Defence Minister Peter MacKay says it’s only a matter of days before Irving Shipbuilding and the federal government sign an umbrella agreement on shipbuilding contracts worth $25 billion.

At a press event in Dartmouth on Monday morning, MacKay revealed he expects the agreement to be finalized shortly.

“In the coming days, we expect to achieve another milestone: the official signing of that umbrella agreement in full,” he said.

Irving and the federal government have been in negotiations since the contract was awarded last October to the Halifax Shipyard. Last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to Halifax to announce a deal had been reached “in principle,” but not on paper.

Once the umbrella agreement is finalized, the two sides will negotiate individual contracts for the vessels over the 30-year life of the agreement.

MacKay joined Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Bernard Valcourt to unveil a four-point plan to promote opportunities related to the contract.

The Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan, an offshoot of the federal government’s ubiquitous Economic Action Plan, aims to inform small- and medium-sized businesses about how they can fit into Irving’s supply chain.

The plan will also focus on education and training, as well as promoting ACOA funding opportunities.

The Nova Scotia government is also undertaking a similar exercise. Valcourt said the governments wish to avoid overlap or duplication of efforts.

“This is about trying to bring all four Atlantic provinces together at a common table where we can make sure that we all aim in the same direction,” Valcourt told reporters.