Funding WORBE: Workplace opportunities: Removing barriers to equity

Eligible applicants

Your organization must be one (1) of the following types:

• federally regulated private-sector employers
• employers associations (unionized or non-unionized)
• non-governmental organizations
• not-for-profit organizations
• academic institutions

Eligible projects

Your project must meet all of the following criteria:

• be no longer than 36 months
• request no more than $500,000 per year
• meet at least one (1) program objective and developing at least one (1) of the types of eligible activities
• primary results must be achieved within a 12 month time period
• projects must focus on at least one (1) of the designated groups in the Employment Equity Act (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities)
• project must aim to improve designated group representation in areas of low representation through effective partnerships and targeted industry strategies
• develop targeted solutions to support sectors or occupational groups experiencing low representation
• projects must focus on at least one (1) of the four (4) sectors (banking and financial services, communications, transportation and ‘other’) and increase diversity in one (1) or more of the 14 Employment Equity Occupational Groups:
  • senior managers
  • middle and other managers
  • professionals
  • semi-Professionals and technicians
  • supervisors
  • supervisors: crafts and trades
  • administrative and senior clerical personnel
  • skilled sales and service personnel
  • skilled crafts and trades workers
  • clerical personnel
  • intermediate sales and service personnel
  • semi-skilled manual workers
  • other sales and service personnel, and
  • other manual workers
• all project proposals must be partnership-based and industry participation is mandatory. Applicants are expected to create or build partnerships that strengthen project outcomes through their reach, expertise, and financial or in-kind support
• recipient(s) must contribute financially (no minimum) or in-kind to the project

Eligible activities

Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to the following:

• engaging in effective partnership(s) to work with and support federally regulated private-sector employers through the creation of inclusive workplaces by identifying industry-specific barriers and solutions in order to improve the representation of designated groups in workplaces, occupational groups or sectors experiencing low representation
• enabling employers to take action by facilitating the creation of industry-specific strategies to address identified challenges
• increasing the capacity of employers to fulfil their obligations under the Act by leveraging the potential for industry to work together to develop targeted solutions

Step 1:

• the completed Application for Funding Form was received within the allowed timelines (please note that not all questions are required at this time; those questions are clearly identified in the Applicant Guide)
• concept application was submitted by an eligible recipient
• concept submissions must be partnership-based and industry participation is mandatory. Applicants are expected to create or build on partnerships that strengthen project outcomes through their reach, expertise, and financial or in-kind support
• concept must contribute to achieve the WORBE’s objectives and expected results by meeting at least one (1) of the WORBE’S objectives and developing at least one (1) of the types of eligible activities
• concept must also focus on at least one (1) of the four (4) sectors, the four (4) designated groups, and at least one (1) of the 14 occupational groups experiencing under-representation, and
• concept will be reviewed and evaluated based on the clarity and adequacy of the information presented in the application form

Step 2:

In step 2 of the intake process, the Department will invite only organizations that submitted successful concept applications to apply for a targeted call for proposals. These organizations will have three (3) weeks to submit a full project proposal. Further instructions will only be provided to the selected organizations. The invitation to submit a full proposal does not guarantee funding.