Program directory · Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Business Development
- Program code
- BNL02 (CNEDA)
- Core responsibility
- Economic Development in the Territories
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
Through advice, path finding and funding this program supports the growth and expansion of northern businesses, including small and medium enterprises. (The program's objective is to encourage a competitive, diverse northern business sector that is aligned with economic development opportunities across the North)
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Development | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $340M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Indicators added: Percentage increase in number of small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) funding. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of individual or community owned businesses supported by CanNor that are still operating after three years. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Spending $36.9M, against $22.1M in 2018-19 (+67%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Indicators added: Number of new small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement of the North (IDEANorth) and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Indicators dropped: Percentage increase in number of small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) funding. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Spending $68.7M, against $36.9M in 2019-20 (+86%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators added: Percentage increase in number of small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) funding. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators dropped: Number of new small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement of the North (IDEANorth) and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Spending $50.6M, against $68.7M in 2020-21 (−26%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators added: Number of new small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement of the North (IDEANorth) and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators dropped: Percentage increase in number of small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) funding. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Spending $68.4M, against $50.6M in 2021-22 (+35%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Spending $50.3M, against $68.4M in 2022-23 (−26%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Planned employees (FTEs) 62, against 22 in 2024-25 (+182%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Planned employees (FTEs) 37, against 62 in 2025-26 (−40%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Planned spending $88.2M, against $39.2M in 2025-26 (+125%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
| 2027-28 | Planned spending $61.2M, against $88.2M in 2026-27 (−31%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
| 2028-29 | Planned spending $22.4M, against $61.2M in 2027-28 (−63%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Number of new small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement of the North (IDEANorth) and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI)
Expected result: Northerners are provided with the support and training to respond to economic development opportunities
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | ≥ 75 | 2021 | 140 | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 50 | 2023 | 19 Thirty-one SMEs were approved for direct funding under IDEANorth (no direct funding approvals in REGI or WES) in 2022-2023;– 26 SMEs in 2021-2022. CanNor also funded eight SMEs under the Jobs and Growth Program. This pan-RDA program has similar terms and conditions to IDEANorth and SMEs normally funded through IDEANorth received J&G funding. The inclusion of the SME total from J&G results in CanN… | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 50 | 2024 | 20 In 2023-24 CanNor supported 48 SMEs, an increase of 20% from 2022-23 (40 SMEs). While this is below the 50% target, it should be noted that in 2023-24, CanNor also supported additional SMEs through other time-limited programs including Tourism Growth Program (TGP) and Jobs & Growth (10 SMEs in total). This decreased the number of SMEs that would be normally funded through IDEANorth. Further, as t… | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 20 | 2025 | 62.5 In 2024-25, CanNor supported 78 SMEs, representing a 62.5% increase from 48 SMEs in 2023-24, surpassing the 20% growth target. Most projects were funded through IDEANorth and REGI. REGI supported nine SMEs in 2024-25 compared to zero in 2023-24. It is also important to note that in 2024-25, CanNor supported additional SMEs through Economic Development Corporations (17 SMEs), and through Limited C… | Met |
Percentage increase in number of small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) funding.
Expected result: Northerners are provided with the support and training to respond to economic development opportunities
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100% | 2020 | 214% CanNor supported 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises, which was 114% over the 2019-20 target of 14. The Agency continues to see a progressive year-over-year increase in support to Northern-based businesses across its programs as a result of its focus on community outreach, and support towards diverse business activities across a variety of sectors. | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 78.5% | 2022 | 85.7% In 2021-22, CanNor supported 26 SMEs, representing an 85.7% increase over the previous target of 14. | Met |
Percentage of individual or community owned businesses supported by CanNor that are still operating after three years.
Expected result: Northern businesses are provided with capital and business services to facilitate northern business activity.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 38% | 2019 | 100% Under the Northern Aboriginal Economic Opportunities Program (NAEOP) Entrepreneurship and Business Development (EBD) fund, CanNor has funded three community-owned businesses in 2015-16. Three years after this CanNor funding, all (100%) of these community owned businesses are still operating. | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Number of new small and medium sized enterprises directly supported through the Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement of the North (IDEANorth) and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI)
Expected result: Northerners are provided with the support and training to respond to economic development opportunities
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 35 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $4.4M | $22.1M |
| 2019-20 | $26M | $36.9M |
| 2020-21 | $36.1M | $68.7M |
| 2021-22 | $38.8M | $50.6M |
| 2022-23 | $60.3M | $68.4M |
| 2023-24 | $46.4M | $50.3M |
| 2024-25 | $42.3M | $42.5M |
| 2025-26 | $39.2M | — |
| 2026-27 | $88.2M | — |
| 2027-28 | $61.2M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $22.4M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 4 | 16 |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 17 |
| 2020-21 | 30 | 22 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | 21 |
| 2022-23 | 26 | 21 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | 23 |
| 2024-25 | 62 | 22 |
| 2025-26 | 62 | — |
| 2026-27 | 37 | — |
| 2027-28 | 25* | — |
| 2028-29 | 19* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $4,387,265 | $4,424,437 | $4,057,431 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $25,999,830 | $25,128,525 | $25,128,525 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $36,094,119 | $36,550,413 | $40,768,641 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $38,765,211 | $40,948,173 | $39,921,866 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $60,264,868 | $42,980,888 | $22,876,796 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $46,424,310 | $21,702,918 | $21,702,918 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $42,308,688 | $39,305,792 | $36,321,893 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $39,224,955 | $38,335,375 | $22,936,688 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $88,164,638 | $61,226,698 | $22,403,268 | ||||||||
| Actual | $22,112,024 | $36,921,594 | $68,732,302 | $50,647,679 | $68,419,623 | $50,325,391 | $42,532,570 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
