Skills, hiring and training programs for Indigenous businesses and communities

Ranked programs

9 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

   Matches partner contributions to fund research internships connecting businesses and organizations with university researchers and trainees.

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

2. Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI)

   Mitacs

   Matches partner funds to place students, postdocs and recent graduates in business-strategy and innovation projects at Canadian organizations.

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $15K
   37

   Worth a look

3. Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program

   Employment and Social Development Canada

   Funds Indigenous service delivery organizations that design and deliver job training and employment services to First Nations, Inuit, Metis and urban/non-affiliated...

   OngoingFederalOther incentives
   35

   Worth a look

4. Enabling Accessibility Fund - Express Workplace Accessibility Grant (EWAG)

   Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada)

   Funds immediate workplace accessibility updates that support hiring, retention or continued employment of persons with disabilities. Projects can remove barriers through...

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $50K
   34

   Worth a look

5. Changing Narratives Fund

   Department of Canadian Heritage

   The Changing Narratives Fund supports diverse communities (Indigenous, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minority, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+) in sharing...

   OngoingFederalGrants
   30

   Worth a look

6. NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds salaries for Indigenous interns hired by Northern Ontario organizations.

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $53K
   25

   Worth a look

7. Team Canada Strong Youth Placements

   Employment and Social Development Canada

   Funds organizations to deliver paid, entry-level construction and trades work placements for youth aged 15 to 30, supporting pathways into apprenticeships.

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $30M
   23

   Long shot

8. Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Funds capital technical planning and construction or upgrading of skills training centres through two pathways: SEED (planning project taking a design to 40% design...

   OngoingOntarioGrants
   22

   Long shot

9. Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program (OSGP)

   Ministry of Transportation

   Reimburses up to half of eligible costs for projects that strengthen Ontario's shipbuilding industry and supply chain, such as building infrastructure, machinery and...

   OpenOntarioGrants
   19

   Long shot

Questions

How many skills, hiring and training programs for Indigenous businesses and communities are open right now?

Of the 25 skills, hiring and training programs for Indigenous businesses and communities in our database, 9 are open or ongoing and 0 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Nov 4, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

Team Canada Strong Youth Placements publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $30M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which skills, hiring and training programs for Indigenous businesses and communities rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Mitacs Accelerate (41, Strong), Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (37, Worth a look), Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (35, Worth a look). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 9 open or ongoing programs here, 7 are in our Grants category, 0 are loans and 2 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

6 of the 9 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 3 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.