Who can apply

This page explains:

Eligibility

Applicants

Your organization must be in Canada (excluding Quebec) and be 1 of the following types:

  • a union representing workers in the Red Seal trades
  • an organization managing training trust funds for unions representing workers in the Red Seal trades, for example:
    • a joint training trust fund set up by a union
    • a joint training trust fund set up by a union and an employer association
  • not-for-profit organization
  • for-profit organization (provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial, not intended to generate profit, and supports program priorities and objectives)
  • municipal government
  • Indigenous organization, including:
    • band council
    • tribal council
    • self-government entities
  • provincial or territorial government, such as:
    • agency
    • institution
    • crown corporation

Note: If your organization is not a union, you must have a partnership with a union representing workers in the Red Seal trade on which your project focuses. Your partnership with the union must be for the full duration of your project. We may ask you to provide supporting documents, such as a copy of an active collective agreement with the union representing Red Seal workers, or other documentation that would demonstrate the union's eligibility.

Note to organizations located and operating in Quebec

Organizations in the Province of Quebec cannot apply for this program. The Government of Canada has a separate funding agreement with the Government of Quebec (in French only) to deliver Union Training and Innovation Program activities. The funding supports the Province in implementing a program that accounts for the unique features of Quebec's apprenticeship system. The activities funded in Quebec will align with those delivered elsewhere in Canada.

Projects

Your project must meet all the following criteria:

  • develops and delivers green training in only 1 Red Seal trade of the following eligible trades:
    • Automotive Service Technician
    • Boilermaker
    • Bricklayer
    • Carpenter
    • Construction Craft Worker
    • Construction Electrician
    • Glazier
    • Industrial Electrician
    • Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
    • Instrumentation and Control Technician
    • Insulator (Heat and Frost)
    • Landscape Horticulturist
    • Lather (Interior Systems Mechanic)
    • Plumber
    • Powerline Technician
    • Refrigeration Air Conditioning Mechanic
    • Roofer
    • Sheet Metal Worker
    • Steamfitter/Pipefitter
    • Truck and Transport Mechanic
  • targets journeypersons and apprentices in the eligible Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • has at least 2 partnerships throughout the duration of the project
    • projects can include more than the minimum, and applicants are encouraged to convene and create partnerships between interested stakeholders
  • delivers green training to both unionized and non-unionized journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • makes green training available in at least 2 provinces (except Quebec) or territories, or both, where the trade is designated Red Seal under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program in the province or territory where the activities will be undertaken
  • has cash contributions equal to or more than 10% of the total cost of the project from sources other than the Government of Canada

Determine the minimum cash or in-kind contribution required to meet eligibility criteria.

To be eligible, your project must have a cash contribution equal to or more than 10% of your total project budget from sources other than the Government of Canada.

For example:

  • The total budget of your project is $4,589,000
  • Your cash contribution must be equal to or higher than $458,900 (10% of the total budget)
  • You can request up to $4,130,100 in funding from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

ESDC will accept equal to or more than 10% in-kind contributions in lieu of cash contributions if you can demonstrate that your project's activities are affected by any of these challenges:

Estimate the minimum cash or in-kind contribution you would need to provide for your project

Example 1

  • You have proposed the following budget:
    • Wages and mandatory employment related costs and benefit for project staff - $1,682,201
    • Participants costs - $153,894
    • Materials and office supplies - $9,637
    • Advertisement such as creating brochures, posters and ads - $19,583
    • Purchase green training materials and tools - $1,500,000
  • Your total project cost is $3,365,315
  • You need to provide at least a 10% cash contribution:
    • Your contribution is $336,531.50
      • $3,365,315 × 10% = $336,531.50
    • Your request to ESDC would be for a maximum of $3,028,783.50
      • $3,365,315 − $336,531.50 = $3,028,783.50

Example 2

  • You have proposed the following expenses:
    • Wages and mandatory employment related costs and benefit for project staff - $3,542,005
    • Material and Supplies for project - $25,583 (donation)
    • Professional fees - $145,400
    • Capital Assets - $75,481 (donation)
    • Participants costs - $670,000
  • Your total project cost is $4,458,469 and will be delivered in a remote location
  • You need to provide at least a 10% contribution. You would need $445,846.90 in contributions
    • $4,458,469 × 10% = $445,846.90
  • Your request to ESDC would be for a maximum of $4,012,622.10
    • $4,458,469 − $445,846.90 = $4,012,622.10
  • Because you have indicated in your application that most of your activities will be delivered in a remote location, you are eligible to include in-kind contributions. Your project partner will donate capital assets, material, and supplies for the project. The total fair value of the donation is $101,064. Here is a breakdown of the cash and in-kind contributions that you will provide to the project:
    • Your total contribution: $445,846.90 (10% of the total budget of the project)
      • Total of in-kind contribution: $101,064
        • $25,583 (Material and Supplies) + $75,481 (capital assets) = $101,064
      • Total of cash contribution: $344,782.90
        • $445,846.90 − $101,064 = $344,782.90

Activities

Eligible activities are, but not limited to:

  • developing and delivering green training in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project, including but not limited to:
    • developing new training materials to provide the competencies and experience related to standards, practices, or technologies
    • developing mentorship programs for journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • delivering existing green training to workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • expanding the delivery of green training to non-unionized journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers, in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project, such as making available learning products and materials online
  • upskilling journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • providing supports to journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project, to attend green training

Ineligible activities are:

  • providing essential skills training
  • promoting and marketing the benefits of hiring apprentices in the Red Seal trades
  • supporting employers to hire apprentices in the Red Seal trades

Who can participate in your project

Your projects must target the following Red Seal participants:

Alert: Warning

Note: Other workers in the Red Seal trades can participate in your project activities, but your project must focus on journeypersons and apprentices. Make sure your application specifies clearly the groups targeted.

What the funding can be used to pay for

We can only pay back eligible costs. Eligible costs must directly relate to your project activities.

Eligible costs include:

  • administrative costs used to support project activities (up to 15% of ESDC's total financial support of some of your direct costs**), such as:
    • shared postage
    • telephones
    • information technology maintenance
    • head office support

    Alert: Warning

    **New for Administrative Costs: You can request an amount of up to 15% in administrative costs based on the total amount of these 4 direct costs categories in your Budget Detail Template:

    • staff salaries (section 3A)
    • project costs (section 3C)
    • partnership development costs (section 3D)
    • sub-project costs (section 3F)

    You are not required to detail your administrative costs, simply list them in the budget.

    Important: You are still required to keep all documentation of these costs. In the event of an audit, you will need to supply the supporting documents at that time.

  • costs of materials and supplies
  • wages and mandatory employment-related costs for project staff
  • staff training and professional development costs
  • honoraria costs, including Elder fees, limited to industry standards
  • travel costs (within Canada only), in accordance with the National Joint Council's Travel Directive
  • printing and communication costs
  • professional fees, such as:
    • research
    • evaluation
    • technical expertise
    • facilitation
  • participant costs including:
    • accommodation
    • childcare
    • transportation costs
  • costs for the purchase of tools, equipment, computers, and furniture to support training
  • hospitality costs, using the Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Events Expenditures as a guiding principle

Ineligible costs are:

  • wage subsidies for work experience and employment-related costs
  • purchase or lease of real property, such as buildings or land
  • facilities costs, such as costs for construction or renovation
  • costs related to ineligible project activities
  • costs associated with core or on-going business activities of your organization
  • costs paid to employers such as, but not limited to, compensation to allow employees to participate in the project
  • consultation fees for individuals who are also receiving a salary from your organization or its partner
  • costs incurred to prepare the project proposal
  • entertainment costs
  • expenditures outside the start and end dates of a signed agreement with ESDC
  • fines or penalties
  • costs for international travel

How we assess your application

We may refuse applications that are incomplete or contain errors

We will contact you to request any mandatory information if it is missing from your application. We will do this before we determine if your application is eligible. If you receive such a request, you must respond within 5 business days of the date we sent the request. If you do not respond before the deadline, we will review your application with the information on file. This could result in your application being screened out.

We will review your application in 3 steps by:

Step 1: Screening for eligibility

We will screen for eligibility based on whether your:

  • application is:
    • received by 3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 5, 2024
    • completed in full
  • attestation in Part 4 is checked
  • application package includes the following supporting documents:
    • a completed Budget Detail Template
    • 2 proofs of partnerships, such as a letter of partnership, written by each partner that clearly outlines all the following elements:
      • roles and responsibilities of the partner in the project
      • activities that will be carried out by the partner
      • the duration of the partnership
      • signed by the partner
      • signed by the applicant organization

      Note : For non-union organizations, we may ask you to provide a document that proves the union status of at least one of your partners.

  • your organization is in Canada (excluding Quebec) and is 1 of the following eligible types (Part 1 of the Application for Funding form):
    • a union representing workers in the Red Seal trades
    • an organization managing training trust funds for unions representing workers in the Red Seal trades, for example:
      • a joint training trust fund set up by a union
      • a joint training trust fund set up by a union and an employer association
    • not-for-profit organization
    • for-profit organization (provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial, not intended to generate profit, and supports program priorities and objectives)
    • municipal government
    • Indigenous organization, including:
      • band council
      • tribal council
      • self-government entities
    • provincial or territorial government, such as:
      • agency
      • institution
      • crown corporation

    Note: We may ask you to provide supporting documents to confirm your organization's category:

      • unions may be asked to provide a copy of a relevant collective agreement
      • organizations managing training trust funds for a union representing workers in a Red Seal trade may be asked to provide a copy of an active collective agreement with a union representing Red Seal workers, as well as documentation that would demonstrate the union's eligibility
      • non-union organizations must provide a letter confirming their partnership with a union representing workers in the Red Seal trade. They may be asked to provide other supporting documents to confirm the eligibility of their union partners, such as a copy of an active collective agreement with a union representing Red Seal workers

    Note to organizations located and operating in Quebec

    Organizations in the Province of Quebec cannot apply for this program. The Government of Canada has a separate funding agreement with the Government of Quebec (in French only) to deliver Union Training and Innovation Program activities. The funding supports the Province in implementing a program that accounts for the unique features of Quebec's apprenticeship system. The activities funded in Quebec will align with those delivered elsewhere in Canada.

  • your project meets all the following eligibility criteria (Part 2 and Part 3 of the Application for Funding form):
    • develops and delivers green training in only 1 Red Seal trade of the following eligible trades:
      • Automotive Service Technician
      • Boilermaker
      • Bricklayer
      • Carpenter
      • Construction Craft Worker
      • Construction Electrician
      • Glazier
      • Industrial Electrician
      • Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
      • Instrumentation and Control Technician
      • Insulator (Heat and Frost)
      • Landscape Horticulturist
      • Lather (Interior Systems Mechanic)
      • Plumber
      • Powerline Technician
      • Refrigeration Air Conditioning Mechanic
      • Roofer
      • Sheet Metal Worker
      • Steamfitter/Pipefitter
      • Truck and Transport Mechanic
  • targets journeypersons and apprentices in the eligible Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • has a minimum of 2 partnerships, throughout the duration of the project
  • delivers green training to both unionized and non-unionized journeypersons, apprentices, and other workers in the Red Seal trade that is the focus of the project
  • makes green training available in at least 2 provinces (except Quebec) or territories, or both, where the trade is designated Red Seal under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program in the province or territory where the activities will be undertaken
  • has cash contributions equal to or more than 10% of the total cost of the project from sources other than the Government of Canada

It is important to submit a complete application. We will assess your project only if all of the eligibility requirements are met.

Things that may impact your eligibility

Your past performance or issues of default in projects with ESDC may impact the eligibility of your application.

When determining the eligibility of your application, ESDC may review information in the public domain including, but not limited to, materials on your website and media articles.

Step 2: Assessing program objectives

We will assess your application based on the following criteria:

Project objectives

  • You explain the need for the green training in the Red Seal trade (question 56)
  • You describe how the project will develop the green training (questions 56 and 57)
  • You give details on how your project will deliver the green training (questions 56 and 57)
  • You give details on how partnerships contribute to support the trades and the apprenticeship training ecosystem (question 64)

Project activities

  • You link your project activities with your project objectives (questions 56 and 57)
  • You provide clear steps of how you will execute your activities to achieve the project objectives (question 57)
  • You present clear and feasible timelines for each step (question 57)
  • You identify and describe roles and responsibilities of each partner in your activities (questions 56, 57 and 64)

Project results

  • You provide the expected number of participants for each of the following categories your project aims to reach (question 58):
    • total number of journeypersons to be reached:
      • total of unionized
      • total of non-unionized
    • total number of apprentices to be reached:
      • total of unionized
      • total of non-unionized
    • total number of other workers in the Red Seal trade to be reached:
      • total of unionized
      • total of non-unionized
  • You give details on the outputs your project will deliver (question 58)
  • You describe your expected outcomes and how they link to your project objectives (question 58)
  • You explain how you will track, measure, and report on results (question 59)

Budget

  • You detail costs incurred by your project and demonstrate that they link to your project activities (questions 72 to 78 and Budget Detail Template)
  • You present costs that are eligible and at fair market value (questions 72 to 78 and Budget Detail Template)
  • You identify the other sources of funding, and which costs they cover (questions 66 to 75 and Budget Detail Template)

Step 3: Assessing other criteria to prioritize projects to fund

The Department of Employment and Social Development aims to fund no more than 1 project within each of the 20 trades eligible under this call for proposals, subject to funding availability. We may give priority to projects that:

  • provide no-cost or low-cost green training opportunities (questions 56 and 57)
  • provide green training opportunities in 3 or more provinces (except Quebec) or territories (questions 56, 57 and 61)
  • are led by a union representing workers in the Red Seal trades or an organization managing training funds on their behalf (questions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 21)
  • aim to improve the participation or access, or both, to green training to equity-deserving groups (question 63) such as:
    • women
    • persons with disabilities
    • Indigenous people
    • members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities
    • racialized communities
    • newcomers
  • are submitted by eligible organizations who have demonstrated 5 years or more of experience in the delivery of projects that support training of journeypersons or apprentices in the Red Seal trades (question 50)

Note: Applicants may submit more than one proposal. The Department may consider funding other organizations from various locations before funding the same organization more than once.

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