Industry committee  The assessment grids used to evaluate the projects are not made public. That being said, we have an access to information system. On request, we release any information that is not protected under the Access to Information Act.

Industry committee  In terms of the assessment criteria, we are transparent. However, it can be difficult to share information about the detailed assessment of a project, because it always contains confidential information.

Industry committee  The Canada Opportunities Agency is a very decentralized organization that is very present in the communities. As a result, being on the lookout and really trying to understand what is happening in the communities is first attributable to our structure. We have 23 offices in the communities and one office in the capital of each province.

Industry committee  I'll just provide two examples where's there's been collaboration that goes beyond Atlantic Canada. The first one is that we have an organization in Atlantic Canada called Springboard. It's a network of universities and colleges that work with industry to commercialize research.

Industry committee  Yes. Like the other economic development agencies, we also have opportunities in manufacturing in aerospace and defence, in composites and other products, and in food processing as well.

Industry committee  I think what's happening with one minister is that we're having more collective dialogue, and we are working with ISED and all RDAs to have these discussions. We have the big themes, the big objectives, and we are working together to define how these objectives will be met, packaging this information, and then having a dialogue at the ministerial level as a more unified coherent national approach.

Industry committee  I have to say that since we're still working on the initiatives, and responding to budget 2016 priorities, the communication strategy hasn't been fully developed.

Industry committee  I don't know that I have the answer for you today, but I can provide it, certainly.

Industry committee  From ACOA's perspective, our programs allow us to support businesses at every stage in their life cycle. We do support the start-up of companies. We do it through primarily the business development program. If, for example, it was a start-up company that wanted to undertake a significant innovation project, depending on the project, we would have the option of using either the business development program or the Atlantic innovation fund.

Industry committee  Okay. Then we would use the business development program for that.

Industry committee  I would add that the minister's mandate letter clearly established the priorities that the minister must meet. We were told that the economic development agencies had a major role to play in meeting these priorities. As mentioned, Budget 2016 sets out very clear commitments to green technology.

Industry committee  We are working with every main sector in the Atlantic region. We are working with the industries in these sectors to learn more about possible challenges and opportunities. We want to focus on more innovative approaches, which represent more value-added and might help us face these challenges.

Industry committee  I'm not sure we can target one shortcoming in particular. However, I'd like to come back to the fact that it really is possible to capitalize on our resources, our know-how and our networks to benefit from innovation and manufacturing opportunities that are on our doorstep in the Atlantic region.

Industry committee  It's important to understand that Atlantic Canada is mainly a rural region. It depends greatly on SMEs to grow its economy. Because of globalization, global competition puts pressure on our businesses. In fact, foreign businesses offer solutions at very low cost. Therefore, it's difficult for manufacturers, especially, and businesses in the resources industry to be competitive in such an environment.

Industry committee  The seasonal aspect is certainly another challenge. Having said that, we are working closely with the businesses to improve their productivity and to create products. We need to be innovative when making choices. We need to think about added-value products, which might lengthen our seasons and improve our revenue during production periods.