Backgrounder:  Skills and Partnership Fund – 2022 Call for Proposals

The Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) provides funding for partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to offer skills training for Indigenous people linked to economic opportunities at the local, regional and national levels. By equipping Indigenous people with the skills needed for in-demand jobs, the SPF plays a key role in directly linking training efforts and Indigenous people to specific jobs to improve their employment outcomes.

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

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; or
• 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.