Grant
Provincial
Active
NOHFC Workforce Development Program
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)
Maximum Funding
Up to $35,000
Continuous intake — no fixed deadline. Funding is limited and subject to NOHF...
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
Varies
NOHFC Workforce Development Program provides Up to $35,000 per intern per year. Covers up to 90% of salary + MERCs for municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits; up to 50% of salary + MERCs for businesses. Northern Ontario employers can receive wage subsidies of up to $35,000 per intern per year to hire new entrants, career-changers, or unemployed/underemployed individuals for 52-week, full-time positions. 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 wage subsidies of up to $35,000 per intern per year to hire new entrants, career-changers, or unemployed/underemployed individuals for 52-week, full-time positions.
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 Parry Sound and Nipissing
- 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 intern's salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs for municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profits, and up to 50% for businesses, to a maximum of $35,000 per year in both cases
- 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
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $35,000 per intern per year. Covers up to 90% of salary + MERCs for municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits; up to 50% of salary + MERCs for businesses.
- 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
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win NOHFC Workforce Development Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipDesign a 52-week, full-time position that provides direct onsite supervision and is not general labour, clerical, or retail; track salary and MERCs carefully because payments are made on a cost-incurred basis after six months and at completion.
Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
5 docs
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.
Required Documents 5
✓ Job description
✓ Intern eligibility documentation
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 7
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
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Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How NOHFC Workforce Development Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about NOHFC Workforce Development Program
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How much of an intern's salary does NOHFC actually cover?
Up to 50% of salary plus the employer's portion of MERCs for businesses, and up to 90% for municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profits — capped at $35,000 per year either way. An organization can hold two internship positions at a time.
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 counts as a fair and transparent hiring process here?
You must post a job advertisement in at least one public forum, such as a job bank, and NOHFC will require proof of the posting including its opening and closing dates. You also cannot hire immediate family or relatives of owners and directors, except in smaller Northern communities.
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. Payments are cost-incurred and come in two installments, after six months and at the internship's end, so you carry the salary first. NOHFC's overall application and review process runs about 3-6 months.
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Full Playbook: NOHFC Workforce Development Program
6 steps · 5 docs · reviewer insights