On October 21, 2005 and as part of its Management Improvement Agenda, the Government announced its commitment to proactively disclose the awarding of grants and contributions over $25,000.

This website provides information on grants and contribution awarded by or on behalf of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Beginning on May 31, 2006, this website will be updated on a monthly basis to include information on grants and contributions awarded throughout the year.

The rules and principles governing government grants and contributions are outlined in the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments which can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TBM_142/ptp_e.asp. Transfer payments are transfers of money, goods, services or assets made from an appropriation to individuals, organizations or other levels of government, without the federal government directly receiving goods or services in return, but which may require the recipient to provide a report or other information subsequent to having received the transfer payment. These expenditures are reported in the Public Accounts of Canada. The major types of transfer payments are grants, contributions and ‘other transfer payments’. Included in this category, but not reported under proactive disclosure of grants and contributions awards are (1) transfers to other levels of government such as Equalization payments as well as Canada Health and Social Transfer payments; (2) grants or contributions reallocated or otherwise redistributed by a recipient to third-party beneficiaries; and (3) information that would normally be withheld under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act."