Minister of Transport Marc Garneau announced that the Government of Canada will begin a call for proposals under the National Trade Corridors Fund on January 15, 2019. The government will begin accepting expressions of interest starting on that date.
In this call, Transport Canada will evaluate projects on specific trade-related criteria that:
- Improve the fluidity and/or performance of the transportation system to contribute to an increase in the value and/or volume of goods exported from Canada to overseas markets.
- Increase existing, or generate new, overseas trade flows as a result of the investment.
In addition to the above criteria, projects will be assessed for the extent to which they will add capacity or address bottlenecks near major ports, airports, or along road and rail corridors in Canada that help generate or increase overseas trade.
With the exception of projects submitted by federal agencies or Crown corporations, all eligible projects must demonstrate that they have secured funding for those costs not funded by the Government of Canada.
By supporting projects under the National Trade Corridors Fund, the government is committed to significantly bolstering export opportunities for Canadian businesses, and diversifying Canada’s overseas trade. As part of the Fall Economic Statement, the Government proposed a new Export Diversification Strategy to help businesses succeed, and increase Canada’s overseas exports by 50 per cent by 2025.
The evaluation criteria for the expression of interest phase are available on Transport Canada’s website. Detailed information on the process and how to apply, along with the applicant guide, will be added to the website on January 15, 2019.
The northern call for proposals was launched on November 19, 2018, and will allocate funding to address unique and urgent transportation infrastructure needs in Canada’s territorial North.