Ottawa: The Canadian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced C$139 million ($118million) in funding on Tuesday for a Canadian initiative in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates told a news conference that the money would go to an initiative that would try to accelerate development of a vaccine and address critical research gaps. Under the plan, a facility will be set up in Canada to manufacture and test HIV vaccine candidates.

Canada will provide up to C$111 million and the Gates Foundation up to C$28 million.