1. Call the Ontario Government JobGrow Hotline - 1-888-562-4769 (416-326-5656) for information and counselling regarding current Ontario Government and related programs that provide wages subsidies and training allowances for employers. The staff at this Call Centre may also be able to refer you to relevant municipal programs which may have local funding for your project if your requirements fit the criteria. E-mail inquiries can be sent to info@edu.gov.on.ca.

2. Contact your local Apprenticeship Office of the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities. Look up the Ministry website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca for your local Apprenticeship Office in order to speak directly with a training consultant regarding training assistance.

3. Speak to an Information Officer of the Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre (COBSC) by calling 1-800-567-2345. COBSC provides access to accurate, timely and relevant information on federal and provincial business-related programs, services and regulations.

4. To compile a list of some of the currently available federal and Ontario government programs that may apply to your industry or business, search the online Select Government Programs Directory. This database carries a one-page summary on each of the over 50 programs that include assistance in business development, tax incentives, exports, financing, training, infrastructure and R&D. Some of them may apply to you.

For example, searching the Select Government Programs Directory by the keyword “training” will return the following programs for businesses and investors.

• Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy Program - Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
  Description: Interest free loan to transform manufacturing processes and adopt leading edge technologies
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $10 million interest free loan up to five years
  
  
• Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit - Canada
  Description: A 10 percent Federal tax credit to cover salaries and wages paid to training new apprentices in the first two years of the contract
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $2,000 tax credit per year
  
  
• Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit
  Description: A 25 percent provincial refundable tax credit on salaries and wages paid to new apprentices in certain skilled trades to help offset employers’ costs. Small businesses receive a 30 percent tax credit.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Employers can claim up to $5,000 each year to a total of $15,000 per eligible apprentice over the first three years.
  
  
• Canada Foundation for Innovation Funds
  Description: Funds R&D infrastructure costs in partnership with universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 40% of project costs
  
  
• Canada Summer Jobs 2008
  Description: Contributions for employers to hire students during the summer.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 50% of provincial minimum wage per hour
  
  
• Canadian Youth Business Foundation Start-Up Financing Program
  Description: Mentoring, educational resources and start-up financing assistance to aspiring young entrepreneurs
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loan up to $15,000
  
  
• Co-operative Education Tax Credit (CETC)
  Description: A refundable tax credit program for businesses hiring students enrolled in a recognized post-secondary co-operative education program.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Provides a maximum tax credit of $1,000 for each qualifying co-operative education placement of an Ontario student
  
  
• Eastern Ontario Development Fund - Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
  Description: An $80-million provincial government grant program to provide up to 15 per cent of the total eligible expenses for private sector companies to a maximum of $1.5 million per project; and 50 per cent for qualified economic development projects of agencies, associations and NGOs valued at $100,000 or more.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Businesses must invest $500,000 or more in qualified projects that create at least 10 jobs over five years. Firms must be located in Eastern Ontario and currently employ at least 10 people. Sector focus includes manufacturing; processing; tourism; business services; cultural industries; technology and green technology development.
  
  
• ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat
  Description: Financial assistance to increase the use of renewable thermal energy and develop capacity in the renewable thermal energy industry.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Eligible industrial, commercial and institutional entities will receive 25% of the purchase, installation and certain other costs of a qualifying system.
  
  
• Employer Signing Bonus
  Description: A $2,000 bonus for an employer who hires and registers an apprenticeship scholarship candidate as an apprentice.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The candidate has to be a youth under 25 years of age who has left school and requires upgrading to meet the registration standards for apprenticeship training.
  
  
• FEDNOR - Youth Internships - Private Sector Program
  Description: Supports full-time employment of recent graduates of post-secondary institutions up to 12 months in Northern Ontario.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Maximum $27,500
  
  
• Forest Sector Prosperity Fund - Ontario
  Description: Grants to support new investment projects that helps Northern or rural Ontario, and the forest industry
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Conditional grants up to $25 million
  
  
• Industrial Cooperation Program - Canadian International Development Agency
  Description: Government agency provides support for business projects in developing countries
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Between $100,000 to $500,000 in financial support
  
  
• Industrial R&D Fellowships - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
  Description: Financial assistance for companies to hire recent doctoral graduates in science and engineering to conduct research and development in industries.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Contributes $30,000 per year for two years towards the PhD research fellow’s salary.
  
  
• Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
  Description: Technical advisory services, networking and financial assistance to SMEs.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Invests on a cost-shared basis
  
  
• Infrastructure Ontario - OSIFA Loan Program
  Description: Affordable, long-term, fixed-rate financing available to Ontario municipalities, universities, and other eligible broader public sector clients to build and renew public infrastructure.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Different loan types and terms are available. All borrowers within each client sector have access to the same low interest rates.
  
  
• Institutes of Health Research - Innovation and Industry Programs - Canada
  Description: Major federal health research funding agency for universities, hospitals and research institutes has research programs matching industry partner's financial contributions.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Co-funding on a project basis
  
  
• Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - National Research Council Canada
  Description: Financial assistance to innovative Canadian SMEs to hire post-secondary graduates
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Internships assistance between six to twelve months and up to $15,000
  
  
• Job Connect - Ontario
  Description: Training subsidies for employers who train youths out of school, out of work, not currently in a training program
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Training subsidies are available
  
  
• MaRS - Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program (BMEP)
  Description: A major Ontario Government commercialization initiative to meet the needs of high performance technology entrepreneurs. Services and resources are delivered through member organizations of the Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN).
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Skills training, management support, mentorship and networking
  
  
• MaRS Discovery District (MaRS)
  Description: World-class research and business incubation facilities in biomedical innovation and commercialization
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Catalytic programs, risk capital, management resources, and mentoring
  
  
• New Exporters to Border States (NEBS)
  Description: A hands-on introduction course to the basics of exporting to the USA which includes visits to US Customs and a freight forwarder.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Course fee is $150
  
  
• Next Generation of Jobs Fund - Biopharmaceutical Investment Program - Ministry of Research and Innovation
  Description: A five-year, $150-million strategy to encourage brand name pharmaceutical firms and advanced-stage human health biotech firms (e.g. vaccine manufacturers) to establish and grow their research and development and/or their advanced manufacturing investments in Ontario.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Program will provide up to 20% of total eligible project costs. Applications with total eligible project costs of less than $5 million will not be considered.
  
  
• NextGen Biofuels Fund - Sustainable Development Technology Canada
  Description: A $500 million fund to support establishment of first-of-kind commercial scale demonstration facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels (i.e. cellulosic ethanol or next-generation biodiesel) and co-products.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Repayable support covering up to 40% of eligible project costs incurred over the course of the project period (capped at $200 million).
  
  
• NOHFC - Enterprise North Job Creation Program
  Description: Repayable loans for projects that will bring new jobs and economic benefits to Northern Ontario
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loans up to $1 million
  
  
• NOHFC - Northern Ontario Youth Internship and Co-op Program
  Description: A wage subsidy and an internship program for employers located in Northern Ontario to hire post-secondary students or graduates.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $6/hr. for coop, and max. $27,500 for interns
  
  
• Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.
  Description: 6 sector-based centres and various programs to strengthen research linkages between academia and industry.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Knowledge transfer, commercialization, training
  
  
• Ontario Community Futures Program
  Description: Repayable federal supported in locally administered funds for community economic development
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $150,000 repayable financing
  
  
• Ontario Fuel Cell Innovation Program
  Description: Fund corporations/consortiums in the commercialization, manufacturing or pilot demonstration of fuel cells and related technologies.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Maximum $500,000 per project
  
  
• Ontario Labour Market Partnerships
  Description: Ontario Labour Market Partnerships support partnerships among employers, employer/employee associations, and community organizations to address identified labour market issues.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The program helps employers, employer/employee associations, and community organizations to develop and implement strategies to improve their ability to plan for their human resources needs.
  
  
• Productivity Plus Financing (BDC)
  Description: Assist small manufacturers and processing companies to acquire equipment
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Financing up to $5 million new or used equipment
  
  
• Rural Economic Development (RED) Program
  Description: The Rural Economic Development Program invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies and community partnerships, under the priorities of health-care services, community revitalization and economic development, and skills enhancement.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Projects are cost-shared, with the provincial government investing up to 50 per cent of the project’s eligible cost in most cases.
  
  
• Summer Jobs Service - Ontario
  Description: Wage support for employers hiring students for seasonal jobs during the summer
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Wage support of $2/hr to 16 weeks
  
  
• Targeted Wage Subsidies Program - Ontario
  Description: Temporary wage subsidies to assist employers providing on-the-job experience and hiring individuals who face barriers in finding employment
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Subsidy less than 60% of wages paid