Updated July 2026 · Verified against Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement
Grant Provincial Active

NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)
Maximum Funding
Up to $52.5K/intern
Continuous intake — no fixed deadline. Funding is limited and subject to NOHF...
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Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
Varies
NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program provides up to $52.5K/intern. Northern Ontario employers can receive higher wage subsidies for 52-week, full-time internships for individuals who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis or Inuit), with businesses eligible for up to $52,500 per year and public/non-profits up to $35,000 per year. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

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Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

Northern Ontario employers can receive higher wage subsidies for 52-week, full-time internships for individuals who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis or Inuit), with businesses eligible for up to $52,500 per year and public/non-profits up to $35,000 per year.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Businesses, municipalities, Indigenous communities, or not-for-profit organizations located in Northern Ontario
  • Northern Ontario is defined by NOHFC as all areas north of, and including, the districts of Muskoka, Parry Sound and Nipissing
  • The Indigenous requirement applies to the intern, not to the applicant — any eligible Northern Ontario employer may apply
  • Must have been in operation for at least one year
  • Must have a minimum of one full-time employee
  • Funding covers up to 90% of an Indigenous intern's salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs, to a maximum of $35,000 per year, for municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations
  • Funding covers up to 75% of an Indigenous intern's salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs, to a maximum of $52,500 per year, for businesses
  • Interns must identify as an Indigenous person, including First Nation, Métis or Inuit
  • Interns must be new entrants into the workforce, transitioning to a new career, or unemployed or underemployed and entering a new field
  • Interns must not have previously participated in a NOHFC-funded internship
  • Interns must be at least 18 years of age
  • Interns must reside in, and be legally entitled to work in, Canada
  • The position must be a limited-term internship of 52 weeks with at least 35 hours of work per week
  • The intern must be provided with direct onsite supervision
  • The organization must recruit through a fair and transparent selection process — a job advertisement posted in at least one public forum, with proof of the posting including opening and closing dates; exceptions may be made for apprenticeship internships
  • Immediate family members or relatives of owners and directors cannot be hired, except in smaller Northern communities with a limited labour base
  • An organization is eligible for two internship positions at a given time; colleges, universities and research institutions may be eligible for up to five research positions in addition
  • An employer hiring an apprentice under a registered apprenticeship program is eligible provided all other criteria are met; an extended placement of up to 18 months is considered for apprenticeships, but only 52 weeks of work are reimbursable
  • A second year may be available where the intern must complete more than 52 weeks of full-time professional experience for a certification, designation or registered apprenticeship — a separate application is required
  • The intern cannot be hired before the application is submitted to NOHFC
  • Recipients must carry at least $2 million in commercial general liability insurance, with a certificate naming NOHFC and its staff as additional insureds, a cross-liability clause, contractual liability coverage and a 30-day notice period for cancellations or changes
  • Cannabis manufacturing and retail companies do not qualify for NOHFC programs
Provinces
Ontario
Industries
All
Business Stage
Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $52.5K/internUp to $35,000 per year for municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits (90% of salary + MERCs). Up to $52,500 per year for businesses (75% of salary + MERCs).
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Deadline
Continuous intake — no fixed deadline. Funding is limited and subject to NOHFC Board approval.

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5

Moderate — standard application process

Competition
4/5

High competition — many applicants

Difficulty
3/5

Moderate — standard requirements

Processing Time
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

Ensure interns self-identify as Indigenous; businesses receive a higher subsidy rate (75%) than under the general program, but combined government funding generally cannot exceed 75% for businesses and 90% for public/non-profits.

Evaluation Criteria

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How NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program judges your application

What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.

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Written answers3no length limits stated
Judged on3 criteria
To attach2 documents

Distilled from 4 source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-07.

4 sources

What NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program favours

Addresses labour shortage or supports expansion◦

“The extent to which the position addresses a labour shortage or supports the organization in expanding its operations.”

2 more, in their words

The form2 prompts shown

Position, skills, plan and recruitment4 sections
  1. 1Position and labour-market casewritten answer

    Describe the position, how it addresses a labour shortage or supports operational expansion, and how it creates a meaningful full-time employment opportunity.

  2. 2Skill-development opportunitywritten answer

    Describe the specific and recognizable transferable skills the intern will develop.

  3. 3Work/training plan and supervisionwritten answer
  4. 4Fair and transparent recruitmentshort answer

NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program states no length limits for these answers.

2 more prompts, in the funder’s words

Judged against4 questions · 3 criteria

  1. 1

    Does this role solve a real labour shortage?

    Show them Name the shortage or the expansion this position serves and why it has to be a full-time hire.◦

    In the funder’s words · 1
    • The extent to which the position addresses a labour shortage or supports the organization in expanding its operations.
  2. 2

    Will the intern gain real transferable skills?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

  3. 3

    Is the training and supervision properly planned?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

  4. 4

    Were the posting and selection fair and public?

    What to show them in Premium

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See every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.

2 more criteria · 2 more prompts

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Documents to attach2

Ticks are kept on this device.

The money

Funding shareUp to 90%/$35,000 or 75%/$52,500

Up to 90%/$35,000 per year for eligible municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits; up to 75%/$52,500 for eligible businesses.

Reimbursement claimsSix months and internship end

Reimbursement claims at six months and the end of the internship.

Your shareUp to 90%/$35,000 or 75%/$52,500

Up to 90%/$35,000 per year for eligible municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits; up to 75%/$52,500 for eligible businesses.

StackingCombined sources capped at 90% or 75%

Combined NOHFC and other provincial/federal sources generally capped at the applicable 90% or 75%.

Costs before approvalNo hiring before application submission

The intern cannot be hired before application submission.

What it pays for · 2
  • Indigenous intern salary/wages
  • Employer portion of mandatory employment-related costs
What it does not pay for · 4
  • Discretionary benefits
  • Training expenses
  • Computers and equipment
  • Travel and accommodations

From application to money

  1. Apply before hiringApply before hiring anyone
  2. NOHFC decisionNOHFC reviews, Board decides
  3. Fair public recruitmentConduct fair transparent selection
  4. Agreement and insuranceInsurance naming NOHFC before funding
  5. Six-month claimClaims at six months and end
In the funder’s words · 5
Apply before hiring
Apply through the NOHFC online portal before you hire anyone.
NOHFC decision
NOHFC reviews the application and the Board decides.
Fair public recruitment
Conduct a fair and transparent selection process.
Agreement and insurance
Commercial general liability insurance certificate naming NOHFC and its staff as additional insureds before funding.
Six-month claim
Reimbursement claims at six months and the end of the internship.

Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.

What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Check the organization qualifies You must be a business, municipality, Indigenous community or not-for-profit organization located in Northern Ontario — all areas north of and including the districts of Parry Sound and Nipissing — that has been in operation for at least one year and has a minimum of one full-time employee. The Indigenous requirement attaches to the intern, not to the applicant, so any eligible Northern Ontario employer can apply.

Required Documents 5

✓ Job description
✓ Proof of Indigenous self-identification

Eligible Expenses 5

Ineligible Expenses 7

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

Premium The full guide for this program also covers:
  • 5 more application steps
  • 3 more required documents
  • 5 eligible expenses
  • 7 ineligible expenses
  • Intake periods
  • Deadline notes
  • Ineligible organizations

Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Stacking partner data not yet available.

Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

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How NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Developmen... Up to $35,000 Moderate Reimbursement Continuous intake — no...
Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-On... Up to $10,000 per employee Easy Varies Ongoing — year-round...
Ontario Innovation Tax Credit Up to 8% tax credit Moderate Tax Credit Offset Ongoing
Starter Company Plus Grant $5,000 micro-grant Moderate Varies Applications are...
Commercial Façade Improvement Grant P... Up to $12,500 (50% of costs) Easy Reimbursement Annual Intake

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

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Does our business have to be Indigenous-owned to apply?
No. The Indigenous requirement attaches to the intern, who must identify as First Nation, Métis or Inuit. Any business, municipality, Indigenous community or non-profit in Northern Ontario that has operated at least a year and has one full-time employee can apply.
How much more does this pay than the general internship stream?
For businesses, considerably more: 75% of salary and MERCs to a maximum of $52,500 a year, versus 50% to $35,000 under the general Workforce Development stream. For municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profits the rate is the same 90% to $35,000.
Can we hire the intern before applying or before a decision?
You cannot hire before submitting the application — NOHFC's answer is a flat no. If you hire after submitting but before a decision and are denied, NOHFC is not responsible for any costs; if approved, it will only cover the intern if the hiring process was demonstrably fair and transparent.
What kinds of positions does NOHFC refuse to fund?
Roles that displace an existing employee, involve general or manual labour, require minimal training or training under six months, are clerical in nature, or primarily involve retail and general sales. The position must run 52 weeks at 35+ hours a week with direct onsite supervision.
When does the money arrive and is there a deadline?
There is no deadline — intake is continuous. Payment is cost-incurred, made at six months and at the end of the internship, so you carry the salary first. NOHFC's overall application and review process runs about 3-6 months.

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