Delivery of the NDA

4.1 Application Procedures

The Northern Development Board Corporation (NDBC) solicits project proposals and acts as the first point of contact for NDA project proponents.  Initially, proponents are asked to prepare a Letter of Intent, outlining their project idea.  The NDBC provides preliminary feedback and helps to determine whether a full proposal is warranted.  In the first full year of the NDA, a large number of enquiries and applications for project funding were received.  A project screening tool was developed to expedite and formalize the assessment process.  Since 2004/05, a significantly smaller number of proposals have been forth-coming.  Therefore, a more informal screening process has been implemented with a greater degree of NDBC administrative support provided to enhance project proposals that fit within the NDA mandate.  Table 4.1 identifies the number of projects and the associated financial commitment, as well as the financial commitment provided to the NDBC by fiscal year (2002/03 to 2006/07).

Table 4.1 – Applications, Commitments and Operating Expenses by Fiscal Year*

	Fiscal Year
Description	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	Total
Number of Applications	1	62	48	20	29	180
Projects Funded	1	9	8	17	7	42
Project Commitments	$116,655	$2,893,839	$2,990,610	$4,951,843	$3,042,105	$13,995,052
NDBC Core Operating	$105,000	$150,000	$150,000	$150,000	$150,000	$705,000
Total:	$221,655	$3,043,839	$3,140,610	$5,101,843	$3,192,105	$14,700,052
* Project commitments to December 8, 2006.

The NDBC receives $150,000 annually to administer the NDA ($105,000 in 2002/03 to support less than a full year of operation).  To date, just over $700,000 has been allocated to NDBC core operating expenses.  This represents less than five percent (4.8%) of committed funding to December 8, 2006.  Additional project-specific financial resources were provided to the NDBC for Strategic Planning efforts. (Both Northern Affairs and Western Diversification also provide dedicated staff to the administration of the NDA.  In addition, several provincial government departments allocate NDA project management time.

4.2 NDA Priority Areas

Launched in October 2002, the NDA was established with a goal to enhance economic development opportunities for northern communities through the support of five (5) key strategic priority areas. 

Table 4.2 - Number of Projects by Priority Area*

Priority Area	Number of Projects
1. Capacity Building	17
2. Employment Opportunities	15
3. Innovation	5
4. Economic Infrastructure	4
5. Investment Attraction	1
Total	42
* Project commitments to December 8, 2006

• Capacity Building;
• Employment Opportunity;
• Innovation;
• Economic Infrastructure; and
• Investment Attraction

4.3 Priority Area Commitments

Capacity Building and Economic Infrastructure represent sixty-four percent (64%) of the total committed NDA funding as of December, 2006.  These priority areas are followed closely by employment opportunities at thirty-one percent (31%).  It is important to note that some projects could easily fit within more than one priority area.  The following data represents the TMC sub-committee"s priority allocation.

Table 4.3 shows the project commitments made under the priority area of Capacity Building.  Within Capacity Building, seventeen (17) projects received funding approval.  Commitments have ranged from $38,500 for entrepreneurial training to $2 million for high speed Internet connectivity with a sub-total for Capacity Building of $4,409,698. .

Table 4.3 - NDA Project Commitments by Priority Area:
Capacity Building

Capacity Building	32%
1.  High Speed Internet Connectivity (Northern Broadband Network)	$2,000,000
2. University Apartments Renovations (NORTEP)	$350,000
3. Physiotherapy Asst. Training Program (Keewatin Regional Health)	$248,404
4. Economic Development Planners (Methy Construction)	$240,000
5. Continuing Care Asst. Training Program (Dumont Tech. Institute)	$239,055
6.  Chemical Technology Training (Northlands College)	$222,663
7.  Management Certificate Training (Dumont Tech. Institute)	$208,836
8.  Prior Learning Recognition Training Program (Northlands College)	$146,870
9.  Heavy Equipment Operator Training (MLTC)	$131,896
10.  Water/Waste Water Certification Training (Northlands College)	$129,274
11.  Guidance Counsellor Training (MLTC)	$128,600
12.  First Nation Child Care Certificate (Northlands College)	$79,200
13.  Business Support Services Centre (PADC)	$75,000
14.  First Nation Child Care Diploma (Northlands College)	$75,000
15.  First Nation Child Care Certificate (Northlands College)	$52,480
16.  Computer Training for Administrators (New North)	$43,920
17.  High School Entrepreneurial Training (Buffalo Narrow Ec.Dev.)	$38,500
Sub-total: Capacity Building	$4,409,698

Four (4) projects received funding approval under the Economic Infrastructure priority area.  The Athabasca highway improvement project received the bulk of this funding in three (3) separate projects totaling over $4.2 million. The sub-total for Economic Infrastructure is $4,394,041 as of December 8, 2006.  (Table 4.4)

Table 4.5 outlines fifteen (15) projects funded under the priority area of Employment Opportunities.  Together with Capacity Building and Economic Infrastructure, these three (3) priority areas represent ninety-five percent (95%) of the overall dollars committed to NDA projects to December 8, 2006.  Commitment for Employment Opportunities range from $10,438 for oilfield industry training to over $1.5 million for multiple skills training delivered by the Northlands College.  The average project dollar amount was $279,810 with a sub-total for Employment Opportunities of $4,197,143.

Table 4.5   NDA Project Commitments by Priority Area:
- Employment Opportunities

Employment Opportunities	31%
1.  Multiple Skills Training Program (Northlands College)	$1,550,000
2.  Mobile Training Facility (Northern Apprenticeship Comm.)	$500,000
3.  Oil Sands Training (Northlands College)	$310,787
4.  Hospitality Industry Training (STEC)	$266,376
5.  Apprentice Wage Subsidy (Northern Apprenticeship Comm.)	$249,600
6.  Apprentice Wage Subsidy - Phase II(Northern Apprenticeship Comm.)	$232,600
7.  Forestry Career Centre (SIIT)	$231,087
8.  Practical Nursing Certificate Training (Northlands College)	$177,077
9.  Construction Apprenticeship Training (Northern Apprenticeship Comm.)	$173,457
10. Forestry Career Centre (SIIT)	$170,269
11. Drilling Rig Training (MLTC)	$143,250
12. High School Apprenticeship Program (Aboriginal HRDC)	$110,000
13. Fiddlehead Harvesting (Waskewie Forest Products)	$43,550
14. Hospitality Industry Training (Northern Apprenticeship Comm.)	$28,652
15. Oilfield Industry Training (Central Cree Ec. Dev. Corp.)	$10,438
Sub-total: Employment Opportunities	$4,197,143

Innovation and Investment Attraction account for approximately five percent (5%) of the overall dollars committed to NDA projects as of December 8, 2006.  Tables 4.6 and 4.7 document a total of five projects that received funding under the priority area of Innovation and one project that received funding under the priority area of Investment Attraction.  In total, just under $600,000 has been committed to these two priority areas.

Table 4.6  NDA Project Commitments by Priority Area:
- Innovation

Innovation	3%
1.  Granite Exploration Study (Northeast Development Ass.)	$185,000
2.  Arbochemical Research (Creighton Regional Ec. Dev. Corp.)	$105,071
3.  Essential Oil Distillation (La Ronge Wild Rice Corp.)	$25,000
4.  Burbot Study (Creighton Regional Ec. Dev. Corp.)	$24,012
5.  Chaga Research (Kitsaki Management L.P.)	$12,000
Sub-total: Innovation	$351,083

Table 4.7   NDA Project Commitments by Priority Area:
- Investment Attraction

Investment Attraction	2%
1.  Project Planning & Market Development (Saskatchewan Cooperative Fisheries)	$240,150
Sub-total: Investment Attraction	$240,150