects will be screened for significance of outcomes and the likelihood of them being achieved. If your project supports the Government of Canada's commitment to inclusive growth (under-represented groups) you may include this in your explanation.

Public Benefits

62. a) Which priority will benefit from the proposed project? (select all that apply)

    The priorities are defined as follow:

    Local Community Benefit: Detail any benefit that flows back the local community by addressing a local need or deficit.

    Environmental Benefit: Detail any way the project can contribute to clean growth and the transition to a low carbon economy by developing and adopting technologies that reduce GHG and air pollutant emissions through more productive and sustainable processes.

    Worker Training Opportunity: Training is a program that helps employees learn specific knowledge or skills to improve performance in their current roles.

    New Business Collaborations: Indicate the forecasted number of formal collaborations or partnerships that will be established during the project. A formal collaboration must include a signed agreement outlining each party's role and contribution toward the project. A collaboration or partnership must be specific to the project activities and contribute to the overall objectives of the project.

    New Research Collaboration: Indicate the forecasted number of formal collaborations or partnerships with higher education institutions that will be established during the project. A formal collaboration must include a signed agreement between project partners outlining each party's role and contribution toward the project. A collaboration or partnership must be specific to the project activities and contribute to the overall objectives of the project.

    b) Explain your selection (maximum 1000 characters including spaces): Provide an explanation as to how selected priorities will benefit.

Innovation benefits

63. a) Which innovation result would benefit from the completion of the project? (select all that apply):

    The innovation results are defined as follow:

    Good or Service Innovation: Good or service innovation is the market introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service with respect to its capabilities, user friendliness, components or sub-systems. Good or service innovations (new or improved) must be new to your enterprise, but they do not need to be new to your market.

    Process Innovation: A process innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved production process, distribution method, or support activity for your goods or services. Process innovations must be new to your enterprise, but they do not need to be new to your market.

    Organizational Innovation: An organizational innovation is a new organizational method in your enterprise's business practices (including knowledge management), workplace organization or external relations that has not been previously used by your enterprise. Organizational innovations must be the result of strategic decisions taken by management. Exclude mergers or acquisitions, even if for the first time.

    Marketing Innovation: A marketing innovation is the implementation of a new marketing 64aconcept or strategy that differs significantly from your enterprise's existing marketing methods and which has not been used before. Marketing innovations require significant changes in product design or packaging, product placement, product promotion or pricing.

64. a) Is your project a priority for your company and part of a strategic plan to advance or secure business? Check yes or no.

    b) Is your management team ready to commit the necessary business resources to enact the project plan? Check yes or no.

    c) It is mandatory that you attach a project plan. The expectation is that the project plan should have received management approval and should include the projected budget for the project.

Authorized official of the applicant organization acknowledgements

I have read and agree with the above applicant acknowledgements and certify that all statements and information furnished in this application are true, complete, and correct to the best of my knowledge. The individual authorized to sign the application on your behalf has reviewed the application and agrees that the information provide is accurate.

Name - Fill in the name of the individual within your company who has signing power / the authority to enter into an agreement. This person may be different from the contact person.

Title - Fill in the title of this individual Date - If you are using the online application, indicate the date the application was submitted. You cannot change this date.

Signature - Please sign the document. If you are using the online application form, you do not need to provide a signature on the document.