Apply for funding to become an intermediary under the Apprenticeship Service Program

On this page

• Application period Closed
• Description of the funding
• Objective
• Eligibility
• How we assess your application
• Steps to apply
• After you’ve applied
• Contact us
• Glossary

Application period

You can apply between August 3, 2021 to September 14, 2021 at 3:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Description of the funding

Eligible organizations can apply for up to $72,500,000 per year. Organizations must commit to act as an intermediary until March 31, 2024.

We will select organizations that will act as intermediaries to:

• manage and distribute funds to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across Canada to hire a minimum of 2,500 new, first-year Red Seal apprentices, per year, in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seals trades
• provide SMEs with the following financial incentive:
  • an initial $5,000 for the hiring of a new, first-year apprentice in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades
  • provide an additional $5,000 if the apprentice is from a key group:
    • women
    • Indigenous people
    • newcomers
    • persons with disabilities
    • racialized communities, including Black Canadians
    • LGBTQ2+
• provide SMEs with additional supports to increase their participation in the apprenticeship system
• sign agreements with eligible SMEs

Objective

This Call for Proposals (CFP) will provide funding to intermediaries that have the capacity to support SMEs to hire new, first-year apprentices by:

• providing a financial incentive to SMEs to hire new, first-year Red Seal apprentices in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades
• offering additional supports to SMEs to recruit and encourage employment of first-year apprentices, such as:
  • help to onboard apprentices
  • help to create an inclusive workplace
  • provide workplace diversity and sensitivity training
  • support to hire and retain apprentices from key groups
• monitoring and reporting on the use of that funding
• evaluating and reporting on results

Eligibility

Organizations must meet all the following eligibility criteria:

Eligible applicants

Your organization must:

• be 1 of the following type of organizations:
  • a union representing workers in Red Seal trades or an organization managing training funds for Red Seal trades workers, for example:
    • a joint training fund set up by a union
    • a union and an employer association
  • a not for profit organization
  • a for profit organization
  • an Indigenous organization, including:
    • band council
    • tribal council
    • self government entity
    • Indigenous-led union
  • a provincial and territorial government, institution, agency or Crown Corporation
• be in operation for a minimum of 5 years*
• have existing networks with SMEs that currently employ journeypersons in one or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades*
• have financial management experience within the last 5 years in:
  • delivering initiatives that included a variety of partners; or
  • acting as an intermediary, which could have included distribution of funding
• commit to act as an intermediary until March 31, 2024

* Note: Indigenous organizations will be exempt from this requirement.

Eligible projects

Your project must meet all of the following criteria:

• must end by March 31, 2024
• request cannot exceed $72,500,000 per year

How we assess your application

We will review your application in 3 steps by:

1. screening for eligibility against the mandatory eligibility requirements (in questions 3 to 9 and 49 in the applicant guide)
2. assessing how the project meets the program objectives (in questions 49, 55 to 58, and 69 to 71 in the applicant guide and the budget detail template (PDF Format))
3. considering other criteria to select the Intermediary (in questions 4 and 22 in the applicant guide)

Screening for eligibility

We will assess your project only if all of the following eligibility requirements are met and the necessary documentation has been provided:

• application is received by September 14, 2021 at 3:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
• organization is eligible (Questions 3, 4 and 5):
  • union representing workers in Red Seal trades or an organization managing training funds for Red Seal trades workers, for example:
    • a joint training fund set up by a union
    • a union and an employer association
  • not for profit organization
  • for profit organization
  • Indigenous organization including:
    • band council
    • tribal council
    • Self government entity
    • Indigenous-led union
  • provincial and territorial government, institution, agency or Crown Corporation
  • operating for a minimum of 5 years (Question 6)*
  • have existing networks with SMEs that currently employ journeypersons in 1 or more of the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades (Question 49)*

    * Note: Indigenous organizations will be exempt from this requirement.

  • have financial management experience within the last 5 years (Question 49) in:
    • delivering initiatives that included a variety of partners; or
    • acting as an intermediary, which could have included distribution of funding
• application is complete, including:
  • all question are answered
  • completed budget detail template (PDF Format) and Part 3 of the application form
  • completed Attestation (Part 4 of the application form)
• project activities are eligible

Project assessment

We will assess the merit of your application based on the following criteria:

Organization’s capacity

• Describe the organization’s financial management experience, within the last 5 years, and how you:
  • delivered initiatives that included a variety of partners; or
  • acted as an intermediary to support organizations, which could have included distribution of funding
• Describe the organization existing networks with SMEs that employ journeypersons in the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades that would demonstrate its capacity to carry out this project
• Demonstrate the organization’s effective governance
• Demonstrate the organization’s experience in reporting on results

Project objective

Describe how the organization will support SMEs to hire new, first-year apprentices.

Project activities

• Describe how the organization will use or expand its existing network to hire new, first-year apprentices with SMEs in the 39 construction and/or manufacturing Red Seal trades
• Describe how the organization will manage and distribute funding to SMEs
• Describe how the organization will provide additional supports to SMEs to participate in the apprenticeship system, for example:
  • help to onboard apprentices
  • help to create an inclusive workplace
  • provide workplace diversity and sensitivity training
  • support to hire and retain apprentices from key groups
• Provide clear and relevant description of the project activities
• Provide clear and feasible timelines to complete the project activities

Project impact and results

• Describe the expected results of the project
• Outline how the organization plans to collect, measure and report on the project’s results

Project costs

• Provide a brief and clear justification of how the organization intends to use the money
• Demonstrate that the project costs are reasonable, detailed and support the project activities
• Administrative costs are not exceeding 15% of the total funding by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Additional priorities

In selecting the Intermediaries, we will prioritize proposals from organizations that:

• already provide services in multiple provinces and territories
• are submitted from Indigenous organizations

Steps to apply

Gather your supporting documents and information

Apply online, by email or mail

Gather your supporting documents and information

Documents to send:

• completed application form
• completed budget detail template (PDF Format)

Decide how to apply

Apply online

1. Create your Grants and Contributions Online Service (GCOS) account. It may take up to 10 business days to create your account
2. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details for each question of the form
3. Complete the budget detail template (PDF Format, 47 KB) and upload it in GCOS
4. Apply online

Apply by email or mail

1. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details and more information for each question of the form
2. Complete the application form and Budget Detail template (PDF Format) online or by hand
3. Print and sign the signature pages
4. Send your complete application package:
   • by email to:
     EDSC.SA-AS.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca
   • mailing address:
     Apprenticeship Service
     Coordination unit mailstop 402
     National Grants and Contributions Delivery Centre (NGCDC)
     140 Promenade du Portage Phase IV 4th Floor
     Gatineau QC K1A 0J9

If you cannot email the required documents, you can send them by mail to the address above. In your email, tell us if you are sending other documents by mail.

PDF form help

Our application form uses PDF form technology. You must have a PDF reader installed to use the form correctly. There are several readers available on the Internet for free that support our form:

Adobe Reader 8 or higher, for example:

• Adobe Acrobat DC Reader
• Foxit Reader

After you’ve applied

We will review your application and decide if you are selected to become an intermediary.

We will select the successful organizations by winter 2022.

Contact us

If you have questions, email us at EDSC.SA-AS.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca.

We will answer questions sent before September 12, 2021 at 3:00 pm EDT.

If you need any accessibility-related accommodation, please email us with the details. We strive to accommodate all of your needs in line with accessibility standards. We will accept accessibility requests until September 7, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Information sessions

We will hold an information session on August 18, 2021. You can participate online or by teleconference. If you are interested, send an email to EDSC.SA-AS.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca.

In your email, specify your preferred language (English or French) and if you need accommodations.

We will provide you with the instructions on how and when to attend.

Glossary

Existing network

An existing network consists of a number of organizations that already collaborate with each other and/or memberships in 1 or more networking groups. The network(s) in place can be used and/or quickly expanded to deliver the Apprenticeship Service.

Intermediary

An organization that has the capacity to:

• distribute funding to SMEs
• provide support to SMEs to hire and retain apprentices

Lack of infrastructure

A lack of access to resources and facilities that may limit employment and apprenticeship opportunities in the trades with limited resources or minimal formal infrastructure, for example:

• small or not-for-profit organizations
• equity group organizations

On a community level, a lack of infrastructure represents a lack of access to resources and facilities that may have a direct impact on community well-being, for example:

• health services
• social services
• community centres
• learning facilities
• recreational facilities
• transit/transportation infrastructure
• roads
• broadband internet
• etc.

Limited partnership opportunities

A situation where establishing partnerships is more challenging due in part to:

• limited number of employers and training institutions
• occasional occurrence of competition between agreement holders for available partners

Remote and isolated regions can be economically depressed and find it difficult to find employer partners or deliver demand-driven programming, for example:

• limited presence of large/major industries
• colleges or polytechnics
• non-governmental organizations

Red Seal Trades

Designated trades that are governed by regulations under the Provincial and Territorial Apprenticeship Acts. These regulations outline the administrative procedures and in some cases the standards and conditions of training for specific trades, such as:

• methods of registering apprentices
• curriculum
• accreditation
• certification

List of the 39 Construction and Manufacturing Red Seal Trades

Construction

• Boilermaker
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Welder
• Steamfitter/Pipefitter
• Refrigeration and AC Mechanic
• Construction Electrician
• Plumber
• Painter and Decorator
• Landscape Horticulturist
• Roofer
• Lather (Interior Systems Mechanic)
• Glazier
• Sprinkler Fitter
• Insulator (Heat and Frost)
• Gasfitter A
• Gasfitter B
• HEO Dozer
• HEO Excavator
• HEO TLB
• Mobile Crane Operator
• Construction Craft Worker
• Drywall Finisher and Plasterer
• Concrete Finisher
• Tilesetter
• Floorcovering Installer
• Tower Crane Operator
• Powerline Technician
• Carpenter
• Bricklayer
• Ironworker Generalist
• Ironworker Reinforcing
• Ironworker S/O

Manufacturing

• Boilermaker
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Welder
• Steamfitter/Pipefitter
• Refrigeration and AC Mechanic
• Cabinetmaker
• Instrumentation and Control Technician
• Machinist
• Tool and Die Maker
• Metal Fabricator (Fitter)
• Industrial Electrician
• Industrical Mechanic (Millwright)

Remote locations

A geographical area where a community is located over 350 km from the nearest service centre having year-round road access. This could include geographical areas that have scheduled flights and good telephone services, but are without year-round road access, for example:

• small population
• limited access to urban centres and training facilities
• on-reserve

Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME)

A business establishment with 499 paid employees or less at the time that it receives the funding.