Grant
Provincial
Active
Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ontario / MLITSD
Government of Ontario / Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Maximum Funding
Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up...
Intake is open with no set deadline to apply. Applications are received until...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Advance Payment
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
55%
Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ontario / MLITSD provides up to Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up to $7,700 per participating employee (55% cost-share, based on a maximum $14,000 total wages per employee); no overall project cap is stated. Helps Ontario employers upskill or reskill workers through training partnerships, covering 55% of training wages through a Training Wage Subsidy. The program covers up to 55% of eligible costs. 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
Helps Ontario employers upskill or reskill workers through training partnerships, covering 55% of training wages through a Training Wage Subsidy.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a legal entity authorized to operate in Ontario and have a physical location where business is actively carried on.
- Employer must be on an active EI Work-Sharing agreement, have workers needing upskilling or reskilling to prevent job loss, or have workforce development needs in high-potential sectors.
- Must partner with an eligible training provider.
- Employer must contribute 45% of Training Wage Subsidy costs from its own funds.
- Participants must meet program age and training-duration requirements.
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Employer-led applicants may claim a Training Wage Subsidy of up to $7,700 per participating employee (55% cost-share, based on a maximum $14,000 total wages per employee); no overall project cap is stated
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 55% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Intake is open with no set deadline to apply. Applications are received until all program funds are allocated, and are assessed on an ongoing basis.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipCheck which of your workers can actually draw the wage subsidy before you build the plan.
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Rejection Pitfalls 8
- The applicant is not a valid legal entity, or is a private consultant or consultant lobbyist
+7 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 8 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ont...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 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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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
5 docs
Application Steps
1
Line up a training provider Successful employer recipients must work with an educational institution or other organization equipped to deliver the training: a publicly funded post-secondary institution, a career college registered under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, a district school board, or an Indigenous Institute.
Required Documents 5
✓ A formal training plan setting out daily and weekly training schedules for each participating employee
✓ A projected budget covering Operating Funds, Administrative Costs and participant or employer financial supports
Eligible Expenses 11
Ineligible Expenses 9
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Stacking partner data not yet available.
Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ont... Compares
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| Skills Advance Ontario — Government o... | up to $7,700 | Hard | Advance Payment | Intake is open with no... |
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| 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 Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ont...
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How much can I get per employee?
A maximum of $7,700 per employee under the Training Wage Subsidy, calculated as 55% of up to $14,000 of that employee's wages during training, with the employer contributing the remaining 45% from its own funds.
Is the training itself paid for as well?
Yes. Operating Funds separately cover costs such as tuition charged by the educational institution, books, software and materials required to complete the training, and staff time to deliver and coordinate it, with administrative costs of up to 15% of Operating Funds.
Which of my employees can the wage subsidy be claimed for?
Employees participating in the SAO project who are not on an active EI Work-Sharing agreement. Employees in SAO job placements are not eligible for the wage subsidy, and participants cannot be in a senior management or executive position or hold a controlling interest in the business.
When is the deadline?
There is none. Intake is open and applications will be received until all program funds are allocated, with assessment on an ongoing basis.
Do I need a training provider?
Yes. Successful employer recipients must work with an educational institution or other organization equipped to deliver the training, including publicly funded post-secondary institutions, registered career colleges, district school boards and Indigenous Institutes.
What are the reporting obligations?
Activity reports, financial reports and a final report are mandatory, and recipients of $150,000 or more must engage a third-party auditor to report on the project financial statements. The cost of that audit should be included in your budget application.
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Full Playbook: Skills Advance Ontario — Government of Ont...
6 steps · 5 docs · reviewer insights