Program directory · Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Bridging Digital Divides
- Program code
- BNN03 (ISC)
- Core responsibility
- People, Skills and Communities
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Bridging Digital Divides program provides Canadians with the necessary tools, access and skills to participate in a digital economy. It contributes to a highly-skilled workforce that is equipped for jobs in an innovative and high-growth economy and facilitates communities being connected, digitally engaged and economically diverse. It is also responsible for maintaining current maps of broadband coverage across Canada and for supporting the extension of broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. In addition, it refurbishes computers donated from government, private business and individuals for use by schools, libraries, registered not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous communities. The program supports digital connectivity, tools and skills development for underserved and underrepresented people, including those with low-incomes, rural and remote households, seniors, people with disabilities, youth and Indigenous people. It supports the departmental result “People and communities from all segments of Canadian society participate in the economy” under the People, Skills and Communities core responsibility.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridging Digital Divides | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $1.91B |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Employees (FTEs) 123, against 76 in 2020-21 (+62%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators added: Percentage of Canadian households with access to minimum internet speeds of 50/10 Mbps | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators dropped: Number of communities targeted by Connect to Innovate projects that will build new backbone infrastructure | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Spending $485M, against $149M in 2020-21 (+226%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Spending $338M, against $485M in 2021-22 (−30%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators added: Number of refurbished digital devices distributed | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators dropped: The number of refurbished computers distributed | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Planned spending $949M, against $324M in 2024-25 (+193%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
| 2027-28 | Planned spending $452M, against $819M in 2026-27 (−45%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
| 2028-29 | Planned spending $183M, against $452M in 2027-28 (−60%). | 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
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | ≥ 76,500 | 2024 | 75,167 | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 60,000 | 2025 | 78,286 | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 72,000 | 2019 | 73,043 | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 72,000 | 2020 | 84,632 This data includes computers distributed through the Computers for Schools Program and the Connecting Families Initiative. Please note that final reports from program recipients have not yet been submitted, so this data is incomplete. | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 80,000 | 2021 | 80,790 This data includes computers distributed through the Computers for Schools Program (70,591) and the Connecting Families Initiative (10,199) | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 76,500 | 2022 | 55,241 The variance is due to a number of factors, including the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on warehouses, increasing costs of parts used to refurbish devices, and the demand for refurbished laptops exceeding the supply due to most donations in 2021-22 being desktop computers. Given that many departments' devices are the end of the cycle, it is anticipated that more devices such as tablets and lapt… | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 72,000 | 2023 | 58,805 The costs of parts increased significantly due to the lack of supply and inflation has driven up operating costs for the program that has not seen a budget increase since 2015. As a result, program affiliates were unable to afford to refurbish as many devices with their funding allotment. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | s.o. | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 98% | 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 | $287M | $106M |
| 2019-20 | $289M | $132M |
| 2020-21 | $261M | $149M |
| 2021-22 | $484M | $485M |
| 2022-23 | $1.15B | $338M |
| 2023-24 | $873M | $372M |
| 2024-25 | $522M | $324M |
| 2025-26 | $949M | — |
| 2026-27 | $819M | — |
| 2027-28 | $452M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $183M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 40 | 53 |
| 2019-20 | 58 | 58 |
| 2020-21 | 57 | 76 |
| 2021-22 | 176 | 123 |
| 2022-23 | 148 | 146 |
| 2023-24 | 143 | 147 |
| 2024-25 | 127 | 122 |
| 2025-26 | 105 | — |
| 2026-27 | 83 | — |
| 2027-28 | 87* | — |
| 2028-29 | 87* | — |
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 | $286,642,440 | $198,467,038 | $70,681,113 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $289,402,015 | $118,529,281 | $24,683,616 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $261,210,055 | $91,258,039 | $25,718,396 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $484,360,268 | $531,743,270 | $435,880,752 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $1,151,016,295 | $808,823,815 | $468,641,416 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $873,277,736 | $911,428,100 | $522,546,946 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $522,348,683 | $921,906,238 | $943,326,251 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $949,386,269 | $883,524,448 | $22,336,407 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $818,776,111 | $452,402,830 | $182,753,533 | ||||||||
| Actual | $105,898,636 | $131,964,607 | $149,074,484 | $485,316,873 | $337,533,475 | $371,797,990 | $323,989,867 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
