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Program directory · Prairies Economic Development Canada

Innovation

Program code
BNW01 (WDO)
Core responsibility
Economic development in western Canada
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2021-22 · Appeared and later dropped

What it does

Introducing innovative new products, technologies or improvements to existing processes enhances business growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace. WD's Innovation programming makes strategic investments with western Canadian businesses, industry organizations and post-secondary institutions to enhance business innovation through research and development, and technology commercialization.

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).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Innovation 2018-19: $77.4MInnovation 2019-20: $111MInnovation 2020-21: $89.9MInnovation 2021-22: $101MInnovation 2022-23: $58.7MInnovation 2023-24: $48.7MInnovation 2022-23: $117MInnovation 2023-24: $124MInnovation 2024-25: $129MInnovation 2025-26: $122MInnovation 2026-27: $127MInnovation 2027-28: $124MInnovation 2028-29: $91MInnovationInnovation
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
InnovationThis program2018-19 – 2023-24$379M
InnovationLater program (name match, high confidence)2022-23 – 2028-29$370M

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.

YearWhat changedSource
2019-20Indicators added: Number of highly qualified personnel (HQP) (including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)) jobs createdDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2019-20Indicators dropped: Number of STEM jobs createdDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2019-20Spending $111M, against $77.4M in 2018-19 (+44%).Actual spending (GC InfoBase)
2022-23Planned employees (FTEs) 88, against 118 in 2021-22 (−25%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2022-23Appears to be replaced by InnovationCanada Spends name match across plans (an inference)
2022-23Planned spending $58.7M, against $101M in 2021-22 (−42%).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

Business sales growth resulting from commercialization
Expected result: Western Canadian Businesses are innovative
$232M2018-19✓ met$219M2019-20✓ met$366M2020-21✗ not met$159M2021-22✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ $116M2019$232M
The variance for this indicator, business sales growth resulting from commercialization, is attributable to several projects realising higher results than were anticipated.
Met
2019-20≥ $160M2020$219MMet
2020-21≥ $470M2021$366M
The variance for this indicator, business sales growth resulting from commercialization, is attributed to several multi-year projects for which results were realised or reported earlier than anticipated.
Not met
2021-22≥ $289M2022$159M
The variance for this indicator, business sales growth resulting from commercialization, is attributed to several multi-year projects for which results were realised or reported earlier than anticipated.
Not met
Number of highly qualified personnel (HQP) (including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)) jobs created
Expected result: Western Canadian Businesses are innovative
1,6932019-20✓ met3,4952020-21✓ met2,2602021-22✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2019-20≥ 87920201,693Met
2020-21≥ 2,03520213,495Met
2021-22≥ 1,09420222,260Met
Number of STEM jobs created
Expected result: Western Canadian Businesses are innovative
6562018-19✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 4562019656
The variance for this indicator, number of HQP (including STEM) jobs created, is attributable to WD projects being multi-year in nature and results are sometimes realised or reported earlier than anticipated.
Met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $42.7M2018-19: $77.4M2018-192019-20: $128M2019-20: $111M2019-202020-21: $91.6M2020-21: $89.9M2020-212021-22: $93.4M2021-22: $101M2021-222022-23: $58.7M2022-232023-24: $48.7M2023-24
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$42.7M$77.4M
2019-20$128M$111M
2020-21$91.6M$89.9M
2021-22$93.4M$101M
2022-23$58.7M*—
2023-24$48.7M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 632018-19: 882018-192019-20: 902019-20: 1032019-202020-21: 1042020-21: 1242020-212021-22: 1172021-22: 1182021-222022-23: 882022-232023-24: 852023-24
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-196388
2019-2090103
2020-21104124
2021-22117118
2022-2388*—
2023-2485*—

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

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.