Call for project proposals for federal Skills and Partnership Fund

Ottawa – The federal government is calling for proposals for projects under the Skills and Partnership Fund, which provides funding for partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to offer skills training for Indigenous people linked to local, regional and national economic opportunities.

By equipping Indigenous people with the skills needed for in-demand jobs, the SPF helps directly link training efforts and Indigenous people to specific jobs to improve their employment outcomes, Employment and Social Development Canada said in a news release.

The SPF 2022 call for proposals will be open for a 10-week period from Feb. 28 to May 9, 2022.

The program funds projects that contribute to the skills development and training-to-employment of Indigenous workers towards long-term, meaningful employment. SPF encourages innovations in Indigenous training-to-employment and service delivery, including new approaches to labour market training, and improving employment outcomes for Indigenous people. This is done by supporting innovative projects to prepare and train Indigenous people for the demands of the Canadian labour market. It requires the development of partnerships and leveraging of private sector and federal-provincial-territorial funding to maximize SPF investments and testing new service delivery models to embed long-term program improvements.

Funding recipients deliver supports and services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to help them develop the necessary skills and training to secure jobs. Attention is given to ensuring that partnerships are in place prior to project initiation and that projects are responsive to demonstrated need with supports in the areas of training-to-employment, skills development and service innovation.

Objectives

Funding will be provided to projects that:

• prepare and train Indigenous people for specific jobs that are demand-driven
• demonstrate partnerships that will develop training for employment activities aimed at improving employment outcomes of Indigenous people
• leverage private sector, not-for-profit and/or public sector funding to maximize SPF investments
• include measures to ensure that potential employers provide a respectful and inclusive workplace for Indigenous employees and consider the future of the project by outlining a sustainability plan to continue the project after ESDC funding ends or including a clear plan to end the project

Who can apply?

Eligible organizations include one of the following types of Indigenous-led organizations:

• incorporated for-profit Indigenous-controlled organizations
• incorporated not-for-profit Indigenous-controlled organizations
• Indigenous-controlled unincorporated organizations
• Indian Act bands
• band or tribal councils
• Indigenous self-government entities

Applicants should note:

• Organizations can apply for up to $10 million per year.
• The total request cannot exceed $50 million per project.
• Projects can last up to 60 months (5 years) and cannot extend past March 31, 2028.

Visit SPF CFP Funding page for more information on how to apply, as well as information on upcoming information sessions.