Atlantic Canada Business Grants

Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration

Innovate to Opportunity Hiring Incentive

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Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Subsidy

Description:

Innovate to Opportunity (ITO) is providing Nova Scotia SMEs an incentive to hire recent masters and PhD grads for jobs that are focused on research and innovation that will help businesses begin, prepare for, or expand exports.

Employers can receive salary incentives in one of two streams: Innovation Stream, where the new graduate's work should be expected to help the company prepare for, begin or expand exports, or Advanced Innovation Stream, where his work must also have an explicit connection to export development or growth. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding under the Innovation Stream is 35% of the graduate’s annual salary in Year 1, 20% in Year 2 and 12.5% in Year 3, up to an annual salary of $100,000.

Funding under the Advanced Innovation Stream is 50% of the graduate’s annual salary in Year 1, 25% in Year 2, and 12.5% in Year 3, up to an annual salary of $100,000.

A diversity bonus of an additional 10% can be provided in the 1st and 2nd years of both streams, if the graduate is a woman in an under-represented occupation, self-identifies as a racially visible minority, is Mi’kmaq or Indigenous, an international student or a person with a disability.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

The company must:

  • be a Nova Scotia operating SME,
  • have up to 500 full-time employees,
  • create a full-time position focused on innovation and pay a minimum annual salary of $60,000.

The new hire must:

  • have successfully completed a master’s or PhD program at a recognized university within a year of the date the employer’s application is received. 

Application Steps:

The applicant must:

1

register in the online Labor Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS),

2

complete the online application form.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit alongside the application form:

  1. 1
    a description of their organization and its mandate,
  2. 2
    contact details of a person at their organization who will be responsible for the agreement,
  3. 3
    a job description for the new position you wish to create, as well as its location,
  4. 4
    a T4 Summary or other documentation to show the number of employees,
  5. 5
    a complete Innovation Plan. 

Once the chosen graduate is hired, the employer must submit the following three documents to the Youth Initiatives Program Agreement Manager:

  1. 1
    a copy of the graduate’s degree or a letter from the respective university confirming that they have completed all program requirements, and the date of their convocation.
  2. 2
    a signed copy of the graduates’ employment letter of offer between your organization and the graduate, including the following information: salary, permanent/full-time Employment, new position, start date, signatures of the graduate (new hire) and employer
  3. 3
    a completed Graduate Information Form, which can be downloaded from the Innovate to Opportunity Program website. This is where the new hire has an opportunity to self-identify as aboriginal Canadian, a visible minority, a person with a disability, a woman in an under-represented occupation or an international graduate, which would make the employer eligible to receive an additional 10% diversity bonus in the first and second year.

Other Things to Note:

Issue Date: October 2022 (Guidelines)

Program Contact:

Innovate to Opportunity hiring incentive

Innovate_to_Opportunity_Book.pdf

Co-op Education Incentive (CO-OP)

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Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Subsidy

Description:

The Co-op Education Incentive (CO-OP) provides wage assistance to organizations that offer career-related work experiences for university and college co-operative students. Agreements run from 12 to 16 consecutive weeks per term, depending on the requirements of the cooperative program. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is a subsidy of $7.50 an hour ($9.00 if the student is a member of designated diversity group) for the wages the applicant pays the student.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

January 16, 2023
May 15, 2023

Eligibility:

The applicant must:

  • be private-sector, 
  • be government-funded
  • be non-profit, or charitable organization
  • be a social enterprise
  • be a municipality
  • want to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12-16 weeks
  • pay the student at least $15 per hour, plus vacation pay, for 32.5 to 40 hours of work per week.

The student must be enrolled in a co-operative education program at a Nova Scotia university or college. 

The work placement must be endorsed in advance by a university or college Coop Coordinator.

Application Steps:

1

Applicant must register in the online Labor Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS),

2

Applicant must complete the online application form,

3

Applicant must submit a separate application for each county, if he wants to hire co-op students in more than one county.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must:

  • provide their organization’s Registry of Joint Stocks number, Canada Revenue Agency charities number, or a copy of legal documentation or legislative act that identifies how assets will be distributed upon dissolution of the organization,
  • describe your organization and the role you want to fill,

If the application is approved, the applicant needs to:

  • return a signed contract,
  • provide information about the student he hires, including proof that they’re currently enrolled in a Co-operative Education program at a Nova Scotia university or college,
  • have his student sign a waiver to let the Nova Scotia's Department of Labor and Advanced Education use his information.

At the end of the program, the applicant needs to:

  • provide proof of the wages he paid the student—use the Payroll Record form and send a copy of the student’s Record of Employment,
  • complete a feedback survey,
  • have his student complete a feedback survey.

Other Things to Note:

Apply between 15 December 2022 and 16 January 2023 for the Summer 2023 co-op term.
Apply between 15 April and 15 May 2023 for the Fall 2023 co-op term.

Program Contact:

Co-operative Education Incentive

Coop_Education_Incentive_Book.pdf

Graduate to Opportunity (GTO)

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Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Subsidy

Description:

Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) is helping to build a stronger workforce and retain young people in Nova Scotia with a salary incentive that makes it easier to hire recent graduates. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is 25% of the first year’s salary – 35% if the new graduate is a member of designated diversity group – and 12.5% of the second year’s salary.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

The applicant must:

  • be a small business with fewer than 100 employees,
  • be a start-up company incorporated within two years of the application date,
  • be a social enterprise, not-for-profit organization, or registered charity with recognized standing,
  • open a new position, permanent, full-time and pay at least $35,000 a year,
  • not receive funding from any other government employment program for this position.

The graduate he hires must have successfully completed a post-secondary program within one year from the day the application is submitted.

The program can’t consider graduate-employees who have been working for the employer on a permanent basis before the GTO application is approved.

Apprentices in registered trades aren’t eligible for Graduate to Opportunity.

Application Steps:

1

Applicant must register in the online Labor Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS),

2

Applicant must complete the application form and submit it electronically.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit:

  • the application form,
  • a description of their organization and its mandate,
  • a job description for the new position you wish to create, as well as its location
  • a T4 Summary for the organization or other documentation to show the number of employees. 

Other Things to Note:

Issue Date: November 2022 (Guidelines)

Program Contact:

Graduate to Opportunity

Graduate_to_Opportunity_Guidelines.pdf

Job Creation Partnerships

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Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

The Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) is a program designed to support projects that will provide Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) eligible participants with meaningful work experience that will improve their employment prospects. Financial assistance is available for income support and/or Employment Insurance Benefits for those participants who are active EI claimants up to a maximum EI rate(non-insurable).

Comments on Funding:

Financial assistance is available for income support and/or Employment Insurance Benefits.
The maximum duration of an agreement for a JCP project is 52 weeks. 

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling deadline

Eligibility:

The applicant must:

  • businesses, 
  • Federal Crown Corporations and comparable Provincial Crown Corporations, 
  • organizations, 
  • individuals,
  • municipal governments,
  • band/tribal councils,
  • public health and educational institutions,
  • having project activities that are incremental to and not part of their normal operations, are not-for-profit activities and will be finite in nature,
  • provide a valuable work experience to an eligible client,
  • supervise and mentor the client,
  • provide financial and/or activity reports to Employment Nova Scotia.

Participants must:

  • be Canadian citizens or permanent residents legally entitled to work in Canada,
  • meet the definition of an insured participant,
  • meet one of the following: 
  • have a current Employment Insurance (EI) claim,
  • have received benefits under the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB),
  • have had an EI claim that ended within the last 60 months,
  • have been employed with gross insurable earnings of $2000 or higher annually, in at least 5 of the last 10 years,
  • have a Return to Work Action Plan that identifies that the JCP work experience being considered supports a reasonable occupational goal for them. 

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must register in the online Labor Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS),

2

Applicants must submit the application form and supporting documents electronically.

Documentation Needed: 

The applicant must submit:

  • the application form,
  • the job descriptions,
  • an organization overview,
  • a project budget with itemized budget breakdown.

Other Things to Note: 

No other details available.

Program Contact:

Job Creation Partnerships

Job Creation Partnerships Program Guidelines

Workplace Education Initiative (WEI)

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Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

The Workplace Education Initiative (WEI) provides business skills training to business owners and their employees. WEI training enhances individual workplace skills and supports businesses and organizations to be more successful, open to change and ready for growth. Programs offered include leadership and communication skills, sales and marketing, financial management, and social media.

Comments on Funding:

The program provides funding:

  • to conduct an Organizational Training Needs Assessment,
  • to hire an Instructor for the development and delivery of programs for your organization.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling deadline

Eligibility:

WEI provides training for working Nova Scotians and entrepreneurs in the following workplaces:

  • Nova Scotia businesses (for profit and not for profit);
  • business/sector/industry associations;
  • private-sector unions;
  • social enterprises.

Application Steps:

1

contact their regional Workplace Education & Training Coordinator;

2

set up a project team to oversee the program(s);

3

work with their Workplace Education & Training Coordinator to organize a needs assessment to learn more about the training needs in the individual business or community;

4

set goals and create a training plan;

5

hire an instructor to deliver the program who will tailor the program to meet the individual business needs;

6

apply online via the Labor Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS).

Documentation Needed: 

No specific documentation has been identified.

Other Things to Note:

Workplace Education Initiative (WEI) is a program administered by the Department of Labour and Advanced Education through the Labour Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS), a common method for administering Labour Market Programs in Nova Scotia. The Department, in partnership with business, industry and labour organizations, manages this Labour Market Program.

Program Contact:

Workplace Education

Workplace Education Initiative Program Guidelines

Making-It-Work-Guide-for-Project-Teams.pdf