Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive

• The applicant must be a legally registered business, industry association, sector council or non-profit organization operating in Nova Scotia.
• The organization must demonstrate a direct workforce development need, such as employee upskilling, new capacity building, technology adoption or addressing critical skills gaps.
• The applicant must show sufficient financial and administrative capacity to manage and deliver the training project, including coordination, participant tracking and reporting.
• The project must focus on eligible training activities (for example innovative skills, sector-specific training, capacity building, or equity and inclusion initiatives) that directly support workforce development.
• The organization and proposed project must align with Nova Scotia’s economic and workforce development priorities, contributing to innovation, productivity and industry growth in the province.

Who is eligible?

• Legally registered businesses operating in Nova Scotia
• Industry associations based in Nova Scotia
• Sector councils operating in Nova Scotia
• Non-profit organizations operating in Nova Scotia
• Collaborative partnerships between multiple Nova Scotia organizations with a shared workforce development project

Who is not eligible

• Organizations that are not legally registered as a business, industry association, sector council or non-profit operating in Nova Scotia.
• Organizations whose training costs are already funded through another government program (for example, the Workplace Education Initiative or other public training subsidies).
• Organizations seeking support for training that has already been funded by WIPSI in the past and does not create new capacity.
• Organizations looking to fund activities that are not considered training projects (such as conferences, retreats, consulting on business operations, or coaching on general business strategy).

Eligible expenses

• Direct training fees paid to third-party training providers or consultants.
• Instructor or trainer costs, including professional fees as per training quotes.
• Course and resource materials required for the training (for example, manuals, books and other training resources).
• Participant travel expenses to attend approved training, calculated using Nova Scotia provincial government reimbursement rates, when the training location is at least 100 km from the workplace (e.g., mileage, accommodation and meals within government per diem limits).
• Administrative fees for eligible associations, sector councils and non-profit organizations, up to 15% of direct training costs, to cover reporting and program administration.
• Disability-related supports required for participants to take part in the training, funded up to 100% (for example, accommodation costs for persons with disabilities).

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses, industry associations, sector councils and non-profits legally registered and operating in Nova Scotia, Canada.

• Alignment with program objectives and government workforce priorities (weight: 35% for individual businesses; 30% for sectors/associations) – clarity of the problem and workforce need, relevance to WIPSI goals (skills, innovation, productivity), and fit with Nova Scotia’s economic and workforce priorities.
• Project design and feasibility (weight: 25% for both individual businesses and sectors/associations) – quality of the project plan, SMART objectives, appropriateness of methods and activities, and realism of timelines and resources.
• Impact and sustainability (weight: 25% for both individual businesses and sectors/associations) – expected outcomes (e.g. skills gained, productivity improvements), long-term benefits for the organization or sector, and potential for the project to be sustained or expanded.
• Fostering equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) (weight: 15% for both individual businesses and sectors/associations) – strength of the commitment and concrete strategies to support underrepresented groups and remove barriers to participation.
• Collaboration and resource sharing (sectors/associations only; weight: 5%) – existence and quality of partnerships, financial or in-kind contributions from partners, clearly defined partner roles, and how collaboration improves cost-effectiveness and long-term impact.

• The program currently operates on designated intake periods; the next intake is scheduled to open on 1 April 2026.
• Approved projects are normally funded under 12‑month agreements, with the possibility of an extension as indicated in the program guidelines.
• Recipients must submit activity/progress and financial reports through LaMPSS at least twice during the project, and may also be asked for interim updates or to accommodate site visits.
• Service Registration is required for individual participants, including completion of the WIPSI Service Registration Intake Form so the province can track outcomes and program effectiveness.