The Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream offers funding to organizations for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retaining workers, including apprentices, to drive Ontario’s economic growth.

The SDF Training Stream supports project that:

  • develop a resilient workforce by supporting access to the labour market, strengthening efforts to attract, train, and retain workers, and building employer capacity to adapt and innovate
  • encourage partnerships and drive innovation through collaborative training initiatives that build local capacity and help communities respond to shocks in labour market conditions and pivot to in-demand, emerging and essential sectors
  • support skilled trades and construction labour includes enhancing the adaptability, technical skills, and knowledge of participants to support key industries by working with community partners to help participants develop advanced skill sets
  • provide a targeted response to U.S. tariffs as support for in-demand skilled trades and industrial sectors such as automotive and manufacturing

Eligible activities

Eligible activities include:

  • facility renovations
  • retrofits
  • expansions
  • conversions
  • repairs
  • new building construction

Eligible requirements

The following organizations are eligible to apply to the SDF Training Stream:

  • employers in Ontario, other than the educational organizations listed as eligible to be co-applicants
  • minister-approved, non-college apprenticeship training delivery agents (TDAs)
  • non-profit organizations, including Indigenous Band offices and Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holders
  • professional associations, industry associations, or employer associations
  • trade unions or union-affiliated organizations
  • municipalities, District Social Services Administration Boards, Consolidated Municipal Service Managers, hospitals

Amount

Projects for the with budgets greater than $150,000 are prioritized, with no maximum or minimum funding amounts.

The funding recipients can receive up to 49% of eligible costs covered, and are required to contribute at least 30% of costs towards the project.

Deadline

Intake ends on October 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m., EDT.