Skills, hiring and training programs for small businesses

Ranked programs

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

1. Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (employer and group sponsor milestone payments)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Pays employers and group sponsors at apprentice milestones: registration, each in-class level, and certification.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $17K
   51

   Top pick

2. 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

3. 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

4. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

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

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

5. Work-Sharing Program (EI)

   Employment and Social Development Canada / Service Canada

   Employment Insurance support that lets employers avoid layoffs during a temporary drop in business by reducing hours while employees receive EI income support for the...

   OngoingFederalOther incentives
   39

   Strong

6. Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs

   Natural Resources Canada, delivered through STIP - Green Jobs delivery organizations

   Funds employers to hire, train and mentor youth in energy, forestry, mining, earth sciences and clean technology roles for up to 12 months.

   OpenFederalOther incentives
   38

   Strong

7. Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program

   Employment and Social Development Canada (Reserve Force employer support)

   One-time financial support to civilian employers and self-employed reservists to offset operational costs when a reservist employee deploys on full-time operational duty.

   OpenFederalGrants
   37

   Worth a look

8. 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

9. 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

10. Worker Retention Grant (Work-Sharing)

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Provides additional income support to EI-eligible employees working reduced hours under an approved Work-Sharing agreement.

    OpenFederalGrants
    36

    Worth a look

11. 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

12. 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

13. Mitacs Elevate

    Mitacs

    A one- to two-year program that places postdoctoral fellows with partner organizations to solve R&D challenges, with an academic supervisor and professional development...

    OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $60K
    32

    Worth a look

14. Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit

    Ontario Ministry of Finance / Canada Revenue Agency

    Refundable credit for employers that hire post-secondary co-op students in qualifying work placements.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesLimit $3K
    32

    Worth a look

15. 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

16. 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

17. Starter Company Plus

    Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (via Small Business Enterprise Centres)

    Training, mentoring and a grant for people starting, expanding or buying a business.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $5K
    28

    Worth a look

18. Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur

    Mitacs

    Funds internships for college, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to grow their startup, with Mitacs and the startup each contributing equally.

    OngoingFederalGrants
    26

    Worth a look

19. Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream

    Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

    Financial support to advanced manufacturing companies, with a focus on SMEs, for capital equipment, technology adoption and skills development to improve competitiveness.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrants
    12

    Long shot

Questions

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

Of the 27 skills, hiring and training programs for small businesses 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?

Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund (SWIF) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $10M". 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 small businesses rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (51, Top pick), Canada-Ontario Job Grant (42, Strong), Ontario Job Grant (42, 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, 12 are in our Grants category, 1 are loans and 5 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

12 of the 18 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 6 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.