Nova Scotia Workforce Tariff Response Fund

Program Description

A $13.8M federal-provincial fund (FY2025-26 to 2027-28) providing time-limited employer grants to train, retrain, reskill, and upskill workers in Nova Scotia businesses and sectors affected by US tariffs and related trade disruptions. Supporting approximately 1,572 workers across steel, softwood lumber, seafood, agrifood, manufacturing, and other tariff-impacted sectors. Employers apply through the LaMPSS (Labour Market Programs Support System) portal.

Eligibility Requirements

• Employer operating in Nova Scotia in a tariff/trade-affected sector
• Applicant must be a Nova Scotia-based legal entity registered and in good standing with the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies
• Eligible employers include private sector businesses (including sole proprietors with employees), not-for-profit organizations, municipal governments, Indigenous organizations (e.g. band or tribal councils), and public sector organizations such as health and educational institutions
• Sector eligibility is defined by NAICS code: Steel (3311, 3312); Softwood Lumber (113, 321, 322, 1153); Fisheries & Seafood (1141, 11411, 11413, 3117, 31171, 311710); Agri-Food (111, 112); Manufacturing (311-316, 3111, 311814, 321, 32212, 323-325, 3252, 326, 32610, 327, 331-333, 333246, 334, 335, 3351, 336, 3364, 336390, 337, 339); Auto — Tires (3262)
• Other sectors or industries may also be eligible where employers or workers can demonstrate direct or indirect impacts of tariffs or global market shifts, including impacts within their supply chains
• Eligible participants are individuals who are: unemployed and eligible for Employment Insurance (active claimants, former claimants who received EI benefits within the previous five years, or individuals with recent labour force attachment through EI contributions); employed and at risk of job loss; or participating in a Work-Sharing agreement
• The employer must be seeking assistance for employed workers facing a loss of employment, to maintain their current employment, or for unemployed workers — a stable workforce with no job-loss risk does not qualify
• Sole proprietors and small businesses may apply only where training is provided to employees; funding does not support training for business owners or self-employed individuals for their own personal upskilling
• Training project must directly address worker training, retraining, reskilling, or upskilling needs arising from tariff disruption
• Application must be submitted via LaMPSS (Labour Market Programs Support System) with a completed Itemized Budget Breakdown (IBB)
• Employers whose business activities are interrupted by a labour dispute at the time of application are not eligible