The federal government did not measure the impact of one-third of the 96 business innovation programs giving out about $1.7 billion annually, according to an internal review.

A copy of that review—classified as secret—states that the allocation of funding from 2012-2017 led to confusion for companies applying for money, favoured large businesses over startups trying to scale and particularly disadvantaged female and Indigenous entrepreneurs.

The December 2017 review—which The Logic obtained via an access-to-information request—has not previously been made public. While it has already prompted some internal changes—including consolidation resulting in two-thirds of funding programs being eliminated in the March 2018 budget—many of the issues outlined in the report remain.