Employment Partnerships Program

Overview

Employment Partnerships Program (EPP) provides funding to Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program agreement holders for Indigenous workforce development.

EPP project priorities are to:

• provide direct training and employment supports
• foster industry partnerships to expand the availability, accessibility and quality of Indigenous employment opportunities
• inform organizational priorities with labour market information to better meet skills needs and market demand

EPP complements other funding programs and is not intended to replace or duplicate other sources of financing that may be available.

Funding

EPP is funded federally through the Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement and the Canada-Alberta Workforce Development Agreement.

There is not a maximum amount established for grant funding requests, however funding is limited. For example an application request for over $300,000, may not receive full funding as funding is dependent on the number of applications received. It is suggested that the application request include the minimum amount required to run the project successfully.  Funding consideration will be determined by:

• availability of funding
• alignment to program priorities
• ability of partners to make financial, in-kind or both types of contributions

In-kind contributions are measurable, non-monetary contributions provided by the applicant or its partners that are considered necessary to the project. An example could be facility rental for program activities.

The amount of funding requested must be supported by the project activities detailed in the application.

The grant stack funding maximum to a recipient from all funding sources and partners for the project is 100% of eligible costs.

Eligibility

EPP projects are assessed on how they contribute to one or more of the following priorities:

• promote employment opportunities to Indigenous people
• develop strategies to employ and retain Indigenous workers
• labour market and workforce planning activities

Preference is given to projects that have documented community and industry partnerships demonstrated through letters of support, in-kind/financial contributions or both in the project budget.

Examples of eligible project activities include:

• direct training for soft skills, technical skills, trades or general employability skills
• strategic labour market planning to identify and prepare for current and future industry needs
• activities to create, develop and sustain industry partnerships to promote attracting, hiring, training and retaining Indigenous employees
• job fairs and speed hiring events

Eligible applicants

The following Albertan organizations are eligible to apply:

• Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program agreement holders

Applicants must also be:

• corporate entities in good standing
• entities in compliance with the terms and conditions of any previously received funds from Indigenous Relations

How to apply

Step 1. Complete the application package

When the application period opens, you will need to complete the grant application form and include supporting documents and other pertinent information.

• Employment Partnerships Program Application Form

Budget

Applicants must outline all project expenses, both eligible and ineligible, in the application budget. Project expense reimbursement is subject to approval of the application, regardless of the general eligibility of the expense. Applicants must also outline all sources of project funding, including non-government sources and in-kind contributions.

The application budget should have enough detail that it can be assessed for eligibility and clear links to the project activities.

Eligible expenses can include:

• direct training costs
• training supplies and materials
• venues for training or employment, industry or planning events
• wages and benefits for dedicated project staff members
• required travel expenses for project participants
• project administration costs – must be clearly justified based on the project activities and scope
• elder honoraria
• participant costs:
  • mobility, where relocation may be required to secure employment in the context of, or following participation in an eligible activity
  • mental health supports
• overhead costs related to IT applications, software, hardware and infrastructure

Ineligible expenses include:

• living allowances or wage subsidies
• curriculum development
• ongoing operating costs of an Indigenous government, organization or corporation, including rent for office space
• capital costs associated with the acquisition, construction, development or enhancement of buildings, equipment and other tangible assets that will be of use or benefit for more than one financial year
• consultant or board member honoraria, donations or prize money
• payments for services that would normally be provided without charge

Supporting documentation

In the application, you will find a list of potential supporting documents.

Relevant supporting documents can strengthen your application and provide more evidence of your organization’s readiness to manage a successful project. For example:

• Detailed budgets and timelines can be provided if you find that the space provided in the application is insufficient for the level of detail you would like to provide.
• Letters of support from partners can be especially useful if partners are making contributions in the form of general support or job guarantees that cannot be reflected in your budget.
• Quotes from service providers can be included when you are procuring a service, such as training, and have more than one option for providers. This can demonstrate whether the cost is in line with this type of service and, if not, why the cost may be higher than other providers, such as more comprehensive services.

Step 2. Submit the application package

Applications can be submitted by email to initiate the review process.

Application process

Applications must be submitted before the project start date. Contact us for more information about what to expect for current processing times.

While activities for the project can begin immediately after the application is submitted, there is no guarantee that the project will be approved. Only approved projects can have costs reimbursed.

After you submit your application, this is what will happen:

• You will receive an email confirmation that your submission has been received, normally within 3 business days.
• EPP staff will assess the application to ensure each submission includes the required information.
• Complete applications will be evaluated based on the criteria below.
• Each applicant will be notified by letter from the Minister of Indigenous Relations about the final funding decision.

Application evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• EPP alignment:
  • project outcomes and activities clearly align with EPP priorities
• organizational capacity:
  • employment and training in organizational mandate and previously completed similar projects
  • clearly stated outcomes and steps taken to ensure success
• project feasibility:
  • clear activities and timelines that contribute to stated outcomes
  • clear identification of need for project
  • partner support (for example, community, employer, industry) preferably demonstrated through budgetary contributions, letters of support or both
  • detailed and complete budget that is clearly linked to project activities

Fund transfers

Approved projects receive funding payments via direct deposit, approximately 4 to 6 weeks after your approval letter is received. Delays are possible.

If your organization has not received previous funding from the ministry, or if your banking information has changed, fill out the Application for Direct Deposit form and submit it with your application.

Grant timelines

New timelines are in effect in 2022, with reporting deadlines following a 2–1–2 month schedule:

• the final reporting deadline is 2 months after the grant activity end date
• the unused funds return by date is 1 month after the report deadline
• the grant agreement end date is 2 months after the unused funds return by date.

Start dates are determined by the applicant, but must be within the current fiscal year. End dates will be standardized as per this example:

• March 31, 2025 – Grant activity end date
• May 31, 2025 – Final reporting deadline
• June 30, 2025 – All unused funds must be returned
• August 31, 2025 – Grant agreement end date

All amendments must be requested prior to the agreement end date. Requests for amendment after the Agreement End Date will not be considered.

Delayed projects

If the originally scheduled project activities are delayed or are unable to proceed, contact your Grant Advisor to discuss as soon as possible, preferably before the scheduled end date of your project.

Grant recipients can request amendments to the original Grant and Contribution Agreement in writing. Amendment requests must include specific changes required, along with a brief rationale for the requested change. All amendments are subject to approval. Amendment requests submitted after the Grant and Contribution Agreement end date has expired, may not be considered.

All amendments will be for a maximum of 6 months.

Reporting

All projects need to be evaluated upon completion. Following project approval, you will receive the reporting templates as per the Grant and Contribution Agreement.

EPP projects require the following deliverables, at minimum:

• financial statement
• narrative report
• participant data:
  • For direct training projects, detailed participant information will be required as per the Canada – Alberta Workforce Development Agreement (Annex 2: 3.0) and the Canada – Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement (Schedule 2, Annex 3: 4.0).
  • Note: participant demographic information will also be required for no touch/light touch labour market activities, such as job fairs, symposiums and other projects that do not involve direct training.
  • See below for important changes to our participant data reporting process.

At any time, the Government of Alberta may evaluate the project or initiative, or request an audit of your books, accounts and records related to the project or initiative.

The final reporting due date and requirements will be listed in Appendix C of the Grant and Contribution Agreement.

For all active projects requiring Participant Data (refer to Appendix C of the Grant Contribution Agreement), the reporting template must be completed in full, and will be due Quarterly on the following dates:

• June 15
• September 15
• December 15
• March 15

Participant Data contains sensitive information that cannot be sent via email. Prior to each quarter, you will receive a secure link from [email protected] to submit the Participant Data. Do not send this data directly over email.

Contact

Connect with staff of the Employment Partnerships Program:

Email: [email protected]

Address:
Alberta Indigenous Relations
10th Floor, Forestry Building
9920 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta  T5K 2M4