Skills Development Fund (SDF) — Capital Stream — SEED Pathway

• The applicant must be an employer in Ontario (excluding specific educational organizations), a minister-approved non-college apprenticeship training delivery agent, a non-profit organization, an Indigenous band office or agreement holder, a professional, industry or employer association, a trade union or union-affiliated organization, a municipality, a hospital, a District Social Services Administration Board, or a Consolidated Municipal Service Manager.
• The project must aim to create or improve physical spaces to increase training capacity and/or retain or increase the number of trainees for emerging and in-demand jobs in Ontario.
• The project must support skills development activities in growth sectors of Ontario’s economy or sectors experiencing recruitment challenges.
• The project must serve participant groups such as job seekers, workers at risk of job displacement, or individuals facing higher barriers to employment.

Who is eligible?

• Employers in Ontario (excluding eligible educational organizations as primary applicants)
• Minister-approved, non-college apprenticeship program training delivery agents
• Non-profit organizations (including Indigenous band offices and Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holders)
• Professional, industry, or employer associations
• Trade unions or union-affiliated organizations
• Municipalities
• Hospitals
• District Social Services Administration Boards
• Consolidated Municipal Service Managers

Eligible expenses

• Costs for developing engineering or architectural plans.
• Preparation of mechanical and electrical drawings.
• Construction cost estimates related to technical planning.
• Expenses for related technical planning activities necessary to develop a capital proposal for a skills development asset.

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario

• Alignment with the policy objective to create or improve physical spaces to increase training capacity and the number or retention of trainees for emerging and in-demand jobs.
• Alignment with target sectors or occupations, specifically supporting skills development activities in growth sectors and sectors experiencing recruitment challenges.
• Service to intended participant groups, including individuals seeking employment, workers at risk of job displacement, those needed to fill talent gaps, or people facing higher barriers to employment.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver on key performance indicators by increasing training capacity, training volume, or training for targeted participant groups.

• Application intake for the SEED and GROW Pathways opens on November 29, 2024, with applications assessed on a rolling basis.
• Applicants can preview the application forms before the official intake date, though submissions can only be made starting November 29, 2024.
• All applicants will be informed whether their application is successful or unsuccessful based on defined evaluation criteria.
• The program guidelines for the SEED and GROW Pathways incorporate feedback from the previous round of the SDF Capital Stream program.