Skills, hiring and training programs for non-profits and charities

Ranked programs

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

1. Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG)

   Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (federal-provincial cost-shared)

   Helps individual Ontario employers pay for short-term training for existing or new employees, with the government covering a share of eligible training costs.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

2. Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-Ontario Job Grant)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Employment Ontario)

   Helps employers pay for short-term third-party training for new or existing employees. Employer and government share the training cost.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

3. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

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

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

4. 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

5. Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (Loan Fund, Ecosystem Fund, Knowledge Hub)

   Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and regional development agencies (FedDev Ontario in southern Ontario)

   The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) funds supports for women entrepreneurs through the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (loans up to $50,000 via selected delivery...

   OpenFederalLoansLoans up to $6M
   36

   Worth a look

6. Ontario Bridge Training Program

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Ontario-funded bridge training delivered by approved providers that helps internationally trained newcomers find work matching their qualifications, through...

   OngoingOntarioGrants
   35

   Worth a look

7. Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Provincially funded pre-apprenticeship training of up to 52 weeks, delivered by colleges and community agencies, with an 8 to 12 week work placement, for people who want...

   OngoingOntarioGrants
   35

   Worth a look

8. 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

9. Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

   Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by employer delivery partners (e.g., Technation, ECO Canada, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Magnet)

   Wage subsidies to employers that hire post-secondary students (co-op, internship, practicum) in work-integrated learning placements. Employers apply year-round through...

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesUp to $5K
   34

   Worth a look

10. Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund (SWIF)

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Continuous-intake fund for industry-led workforce projects that scale proven training initiatives, build talent pipelines for national priorities, or mobilize industry...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $10M
    31

    Worth a look

11. 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

12. NOHFC Workforce Development Program (internships)

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds internship salaries for Northern Ontario employers.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $35K
    30

    Worth a look

13. Union Training and Innovation Program - Infrastructure Expansion

    Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    This funding opportunity aims to strengthen Canada's skilled trades workforce by expanding training capacity and modernizing union-led training infrastructure. It funds...

    OpenFederalGrants
    30

    Worth a look

14. Investments in Training Equipment (Canada Apprenticeship Strategy)

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Funds the purchase of new, up-to-date training equipment and materials for Red Seal trades apprenticeship training. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $5M
    28

    Worth a look

15. NSERC Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grants

    Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

    One-year grants that let colleges buy applied research equipment so they can better respond to the innovation needs of local partners and give students hands-on training.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $200K
    28

    Worth a look

16. 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

17. 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

18. Canada Foundation for Innovation - Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund (CIRIF)

    Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

    Provides research infrastructure funding for newly recruited Canada Impact+ Research Chairs and Emerging Leaders, part of the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent...

    Intake-basedFederalGrantsUp to $6M
    22

    Long shot

19. 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

Questions

How many skills, hiring and training programs for non-profits and charities are open right now?

Of the 46 skills, hiring and training programs for non-profits and charities in our database, 18 are open or ongoing and 1 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 non-profits and charities rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Canada-Ontario Job Grant (42, Strong), Ontario Job Grant (42, Strong), Mitacs Accelerate (41, Strong). 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 18 open or ongoing programs here, 14 are in our Grants category, 1 are loans and 3 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

11 of the 18 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 7 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.