Each year, the Saskatchewan provincial government creates and releases their annual budget, which outlines the province’s economic plans for spending over the next twelve months and what new projects and initiatives the party will be focusing on. This article will cover the business funding programs outlined in the Saskatchewan 2022 Budget, including new and updated grants, tax incentives, wage subsidies, and no-interest loan programs.

“Saskatchewan’s finances are back on track. We have significantly reduced the deficit and are on track to balance the budget by 2026. And our ability to deliver the best possible government services to Saskatchewan people is back on track. Mr. Speaker, this budget strengthens and protects Saskatchewan with record investments into health care, education, social services, and the protection of people and property.”
-Honourable Donna Harpauer, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance

This budget will address concerns with the growing inflation rate and labour shortages. The funding programs will help relieve the financial costs as a result of COVID-19. To find the full list of available Saskatchewan government funding programs, including Canadian federal funding programs that are available to businesses within the province, visit our Western Canada Funding directory page.

Building a Better Saskatchewan

Transportation Infrastructure

$846.0 million will be invested into operating, maintaining, building, and improving the province’s roads and highways;
$479 million will be invested into transportation capital to assist in the upgrading of transportation infrastructure with over 1,100 kilometers of highway improvements;
$65 million will be invested in the Enhanced Intersection Safety Program which will fully fund the initiative to make transportation at intersections safer; and
$27 million towards the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth program, the Highway Connector Program, and the Community Airport Partnership Program which are all designed to improve rural and urban infrastructure in Saskatchewan.

Facility Investments

$168.6 million in funding for infrastructure projects that will build, renovate, and relocate classrooms for schools,
$95.2 million for developing and implementing 15 new schools, as well as making improvements to an additional five current schools;
$69.1 million through the Canada Community Building Fund, designed to provide permanent, stable, and indexation infrastructure funding for all municipalities across the nation; and
$35.4 million towards the New Building Canada Fund which was implemented in 2014 for promoting economic growth, bringing stable jobs to the community, and increasing Saskatchewan’s productivity.

Infrastructure for a Cleaner Tomorrow

$162.6 million under the Canada Infrastructure Program which assists in reducing soil and air pollutants, improves water cleanliness, mitigates disasters, and supports many more infrastructure initiatives related to the safety and sustainability of Saskatchewan.

Investing in the Saskatchewan Economy

As Saskatchewan businesses learn to live alongside the pandemic, the provincial government is committed to its Growth Plan goals to strengthen the economy with new jobs over the next decade.

General Business Investments

$3.1 million increase to fully fund the International Trade and Investment Strategy, which is managed by the Ministry of Trade and Export Development;
The Enhancement of the Saskatchewan Technology Start-up Incentive (STSI) will be getting a boost for technology start-up investments which are encouraged through the STSI. Investors in Eligible Start-up Businesses (ESBs) developing new technologies are eligible for a non-refundable 45 per cent income tax credit for up to a maximum of $2.5 million per year;
The Small Business Tax Rate for small businesses will return to 1 percent on July 1, 2022, and to 2 percent on July 1, 2023. In Saskatchewan, small businesses will be able to earn a maximum of $600,000 before paying the small business tax rate;

Temporary small business tax rate reduction program has provided $51.5 million in savings to Saskatchewan’s small businesses. The rate was reduced from 2% to 0% effective October 1, 2020, and will return to 1% July 1, 2022. The rate will return to 2% on July 1, 2023, as Saskatchewan recovers from the pandemic; and
$112.0 million towards energy and resources for the final year of the three-year Accelerated Site Closure Program (ASCP) to support Saskatchewan-based oil and gas service companies and more than 2,000 jobs in the sector.

Community Investments

$233.2 million to First Nations peoples, Metis, and their various organizations which represents an increase of over 20% from previous years;
$475,000 to create the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation (SIIFC) which will assist in the financing and growth of Indigenous-owned corporations, as well as supporting natural resources businesses and value-added agriculture products;
$1.5 million will be allotted to the Saskatchewan Veteran Service Club Support Program which is designed to provide support to veterans and their families;
$10.7 million in capital upgrades for the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport to improve campground services and attract new tourism opportunities for the province; and
$448.5 million of funding will be provided to local municipalities to assist in the financing of municipal infrastructure projects, as well as providing funds for a variety of local grants and initiatives provided by ministries.

Culture

$8.0 million for the Creative Saskatchewan Production Grant program for film and television, bringing the total funds available through this program to $10.0 million, with $50 million in total film and television investments.

Agribusiness Funding Programs

The Ministry of Agriculture will introduce new funding programs to meet their Growth Plan goals, such as growing crop production to 45.0 million tonnes, increasing livestock receipts to $3.0 billion, and growing agri-food exports to $20.0 billion by the year 2030;
$338.5 million has been allocated towards funding agriculture risk management programs including Crop Insurance, AgriStability, AgriInvest, and Western Livestock Price Insurance to give the industry the tools needed to move through challenges like continued dry conditions and position producers for long-term success;
Additional $2.5 million for irrigation development projects in various locations throughout Saskatchewan; and
Topping up the Saskatchewan Value-Added Agriculture Incentive with additional funding up to 40% of the portion of a project in excess of $600 million in value to help keep Saskatchewan competitive in the global market.

Advancements in Health Care

This Saskatchewan budget delivers a record $6.8 billion allocated towards health funding, which is a $288.2 million (4.4%) increase from the 2021 budget. This increase in budget is to address the surgical waitlist and deliver the largest volume of surgeries within the province.

Tackling COVID-19

$95.0 million will be used towards sustaining the ongoing pandemic response as we transition to living with COVID-19. This includes PPE for first responders and additional beds; and
$21.6 million has been allocated towards the goal of leveling the pre-surgical wait times back to pre-COVID levels by March of 2025.

Long-Term Care

$18.4 million has been allocated towards expanding long-term care home positions by 300 employees in rural and remote areas; and
$17 million will be used towards improving the quality of life for senior citizens, such as $4.8 million for home care services, $4.1 million for influenza vaccines, $1.6 million towards operating the Meadow Lake Northwest Community Lodge, and $6.5 million for an additional 117 continuing care aide positions.

Medical Infrastructure and Services

$15.8 million will be put towards the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to help those with cancer get the treatment they need;
$12.5 million in new funding for 11 additional intensive care unit (ICU) beds, bringing the total to 90 across the province in 2022–23;
$10.8 million increase in Emergency Medical Services to assist in the quality and capacity measures of emergency departments;
$4.9 million will be put towards CT and MRI scans to allow thousands of more patients to receive medical scans; and
$1.5 million increase to support recruitment initiatives among healthcare workers.

Education System

This Budget includes $3.8 billion towards education services, which is up $47.2 million (1.3%) from last year’s budget. The primary focusses on education will be geared towards student services, training, and educational facilities through the following initiatives:

Compensation and Training

$7.0 million will be used to hire up to 200 additional full-time educational assistants for the 2022–23 school year, to support students and manage the current demands of the school system;
$1.99 billion in operating funding for the 2022–23 school year for Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions with a 2% salary increase as part of the Teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement;
$11.4 million for training initiatives and supports for early childhood educators. $2.3 million will be used for learning about inclusion of children with disabilities; and
$684.1 million towards grants for post-secondary institutions, including $445.9 million for the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, and other federated and affiliated colleges.

Student Services

$309.6 million has been allocated towards childcare and early learning services to help in providing affordable childcare services. This funding will also be used to create 6,100 new childcare spaces in centres and family childcare homes as part of the province’s goal to create 28,000 new licensed spaces over the next five years; and
$30.0 million will be used towards the second year of a two-year, $60.0 million funding plan for the post-secondary sector. This plan will focus on shared priorities including COVID-19 recovery, revenue generation, sector collaboration, and achieving priorities in Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan.

Facilities

$8.0 million will be used for preventative maintenance and repair of childcare facilities across the province; and
Starting in February 2022, parent childcare fees have been reduced by up to 50% in licensed care services.

Saskatchewan Tax Incentives

This article has highlighted the noteworthy government funding programs and plans for Saskatchewan laid out by the province’s budget 2022. Although we have touched on a couple of new and updated tax incentives, there are more measures to be aware of. For a comprehensive review of these updates, visit Ryan’s Tax Alert | Saskatchewan Budget 2022 for an easy-to-read breakdown.

Apply for Saskatchewan Grant, Loan, and Tax Credit Programs

If your business is interested in submitting an application for a Saskatchewan funding program, consider applying with the professional government funding application writing team at Mentor Works, a Ryan Company. Our team of professional grant, loan, and tax credit consultants can take care of the funding application process on behalf of your business, and we can identify other government incentive programs that your business may be eligible to receive funding through. Give us a call at 1-888-599-3111, or book a meeting with us.

As more information is released on the funding programs announced in this budget, Mentor Works will continue to publish articles covering how much funding can be obtained through these programs, who is eligible to apply, what projects can be covered, and when the application deadline is. If you wish to be notified of future updates relating to these programs, subscribe to the Mentor Works Newsletter.

Saskatchewan 2022 Budget: Record Investments in Health Care, Education, and More