Program directory · Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
Business Services
- Program code
- BYK03 (PCAN)
- Core responsibility
- Economic Development in British Columbia
- In Departmental Plans
- 2022-23 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Business Services program consists of six Western Canada Business Service Network (WCBSN) members, which are independent organizations that receive financial support from
PacifiCan to provide services to prospective and current entrepreneurs to help start, grow or expand small businesses across British Columbia. WCBSN members include:
Community Futures; Women’s Enterprise Initiative;
Indigenous Business Development Services; Francophone Economic Development Organizations; Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program; and
Small Business Services.
To complement the work of the WCBSN partners, PacifiCan will expand its connections with regional stakeholders through its Surrey headquarters and Vancouver office and new service locations in Victoria, Campbell River, Prince Rupert, Fort St. John, Prince George, Kelowna, and Cranbrook.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2021-22. 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 Services | This program | 2021-22 – 2028-29 | $70.9M |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Spending $17.7M, against $9.5M in 2021-22 (+86%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2024-25 | Indicators added: Number of clients served; Number of under-represented clients served | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Planned spending $13.1M, against $21.2M in 2024-25 (−38%). | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | ≥ 4.5% | 2023 | 8.9% | Met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 5% | 2024 | -5% Actual results are based on the latest available data from Statistics Canada for the CF Performance Report, Round 14. This figure is a 5-year compound growth rate covering 2016-2021. The results reflect average employment growth from the period of 2016-2021. The variance is a result of employment loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 5% | 2025 | -3% The indicator did not achieve its target due to the recent economic climate. This figure is a 5-year compound growth rate covering 2017-2022. | Not met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | ≥ 16,945 | 2025 | 20,746 The variance reflects stronger performance in certain projects in 2024-25. | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | ≥ 10,370 | 2025 | 16,094 The variance reflects stronger performance in certain projects in 2024-25. | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | ≥ $36.8M | 2023 | $34.6M The variance for this indicator, values of loans disbursed ($), is attributed to high caution with borrowing in times of inflation, rising interest rates and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, these are partial results, reported for 33 of the 34 CFs in BC. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ $40M | 2024 | $37.7M The variance for this indicator, values of loans disbursed ($), is attributed to high caution with borrowing in times of higher interest rates and already existing high debt ratios, and ongoing recovery from wildfires across the province. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ $34M | 2025 | $36M | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Not applicable | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 18,250 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 12,650 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ $45M | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | — | $9.5M |
| 2022-23 | $82.1M | $17.7M |
| 2023-24 | $43.2M | $22.5M |
| 2024-25 | $21.3M | $21.2M |
| 2025-26 | $13.1M | — |
| 2026-27 | $14.3M | — |
| 2027-28 | $14.2M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $14.2M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 40 | 19 |
| 2023-24 | 44 | 20 |
| 2024-25 | 20 | 17 |
| 2025-26 | 17 | — |
| 2026-27 | 15 | — |
| 2027-28 | 15* | — |
| 2028-29 | 15* | — |
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 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 plan | $82,090,158 | $29,734,683 | $17,261,358 | ||||
| 2023-24 plan | $43,157,159 | $18,353,830 | $17,347,810 | ||||
| 2024-25 plan | $21,296,699 | $18,959,032 | $18,948,620 | ||||
| 2025-26 plan | $13,113,662 | $12,185,345 | $12,182,188 | ||||
| 2026-27 plan | $14,259,217 | $14,243,164 | $14,188,807 | ||||
| Actual | $17,691,823 | $22,462,406 | $21,225,198 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
