Western Diversification Program Call for Proposals (WDP-CFP) Applicant Guide & Instructions

1. Overview

1.1 Western Diversification Program (WDP)

The Western Diversification Program (WDP) is one of the programs through which Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) makes strategic investments in initiatives with not-for-profit organizations that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada.

The WDP complements other federal programs and is not intended to replace or duplicate other sources of financing that may be available.

1.2 WDP Call for Proposals (CFP)

The WDP Call for Proposals (CFP) process allows for a comparative analysis of projects against clear criteria (see Section 4.3 of this guide), strengthens the department’s responsiveness to economic trends and industry needs, and ensures alignment to Government of Canada plans and priorities.

The CFP process provides clarity for applicants on the WDP objectives and priorities and establishes a clear intake and assessment process. If applicable, WD will inform applicants if their project is better suited under other federal government programs, other level of government programs, or with industry.

1.3 WD's 2017 CFP Investment Priorities

WD is seeking applications under the 2017 WDP-CFP that directly support one (or more) of the following WD investment priorities:

• Clean technology; and/or
• Indigenous economic growth.

In parallel to the WDP-CFP, WD is also seeking applications for the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) to enhance the vitality of francophone communities (See Section 2.3 for more details).

1.4 Objective of the WDP-CFP

Through its Inclusive Innovation Agenda, the Government of Canada is dedicated to building on three core priority areas:

• People – developing Canadian talent and the workforce of tomorrow;
• Technology – fostering leading-edge technologies; and,
• Companies – growing world-class companies and accelerating growth.

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) works to advance these priority areas by making strategic investments in supports and services that enable western Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including Indigenous businesses, to be more innovative, productive, more export-oriented, and to create good quality jobs.

This call for proposal process invites applications that advance WD's 2017 investment priorities, which are:

• Clean technology (clean tech): Building on the competitive advantages of innovative clusters in Western Canada to grow the clean tech sector by supporting the development, commercialization, and export of clean tech products and processes.
• Indigenous economic growth (IEG): Increasing the number of Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, and ensure Indigenous communities in Western Canada are well positioned to capitalize on significant economic development and growth opportunities. Preference will be given to IEG applications submitted by Indigenous organizations or those with Indigenous partners.

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2. Eligibility

2.1 Eligible Applicants – Mandatory Criteria

The following not-for profit organizations are eligible to apply for WDP funding:

1. Industry associations, economic development organizations, cultural organizations, and societies;
2. Post-secondary institutions;
3. Co-operatives;
4. Hospitals and regional health care centres;
5. Indigenous-led not-for-profits and organizations which may include but are not limited to First Nations as represented by their Chief and Council, Tribal Councils, Indigenous Representative Organizations, Métis and Inuit organizations, and Settlements as well as First Nation/Métis Settlement wholly-owned businesses where all profits accrue solely to the First Nation/Settlement to benefit community members;
6. Municipal Governments and organizations created by them;
7. Federal Crown Corporations (Treasury Board Secretariat will be consulted prior to any funding decisions for federal Crown corporations); and,
8. Provincial Government Departments, agencies, and Crown Corporations (although eligible within the WDP Terms and Conditions, WD would require an Order in Council to contract with these organizations. As such, any projects would be considered on an exceptional basis).

For-profit organizations can access funding for innovation projects through WD's Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative.

2.2 Activities Eligible for Funding

Projects will be assessed against how well they contribute to WD's 2017 investment priorities: clean technology or Indigenous economic growth. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate industry participation/support, support priority clean tech initiatives as identified by industry sectors, or IEG applications submitted by Indigenous organizations or those with Indigenous partners.

Details on eligible activities funded under this CFP are below:

2.3 Additional Eligibility Under Other Government of Canada Priorities

Through the WDP-CFP, WD is also encouraging applications eligible for funding under the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) for francophone communities. EDI is a separate funding program from the WDP-CFP and is part of the Government of Canada's official languages strategy: "Roadmap for Canada's Official Languages (2013-2018): Education, Immigration, Communities." EDI facilitates sustainable growth in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) by promoting the development of new expertise through innovation, diversification, partnerships, and increased support of small- and medium-sized businesses.

Projects may target rural diversification, trade and investment, innovation capacity building (leading to technology commercialization), support of immigrant and youth entrepreneurship, support services for small businesses, tourism, improving access to skilled labour, and building community capacity. EDI projects will be assessed against the same criteria, in comparison to the merits of all EDI applications received.

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3. Funding

WDP provides non-repayable contributions (see Section 9 of this guide for a definition).

The assessment of the required level of funding will take into consideration all other sources of funding available to the applicant. Preference will be given to projects which leverage funding from provincial governments, the private sector, and other non-government sources.

Successful applicants will need to sign a contribution agreement and will be reimbursed on the basis of documented claims for eligible costs incurred and paid and/or the fulfillment of conditions specified in the contribution agreement. Successful applicants will also be required to complete claims and progress reports at key phases of the project, as well as a final project report.

3.1 Eligible Project Costs

All proposed costs should be incremental and essential to the implementation of the project. Costs that may be eligible for reimbursement include, but may not be limited to:

• Equipment purchase and lease;
• Information management and information technology acquisitions;
• Legal, administrative, accounting, licensing, permits;
• Rents, leases, leasehold improvements;
• Acquisitions of proprietary processes;
• Supplies, transportation;
• Capital improvements related to projects;
• Personnel: salary and benefits (that are incremental to an organization's daily operations); and,
• Other costs that are reasonable, incremental, and directly attributable to activities necessary to achieve desired results, as specified by the agreement.

WD reserves the right to make the final determination on the value of contributions, the inclusion of any in-kind contributions, and to exclude expenditures deemed to be ineligible or outside the scope of the project.

3.2 Ineligible Costs

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

• Allowance for interest on invested capital, bonds, debentures, and other debt;
• 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 or commissions paid to consultants to secure funding;
• Lobbying activities;
• Donations, dues, and membership fees;
• Entertainment expenses; and
• Land and buildings.

Generally, the following costs/activities will not be supported:

• Marketing plans, and business plans;
• Hospitality and other related costs;
• Sole sourced consultant fees; and,
• Fees related to advocacy work.

Costs incurred prior to the Proposed Project Funding Start Date will not be eligible. The Proposed Project Funding Start Date should be no earlier than June 1, 2017.

Project costs incurred by the applicant in the absence of a signed funding agreement with WD are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant.

3.3 Disbursements

If you are successful in obtaining WDP funding for your project, you will need to sign a contribution agreement and will only be reimbursed by WD for costs after you have paid for them and submitted a claim to WD. Thus, you will need to plan your project cash flow accordingly. WD will provide detailed instructions on this process to those who are approved for funding. It is the expectation that claims for reimbursement will be submitted in a timely fashion, e.g., on a quarterly basis.

3.4 Guidelines for Conferences and Similar Events

WD will consider supporting conferences, forums, expos, and other similar events through this CFP when it is clearly demonstrated that the event aligns with WD's 2017 investment priorities (clean technology or Indigenous economic growth). Additionally, a proposed event should:

• Have demonstrated support from the private or non-government sector. This could be in the form of written support, or agreement to cost-share the event;
• Not duplicate existing conferences, forums, or other events; and
• Not benefit one province at the expense of another

Additional consideration may also be given to events that:

• Benefit more than one province;
• Provide a forum for Western Canadian industry to develop business opportunities; or
• Support small organizations and the businesses they represent in building capacity for economic growth.

Eligible event costs can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Venue rental, including break-out rooms for B2B and B2G meetings;
• Booth rental and related exhibition costs;
• Audio visual and translation-related equipment rental;
• Services required for the event (e.g. marketing, AV, translation, event management);
• Speaker fees; and,
• Preparation of Western industry profiles, promotional, or other related materials.

Projects that demonstrate broad stakeholder support and, as a result, seek WD funding for a smaller component of the project (e.g., under 25 per cent), may be viewed as a higher priority.

3.5 Guidelines for in-kind Costs/Contributions

Under WDP, only project costs incurred and directly paid by the applicant can be reimbursed by WD. However, an in-kind contribution is a project cost that does not involve an expense incurred and paid for by the project applicant. Typically, these expenses are borne by third parties for items or services that are in turn provided to the applicant at no cost, or at a reduced cost (e.g., a deep discount not typically offered to others). Such costs are used to demonstrate a more accurate picture of the project scope, including project funding, leveraging and demonstration of participant and/or private sector contributions to a project.

The cost must be for an item considered by WD to be essential to a project's success, eligible under the WDP, and that would otherwise be purchased and paid for by the applicant. For example:

• An industry partner will provide trucks to a college for use in a project to train truck drivers. In this case, the college did not incur or pay any incremental costs, but the project could not reasonably go forward without trucks. Therefore, this would be an in-kind contribution to project costs.

In-kind costs may only be included in the project when there is a clear plan and commitment from the applicant on how the costs can be verified.

• In the example above, the value of the trucks to the project can be quantified via sales records, etc.

4. Application Process

The WDP will be delivered through a CFP process where applicants will have 30 days from the beginning of the WDP-CFP application period to submit their application. Applicants are encouraged to visit WD's website for the dates of these application periods or to contact WD to be placed on an email notification list. No applications will be accepted outside the application period. Saved applications that have not been submitted prior to the deadline of the application period will not be assessed by WD. Signing and submitting the application form does not constitute a commitment from WD for financial assistance.

4.1 Application Requirements

The WDP requires the items below for assessment and may require additional documentation and information for more detailed assessment. Applicants must submit:

• A completed WDP Application Form;
• Current financial statements;
• A detailed project budget by Government of Canada fiscal year (April 1 – March 31); and,
• Evidence of other funding sources (where available provide written confirmation).

If the project has confirmed funding at the time of application, please attach proof of all sources of non-WD funding. WD considers the following as sources of confirmed funding:

• Letters of confirmation;
• Signed agreements; and,
• Financial and/or bank statements.

This documentation is necessary in order to consider non-WD funding as confirmed.

4.2 Saving and Submitting your Application

All applicants are strongly encouraged to use Western Economic Diversification Canada's online application tool to apply for funding. An online application can be saved, allowing you to complete it in more than one session. All applications must be submitted before February 23, 2017.

Saving your application form

• 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 Canada can find the saved application if you require technical support.
   
  • Question 1. Full legal name of your organization;
  • Question 19. Salutation;
  • Question 20. First name;
  • Question 21. Last name;
  • Question 22. Job title;
  • Question 23. Email address;
  • Question 24. Telephone;
  • Question 33. Project Title; and,
  • Question 38. Province.
     
• 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 23 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 (weblink) 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 to Western Economic Diversification Canada. 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. As such, we do not recommend using the Sign-in Partner method using financial institution partners; however, this option is available to 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 that 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 Western Economic Diversification Canada.
• You must click the "Validate/Submit" button at the top of the application form to formally submit your application to WD. 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 when logging out from one saved form and logging into another.
• More detailed instructions on registering for, and using a GCKey are available here.

If you are unable to submit your application using the online application tool, contact a Western Economic Diversification 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

1. Save a final version of your application using the ‘Save’ button at the top of the application form. Please ensure that you have attached all required additional documentation (see Section 4.1 for a complete list).
2. Print a copy for your records.
3. Select the ‘Validate/Submit’ button at the top of the application form to formally submit your online application to WD. Once the validation of your application is complete you will have to select a second ‘Submit’ button.
4. The Primary Contact will receive a confirmation email upon successful submission. If you do not receive this 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.

4.3 Assessment Criteria

Each application will be assessed to determine the following:

• Meets the mandatory eligibility criteria (see Section 2 of this guide);
• Aligns with WD's 2017 investment priorities (see Section 2.2 of this guide);
• Responds to market/industry demand;
• Demonstrates clear, measurable economic results for Western Canada (see Section 4.5 of this guide);
• Organization's overall governance and management capacity to provide oversight and carry out the project;
• Analysis of the project's objectives and key activities, rationale, and project plan (proposed timelines);
• Leverages funding from non-WD sources and what portion of this other funding is confirmed; and,
• Organization's long-term financial viability.

It is critical that applicants submit a complete application form that clearly shows how their project meets the elements listed above.

4.4 Attributes of a Strong Project

Strong projects will demonstrate:

• A clear alignment to one or more of WD's priorities: clean tech and Indigenous economic growth (see Section 2.2 of this guide);
• Strong market/industry demand (e.g., the project addresses a significant gap in the market or there is a demonstrated industry demand for the project);
• Clear, measurable economic results for Western Canada (see Section 4.5 of this guide);
• Effective governance measures and management team in place to carry out the project;
• A strong rationale for the project;
• Financial statements that demonstrate the organization is financially self-sustaining;
• Leveraged funding from provincial governments, the private sector, and other non-government sources (typically 50 percent or more); and,
• Non-WD funding is confirmed. Funding will only be considered confirmed if written proof is provided (see Section 4.1 of this guide for further instructions).

4.5 Economic Results

Projects under the WDP-CFP will create economic results for Western Canada. The economic results should be clear, measurable, and directly attributable to the project. The economic results should also be reported against during and at the end of the project.

Economics results will vary depending on the project's alignment with one or more of WD's 2017 investment priorities (see Section 2.2 of this guide).

Applicants must identify in their application form (Question 50) between one and five measures of “How Economic Results will be Measured” from the following list, and provide a reasonable and quantitative target for each one, to be achieved over the course of the proposed project.

Depending on the nature of the proposed project, results may be measured and reported up to one year past the project completion date.

Please note, the examples of economic results provided are samples, not a comprehensive list. For further information on other possible economic results, please contact your nearest WD Regional Office.

The table below outlines examples of economic results expected for projects funded through the EDI program. As this is not a comprehensive list, please contact your nearest WD Regional Office for further information on possible economic results for the EDI program.

5. Official Languages

Under the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada is committed to supporting and assisting the development of official language minority communities (English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities in the rest of Canada). More than two million Canadians belong to an official language minority community. The intention is to enable these communities to thrive and to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the population.

Applicants seeking funding through the WDP-CFP may assist WD in fulfilling its obligations under the Official Languages Act by identifying aspects of the proposed project that may benefit francophone communities in Western Canada, or by being willing to modify the proposed project to extend its benefits to the francophone community. This may be as simple as including a French-speaking service provider who is able to offer business services in French as part of the project or offering the final product resulting from the project in French.

Please contact your WD Regional Office to explore how you might modify your proposed WDP project to assist the department in extending benefits to the francophone community.

6. Environmental Assessment Compliance

Projects involving physical works may be subject to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Recipients of WDP funding will be responsible for obtaining all certificates, consents, permits, and approvals required for compliance with applicable legislation and for complying with the requirements of such legislation. Should an environmental assessment be required, it will be necessary to plan several months before the Proposed Project Funding Start Date to allow sufficient time for the completion of the assessment.

7. Reporting Requirements

All contribution agreements jointly signed between WD and a successful applicant include a requirement for periodic reports in order to demonstrate progress in implementing the project and achieving the economic results. These progress reports are required at least twice a year to support claims for reimbursement of project costs. Recipients are also required to provide financial statements to WD throughout project implementation.

8. Questions

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information.

Please refer to the WD programs, page for more information.

Find additional information by contacting one of our regional offices.

9. Glossary

Below is a short glossary of terms used in this guide:

10. Application Form Instructions

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the online application form. HTML and PDF 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.

Consult Section 2 of this Applicant Guide to ensure you meet the mandatory eligibility criteria. You will not be able to submit the application if the mandatory eligibility criteria are not met.

You can complete this application form in more than one session by using the Save button on the form. Once you have successfully saved your form, the Primary Contact identified on the form will be sent an email that can be used to retrieve the saved form. An email will be sent to the Primary Contact identified on the form. You will be able to retrieve your saved application and create a GCKey through the link provided in that email. Please check your email spam folder if you do not receive the notification after completing the submission as it might have been classified as spam by your email server. For more information, refer to Section 4.2 of the guide.

Enter the required information in the space provided on the form. An asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

Once your application is complete and you are ready to submit the application for consideration, please first print a copy for your records and then select the Validate / Submit button. If you submit an application with missing information in the mandatory fields, you will receive an error message indicating which questions are incomplete. These questions must be completed in order to successfully submit an application. Remember that a 'Saved' application is not a 'Submitted' application.

Organization Information

1. Full legal name of your organization: The legal name as shown on the certificate of incorporation or registration.

2. Operating name if different than legal name: The name the applicant organization is operating under if different from the full legal name of the applicant organization.

3. Mailing address (including suite, unit, apt #): The mailing address of the applicant organization.

4. Mailing address line 2: Additional space to provide the mailing address.

5. City: The city of the applicant organization's mailing address.

6. Province/Territory: The province/territory of the applicant organization's mailing address.

7. Country: The country of the applicant organization's mailing address.

8. Postal Code: The postal code of the applicant organization's mailing address.

9. Telephone: The telephone number at which the applicant organization can be contacted. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

10. Facsimile: The facsimile number at which the applicant organization will receive faxes. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx. If your organization does not have a facsimile number please use your organization’s telephone number (question 9 above) as a proxy.

11. Email address: The primary email at which the applicant organization can be contacted.

12. Website: The organization's website address (if applicable).

13. Organization type: The type of organization the applicant is categorized as. It is recommended that all applicants review Section 2.1 of the Applicant Guide for eligible organization criteria (e.g., not-for-profit organization). The following may help your selection:

• Industry associations, economic development organizations, cultural organizations, and societies (select Not-For-Profit Assocation/Organization/Society)
• Hospitals and regional health care centres (select Government, Other Body)
• First Nations as represented by their Chief and Council, Tribal Councils (select First Nation)
• Indigenous-led not-for-profit associations and organizations (select Not-For-Profit Assocation/Organization/Society)
• First Nations/Métis businesses, if owned by the First Nation/Métis Settlement and if all profits accrue soley to the Band/Settlement (select First Nation Owned Business)
• Métis Settlements (select First Nation)

14. Business number or GST number:The unique business number or GST number assigned to the applicant organization by the Canada Revenue Agency. A business number or GST number must be obtained through the Canada Revenue Agency. For information on obtaining a business number visit the Canada Revenue Agency website.

15. If alternate number is used, indicate the type: If another number is used (e.g., band number, education number), please provide it and describe what type of number it is.

16. Provide a brief summary of your organization and mandate: The description of the applicant organization and an explanation of the organization’s mandate and priorities.

17. Corporate Status: Indicate if your organization is a for-profit or not-for-profit. It is recommended that you review Section 2.1 of the Applicant Guide for eligible organization criteria (e.g., only not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply). For-profit small- and medium-sized enterprises may be eligible to apply to the Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative.

18a. If incorporated indicate all that apply: If applicable to the applicant organization, indicate whether the organization is:

• Incorporated federally; or
• Incorporated provincially (if incorporated provincially, indicate the province or territory).

18b. In the province of: Indicate in which province the organization was incorporated.

18c. If incorporated, provide the date of incorporation: Indicate the date the organization was incorporated.

Project Contact Person(s)

This is the main point person(s) in your organization who WD will contact for any follow-up to this application. Please ensure that the email address and phone numbers are updated as required.

Primary Contact

19. Salutation: Indicate the appropriate salutation (e.g. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.)

20. First name: Provide the first name.

21. Last name: Provide the family name.

22. Title: Provide the contact person's job title (e.g., President, Executive Director).

23. Email address: Provide a valid e-mail address.

24. Telephone: Provide a phone number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

25. Cell: Provide a cell number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Secondary Contact

26. Salutation: Indicate the appropriate salutation (e.g. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.)

27. First name: Provide the first name.

28. Last name: Provide the family name.

29. Job title: Provide the contact person's job title (e.g., President, Executive Director).

30. Email address: Provide a valid e-mail address.

31. Telephone: Provide a phone number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

32. Cell: Provide a cell number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Project Information

33. Project title (Maximum 90 characters): 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:

• start with a verb (produce, create, develop, expand, enhance, increase, support, etc.); and
• concisely capture the essence of the project and, clearly identify the purpose/result expected through WD's contribution — the project description must be understandable by anyone.
• Examples of a proper description include:
  • Acquire equipment for skills training in the life sciences sector
  • Support the western Canadian aerospace sector to access international markets
  • Establish a manufacturing centre to commercialize western Canadian innovations

34. Project address is the same as Mailing address: Check this box if the address at which the project will be undertaken is the same as the organization's mailing address. If checked, the mailing address will be automatically entered.

35. Project address (Including suite, unit, apt #): If the project address is different from the mailing address, enter the location at which the project will take place.

36. Project address line 2: Additional space to provide the project address.

37. City: The city of the project address.

38. Province/Territory: The province/territory of the project address.

39. Postal Code: The postal code of the project address.

40a. Short Project Description: This description should provide the department with a high-level overview of the project and outline the main elements of the project.

40b. Project Description: This description should provide a clear understanding of the project, key activities, and your plan for completing the project including any potential risks that you may face (e.g., what you plan to do and how you plan to do it). Include the following elements:

• Describe the objectives of the project.
• Describe the key activities of the project and how these activities will achieve the intended objectives of the project.
• Describe the plan for this project (how you plan to achieve the objectives and key activities).
• Describe the engagement and/or commitment from other partners (e.g., industry, other levels of government).
• Clearly address any project risks and mitigation measures to address these risks (e.g., project delays, staff turn-over, inability to secure confirmed funding).
• Organizations are encouraged to submit only one application per intake. However, if submitting multiple applications, applicants are to clearly indicate the priority ranking of the projects in this field.

41. Provide the rationale for the project and for WD's involvement in the project:

• Explain how the project will fill a market gap or an industry need.
• Describe how the project's objectives will help WD deliver on its mandate to develop and diversify the western Canadian economy.
• Clearly outline if the project aligns with:
  • other Government of Canada priorities;
  • provincial government priorities;
  • industry needs; and
  • your organization's long-term research, capital, and/or strategic plans.

42. Describe the specific activities WD funding would be used to support and the impact WD funding would have on this project: This section should provide a clear understanding of why you are seeking financial assistance, what you will use the WD funds, for and the importance of receiving WD funding. See Section 3.1 of the Applicant Guide for details on eligible costs under the WDP.

• Explicitly detail what activities/costs WD funding will be used to support.
• Indicate if the project would be able to proceed without WD funding:
  • If yes, explain how you would be able to deliver the project without WD funding; or,
  • If no, explain the importance of receiving funding from WD and how the project would be impacted if funding was not received from WD.

43. Is the activity, service, or product already available: If the activity, service, or product is already available, choose yes.

44. Please explain: This section should address whether your project has any potential competitive implications or duplications with other organizations and existing activities/services/products.

• Describe all other organizations that deliver the same – or similar – activities, services, and products.
• If your activity, service, or product is already available, please explain how your project will complement what currently exists and detail how there will be no competitive impacts from your project.
• How does this project complement existing programs/projects/organizations?
• Or clearly illustrate that your project is not duplicating existing programs/projects/organizations. Outline how your activity, service, or product is different or unique.

45. Which WD priority does this project best support? Choose ONE priority that best aligns with your project's objectives, activities, and outcomes. Your project may be compared to similar projects of a chosen priority area. See Section 2.2 of the Applicant Guide for details on WD's priorities and desired outcomes. For projects impacting francophone communities, see Section 2.3.

46. Explain how this project supports the priority: Explain the relationship between the project's objectives, activities, and outcomes with the selected WD priority and specifically detail how your project aligns to the selected WD priority. In addition:

• If you are seeking funding for a Clean Technology project focusing on product/process development and/or commercialization, please describe how it will reduce environmental impacts and how it will surpass the standard and/or most commonplace technology currently available in Western Canada.
• If you are a non-Indigenous applicant seeking funding for an IEG project, please describe the nature and extent of how your organization has partnered with Indigenous organizations, specifically related to the proposed project, and attach relevant documentation (e.g., letter of intent, memorandum of understanding).
• If you are seeking funding under the Economic Development Initiative (EDI), to enhance the vitality of the francophone community in Western Canada, please identify how the project activities will benefit Francophone official language minority communities. See Section 2.3 of the Applicant Guide for details on EDI.

47. Does this project support a second WD Priority (other than the primary priority selected above)? If relevant, select ONE additional priority. Select an additional priority only if you are able to justify how the project aligns with that priority.

48. Explain how this project supports the second priority: If an additional priority was selected, explain the relationship between the project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes and specifically detail how your project aligns to the second WD priority.

49. Which western Canadian province(s) will directly benefit from this project? Select which western Canadian province will directly benefit from the project outcomes.

50. Describe what specific economic results will be generated from this project. The economic results should be clear, measurable, directly attributable to the project and can be reported against during and at the end of the project. See Section 4.5 of the Applicant Guide for examples of desired economic results.

• Describe how the activities of the project will directly lead to economic results.
• Identify one to five economic results and provide a quantitative target for each.

51a. Does your project have activities that will benefit Francophones? If your project includes activities that will directly impact the francophones community in Western Canada or if you are willing to modify your project to extend its benefits to the francophone community, choose yes.

51b. If yes, describe how the project activities will benefit Francophones: Explain how the objectives of this project will or could benefit the francophones community in Western Canada and what specific activity(ies) will or could be directed at francophones.

Project Timelines

Indicate key activities that will occur between the proposed project funding start date and the proposed project end date.

52. Proposed project funding start date: This is the date that an agreement between the Recipient and WD comes into effect. The date entered in this field should be no earlier than June 1, 2017. Any costs incurred prior to this date are not eligible for reimbursement under the terms of the agreement and are outside of the scope of the project. This can be thought of as the start date for the project.

53. Is this date flexible: If your proposed project funding start date is flexible, choose yes.

54. Proposed project end date: This is the anticipated date the project activity will cease.

55. List key activities that occur between the proposed project funding start date and the proposed project end date. Key activities are milestones that can be tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned:

Key Activities: Provide a list of significant project activities that can be measured and tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. These should be significant activities that will be used to measure your project’s performance over the course of the project. Examples include: purchase and install equipment; hire new staff; complete training; first product, process, service, or technology to market; completion of phase 1 (describe). If additional activities are required to adequately describe your project, the list can be expanded.

Completion Date: The date at which each key activity is expected to be complete.

Add additional Key Activities: If applying online, the application allows for adding additional fields for key activities.

56. Comments on Key Activities: Provide any additional information that may help to clarify the key activities and completion dates provided.

Project Funding

The funding summary will provide all sources of funding for the project. The applicant organization and WD are pre-identified on the form. Please enter all other sources of funding in the spaces provided and indicate if the funding from these other partners has been confirmed or not. 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.

57. Project funder: All project contributors that will provide project funding as a monetary contribution or in-kind contribution (see Section 9 of the Applicant Guide for definitions).

• By definition, in-kind costs are not an expense incurred and therefore will not be subject to reimbursement.

Source: Where applicable, select the description that best reflects the funding source: Federal, Provincial, Municipal government body, or non-government.

Confirmed: For each funding source, indicate if the funding has been confirmed (yes or no). In the case where your organization (Applicant Organization) is a source of funding, indicate confirmed if you have cash on hand.

2017-2018 and 2018-2019: Under each fiscal year column, provide the project funding cash flow. Each fiscal year commences on April 1^st and ends on March 31^st.

Future Years: Provide additional cash flow amounts (if applicable) for fiscal years surpassing those indicated in the fiscal years columns.

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

58. Comments on project funding: Provide further explanation on the sources of confirmed or unconfirmed funding. If funding is not confirmed, indicate when it was applied for, when you expect a decision, and if that decision is dependent upon funding from WD.

Note:

Financial Statements: It is mandatory that you attach your most recent financial statements to your application.

Confirmed Funding: Please attach written proof of all sources of non–WD funding that have been confirmed for your project. This may include copies of letters of confirmation, signed agreements, bank statements, etc.

59a. Detailed Budget: Please attach a detailed budget outlining all costs you will incur in the implementation of the proposed project, by year. Only include costs incurred after the Project Funding Start Date.

• Be sure to list costs and not activities.
• Please ensure that the total project costs in your detailed budget match Question 57 Total Project Funding Required and Question 59b Total Project Costs.

59b. Project Costs: Using the information from your detailed budget in Question 59a., please summarize the various major project costs.

• Avoid listing project activities. For example, 'develop a prototype' is an activity; alternatively, you should outline the costs to complete that activity (labour, equipment, materials, etc.). See Section 3.1 of the Applicant Guide for costs that are eligible for WD funding.
• Group similar costs into broader cost categories (e.g., equipment, supplies, incremental salaries, marketing, etc.).
• All costs will be validated and confirmed through the assessment and claim submission process. During the assessment and claim process, 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 with a short deadline.

Amount: Total expected cost of items included in the corresponding cost category.

Total Project Costs: This field will automatically calculate the total project costs if you are using the online application form. The dollar amount of the total project costs must equal “Total project funding required” in Question 57. Please also ensure that this amount matches the total project costs in your detailed budget.

Add additional Project costs: If applying online the application allows for adding additional fields for project costs.

60a. Will the project result in the generation of revenues: If project activities, services, or products will generate revenues, choose yes.

60b. If yes, explain: Provide an explanation as to how project revenues will be utilized.

Governance and Management

61. Describe the governance of the organization: Provide an explanation of how the applicant organization is governed (e.g., board of directors, advisory board) and its structure along with a brief explanation of key executives' credentials (e.g., indicate the level of experience of the board members, such as the number of years experience each member has on the board of directors). Clearly demonstrate that your organization has effective governance measures in place to provide appropriate oversight of this project. Indicate how these individuals will specifically be involved in providing oversight on the project.

62. Describe the qualifications and related experience of the key individuals that will be responsible for managing and implementing the project: Provide an explanation of the qualifications and experience of those members of your organization that will be directly managing and implementing this project. Clearly demonstrate that your organization has the management skills and leadership to carry out this project.

63a. In addition to the funding partners, are there any other organizations who are involved with this project: If there are other organizations involved with the project, in addition to the funding partners, choose yes.

63b. If yes, provide the organization's name, nature of their involvement, and attach a letter of support (if applicable): Describe other organizations that are not funding partners in the project, but are involved in project activities or will benefit from the results of this project.

Add additional organizations: If applying online the application allows for adding additional fields for organizations that are involved in the project.

Attachments

64. Current Financial Statements: It is mandatory that you attach your most recent financial statements. There is a maximum of one attachment for financial statements.

65. Confirmation of other (non-WD) sources of funding: Funding will only be considered confirmed if written proof is provided. It is mandatory that you attach confirmation of other (non-WD) sources of funding if 'confirmed' funding has been selected in Question 57. There is a maximum of one attachment for each confirmed funder.

66. Attach additional files that may support the assessment of your application: Please attach any additional documentation that you feel will support your application. There is no maximum number of attachments for additional documentation.

• Project Plan
• Letters of Support
• List of the Board of Directors

Authorized Official of the Applicant Organization Acknowledgements

The application form MUST be submitted by a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement.

I have read and agree with the applicant acknowledgements:
After reading and understanding the section, confirm agreement with the applicant acknowledgements, as well as the truthfulness of all the information provided, by checking the box, and fill in the subsequent information.

67. Salutation: Indicate the appropriate salutation (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.).

68. First name: Provide the first name of the member of the organization with signing power/the authority to enter into an agreement. This person should be either the primary or secondary contact as per Question 32.b.

69. Last name: Provide the family name of the contact.

70. Title: Provide the contact person's job title (e.g., President, Executive Director).

71. Email address: Provide a valid e-mail address.

72. Telephone: Provide a phone number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

73. Cell: Provide a cell number where the contact person can be reached. Use the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

74. Date: If you are using the online application, this field will fill automatically.

Note: Please remember that signing of this application form does not constitute a commitment from WD for financial assistance.