How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $250000000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Who are the financial supporters of the Upskilling for Industry Initiative?

Upskilling for Industry Initiative is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

What are Upskilling for Industry Initiative's eligibility criterias?

Eligible Lead Recipients include not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, organizations involved in the post-secondary education sector, private colleges and other private training institutions, and industry associations. The Lead Recipient must be in good financial standing, have a governance structure, staff, and partnerships that demonstrate their ability and experience to scale-up industry-led approaches to upskilling. For-profit organizations are only eligible if they do not expect to generate profits from the proposed initiative.

Upskilling for Industry Initiative

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Canada

Scaling workforce skills for high-growth sector needs

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Grant and Funding

grant_single|eligibleIndustries

Manufacturing
Information and cultural industries
Professional, scientific and technical services
Educational services

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Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

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The Upskilling for Industry Initiative provides up to $250 million to support employer-led approaches in identifying and addressing skills needs through short-cycle training programs for high-growth sectors such as digital technology and clean technology. Eligible activities include the development and delivery of intensive training programs, creation of employer networks, and provision of work placements.

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The total funding available under the Upskilling for Industry Initiative (UII) is up to $250 million, which is to be allocated by March 31, 2025.
Projects can receive funding only for costs incurred after the signing of a contribution agreement with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Costs incurred prior are done at the applicant's own risk.
The Government of Canada may provide wage subsidies covering up to 50% of the salary for up to 16 weeks to help employers support work placements.
Administrative costs are capped at a maximum ratio of 10% of total eligible costs. However, for activities in Canada's North or remote communities, these costs may be covered up to a maximum of 30% with proof of expenses.
The UII does not require matching funds, but encourages leveraging other sources of funding to progressively increase third-party financial or in-kind contributions throughout the program's implementation.
All expenses must be necessary to carry out eligible activities and may include salaries, materials, financial support for workers, and other related costs, but must be justified according to program guidelines.
Lead Recipients are responsible for further distribution of funds to partners without acting as an Agent of the Crown.
Detailed financial reports, including audited financial statements and statements of eligible expenditures, are required annually by June 30 for the previous fiscal year.
A corporate plan outlining planned objectives, strategies, and budgetary needs must be submitted annually before March 1 for the upcoming fiscal year.

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Creation and coordination of networks of employers and training providers to identify high-growth sectors and assess skills gaps.
Identification and recruitment of participants and the assessment of their existing skills.
Development and/or leveraging of digital platforms and tools to support the delivery of training and related job readiness services.
Development and delivery of rapid re-skilling/up-skilling programs for transitions to new work opportunities.
Development and delivery of additional trainings to assist upskilled participants in finding new employment opportunities, including resume writing and interview preparation.
Provision of experiential learning opportunities and/or subsidies for work placements to facilitate new employment transitions.

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$ 60,000

Develop an app to connect local farmers with buyers

grant_single_labels|admissibility

The applicant must be eligible to become a Lead Recipient, which can include not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations (not expecting profit from the initiative), organizations involved in the post-secondary education sector, private colleges, and industry associations.
The applicant must demonstrate good financial standing and have an established governance structure, experienced staff, and partnerships capable of scaling up industry-led approaches to upskilling.
The project must aim to implement the Upskilling for Industry Initiative (UII) and support its objectives, such as responding to the skills needs in high-growth sectors through employer-led, third-party delivered upskilling approaches.
Partners for the project may include Network Partners and Delivery Partners which can encompass not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions, industry associations, private training institutions, digital platforms, and service providers.
The applicant is required to present a clear management strategy for distributing funds to partners, ensuring adherence to eligibility requirements and program objectives.
Eligible project activities must include network creation and coordination, participant recruitment and skills assessment, development of digital platforms, intensive training programs, additional employability training, and experiential learning opportunities.
Eligible expenditures must be reasonable and necessary for completing eligible activities, including salaries, materials, support for hosted events, infrastructure costs, and work placement subsidies.

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Not-for-profit organizations
For-profit organizations (provided they do not expect to generate profits from the initiative)
Organizations involved in the post-secondary education sector, including universities, colleges, polytechnics, technology access centres, and other public training organizations
Private colleges and other private training institutions
Industry associations and other business/sector associations

grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses

Salaries and other related costs for new hires, volunteers, and personnel.
Materials, supplies, and equipment.
Financial support for workers.
Expenses for professional services, instructors, training, coaching, and professional development.
Support for hosting conferences (including travel and accommodations).
Payments made to employer partners to support work placements.
Costs associated with software and hardware infrastructure, web development and maintenance, information technology support, telecommunications, and web hosting.
Expenditures directly related to operations and administration, including salaries and benefits of management and staff, the lease of premises, travel, materials, and other administrative expenses.

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Western/Northern Canada
Central Canada (Ontario and Quebec)
Atlantic Canada

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Capacity to Create and Leverage Partnerships: Representation and depth of partnerships with employers, industry associations, private training providers, post-secondary institutions, and digital learning platform providers.
Project Planning and Management: Clear and feasible approach to deliver the project on time, within scope and on budget, while achieving UII's intended results and demonstrating effective management structure and governance mechanisms.
Capacity to Achieve Results: Knowledge of the Canadian skills ecosystem and experience in developing and delivering upskilling initiatives, including plans to support underrepresented groups.
Commitment to increasing the efficiency of contributions, including delivering higher quality upskilling programming or connecting more than 15,500 workers to new opportunities.

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The Upskilling for Industry Initiative (UII) provides funding with the intention for it to be increasingly supplemented by other sources, such as participant fees, employer contributions, and charitable or governmental investments.
Although the UII does not require matching funds, leveraging additional financial and in-kind sources is encouraged to enhance the sustainability and impact of the initiative.
The Government of Canada retains no intellectual property rights arising from activities funded under the UII unless negotiated otherwise for the benefit of Canadians.
Lead Recipients will need to progressively increase third-party financial or in-kind contributions throughout the program, as results from early cohorts justify the value of the upskilling model.
A comprehensive plan to maintain confidentiality and transparency is needed, as any information may be accessed under the Access to Information Act.
The Lead Recipient is expected to submit both annual and corporate plans, which detail objectives, activities, funding requirements, performance monitoring strategies, and risk management approaches.
Specific templates provided by ISED must be used for the application form and budget proposal.
Eligible organizations include for-profit entities, which cannot generate profits from the initiative, alongside non-profits, educational institutions, and industry associations.
Applications for funding are strictly to be submitted via the online application form; no other methods such as email, mail, or in-person submissions will be accepted.
To ensure the program's outcomes align with priorities, the Lead Recipient must meet specific performance indicators and targets established in the contribution agreement.