Western Economic Partnership Agreements

Creating opportunities through cooperation

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Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPAs) are multi-year federal-provincial funding commitments to strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life in western Canadian communities. Through the agreements, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and each western province provide a matching contribution, enabling significant investments to fund projects that support federal and provincial priorities. The new series of agreements, will allocate $25 million in federal funding for each of the western provinces and that amount will be matched by the provincial governments for a total investment of $200 million.

Historical Background

1996 – 2001
WD contributed $20 million which was matched by $20 million in funding from each of the four western provinces for a total investment of $160 million and invested in more than 192 projects across the West that supported federal and provincial priorities.

2003-2008
The WEPA agreements were renewed with the dollar-value increasing to $25 million per region for a total investment of $200 million in more than 162 projects across the West.

2009-2013
In 2009 the third round of agreements have be negotiated, providing another $200 million in total investments over a four-year period.

Guiding Principles

These cost-shared agreements support positive federal-provincial relationships and promote co-operation in planning and decision-making.

WEPAs recognize the unique characteristics of each provincial economy while consistently supporting national economic priorities. In addition, they are structured to encourage leveraging of funds from private and institutional partners. An evaluation of the past round of WEPAs has concluded that for every dollar invested by the federal government, $1.65 was leveraged from other sources.

Working collaboratively with the provinces through WEPA’s helps to reduce overlap and duplication and promotes a coordinated approach to economic development activities.

Addressing Federal Priorities

WEPAs are designed to address joint federal-provincial priorities and respond to regional needs that are consistent with national economic priorities. The 2009 round of agreements focuses on the following federal priorities:

• Supporting the creation and growth of knowledge-based R&D and business clusters and the commercialization of new products, technologies and services out to market;
• Supporting trade and investment promotion;
• Enhance business productivity and competitiveness;
• Increasing value-added production in traditional industries.

Eligible recipients include non-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions, hospitals and regional health centres undertaking research and new technology development, First Nations band councils, individuals undertaking research, co-operatives, and small- and medium-sized commercial not-for-profit enterprises, federal crown corporations, provincial departments and agencies and municipal governments.