Funding that can help pay for your team's training
Some governments in the United States and Canada pay part of what employers spend on staff training or on adopting AI. These are the programs we know of whose rules allow an outside training provider to be paid, each checked against its official page.
How these programs usually work
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Your organization applies, usually before training starts
Most programs want to see the training, the provider and the cost before it begins. Some, such as Manitoba's, refuse an application that another organization submits for you.
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The program pays part of the cost
The provincial grants listed here pay between 40 and 75 percent. On the US programs, wages you pay employees during training can count toward your share.
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You're usually paid back after the training
Many programs reimburse you once you send invoices, proof of payment and a short report on the results.
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Some funding is a loan
BDC LIFT and PrairiesCan's AI initiative fund AI adoption projects with money you repay, not grants.
Before you rely on a program
Programs change and close, often with little notice. Each program below shows the date we last checked its official page, and that page is the one to trust. Check it before you plan training around a program.
The program decides who is eligible and what it will pay for. Neovation doesn't, and a program listed here may still turn down an application.
Talk to us about the training you have in mind, and we'll let you know if there is a program that fits.
Programs in the United States
Amounts are in US dollars.
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Workforce Training Fund Program, General Program
- What it covers
- Grants of $10,000 to $200,000 to train current and newly hired employees. The grant pays the training provider's fee, at up to $300 per hour of instruction and an average of no more than $3,000 per participant.
- Who can apply
- Massachusetts employers that pay into the Workforce Training Fund, which includes every private, for-profit employer that contributes to the state's unemployment insurance fund, and some nonprofits. Government bodies are excluded.
- Limits and timing
- You match the grant dollar for dollar, usually through trainees' wages. Most funded training is instructor-led, and self-paced work is limited to 30 percent of course hours. Training starts only after the award. Applications are rolling.
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Incumbent worker training under WIOA
- What it covers
- Training designed around an employer's needs that helps current employees keep their jobs and keeps the business competitive. Local boards can set aside up to 20 percent of their adult and dislocated worker funds under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for it.
- Who can apply
- Employers that work with their local workforce development board. Trainees generally need at least six months with the employer, and each state and board sets its own eligibility policies.
- Limits and timing
- You pay at least 10 percent of the cost with 50 or fewer employees, 25 percent with 51 to 100, and 50 percent above 100, and wages paid during training can count. Availability and rules differ by board.
Programs in Canada
Amounts are in Canadian dollars.
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Building Up Manitoba Program (BUMP)
- What it covers
- Half the cost of employee training from an independent outside trainer, up to $10,000 per employee, including course fees, software, materials and curriculum development. A second stream pays half the cost of outside help to plan training or build curriculum, up to $25,000.
- Who can apply
- Employers with fewer than 500 full-time-equivalent employees, permanently established in Manitoba and operating for at least a year. Trainees must live and work in Manitoba. Government bodies, hospitals, school divisions and public colleges and universities are excluded.
- Limits and timing
- Up to $100,000 per employer across both streams. Training must take place in the fiscal year you apply in, which ends March 31. Intake is continuous and starts with an intake form.
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Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant (CAPG)
- What it covers
- Half the cost of training that builds productivity skills, including digital and technological skills, up to $5,000 per current employee each fiscal year. Course fees, software, textbooks and exam fees count. Training for an unemployed Albertan you hire can get 75 percent, up to $10,000.
- Who can apply
- Private and nonprofit employers, First Nations and Metis Settlements. Trainees must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons. Owners and their family members are not eligible.
- Limits and timing
- Up to $100,000 per employer each fiscal year. Training must be in Alberta, be instructional and include a qualified instructor, online or in person. Self-study is not funded. Apply in the CAPG portal before training starts.
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Mesure de formation de la main-d'œuvre (MFOR), business stream
- What it covers
- Part of the cost of a training project agreed with a Services Québec business advisor, including needs analysis, developing or adapting training content, and trainers' fees. The program guide sets the share at up to 40 percent, or 65 percent when new technology makes the training necessary.
- Who can apply
- Employers located in Quebec, including private businesses, co-operatives, nonprofits, self-employed workers and band councils. Public bodies are excluded, and employees who telework from outside Quebec are not eligible.
- Limits and timing
- Usually up to $100,000 per agreement, and more for online training projects. Your advisor sets the amount and approves the trainer. Live and self-paced online training are both eligible. Apply through your regional Services Québec office.
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Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)
- What it covers
- Up to 75 percent of eligible training costs, meaning training fees, instructor costs, course materials and travel. Digital transformation and technology adoption are among the kinds of training it funds, along with sector-specific training and upskilling.
- Who can apply
- Registered businesses, industry associations, sector councils and nonprofits operating in Nova Scotia, with a direct workforce development need such as upskilling employees or adopting new technology.
- Limits and timing
- The fall 2026 intake closes at midnight on October 18, 2026. Intakes open twice a year, in April and October. Applications need quotes on the trainer's letterhead, a training plan from the trainer and trainer bios.
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LIFT: Digital transformation and AI
- What it covers
- A loan at a preferential rate to plan and carry out digital, data, AI and cybersecurity projects. It can finance AI use-case development and implementation, and the training and integration that adopting the technology takes.
- Who can apply
- Canadian-based businesses with at least $1 million in annual revenue, a strong financial foundation and demonstrated profitability. You must work with qualified Canadian AI, digital or integration suppliers.
- Limits and timing
- Loans from $25,000 to $2 million, repaid over up to six years, with up to 12 months before capital payments start. A digital plan from BDC Advisory Services is mandatory. This is financing you repay.
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Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)
- What it covers
- Interest-free repayable funding for up to 50 percent of the eligible costs of a project that adopts or commercializes AI. Eligible costs include consultancy fees for professional, advisory and technical services, as well as labor and capital costs.
- Who can apply
- For-profit businesses with at least one full-time-equivalent employee, at least two years in operation and staffed facilities in the Prairie provinces. Preference may go to businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
- Limits and timing
- Contributions range from $250,000 to $5 million per project, over up to three years, so it suits larger projects. Applications are accepted until December 31, 2028, and projects must be complete by March 31, 2029.
FAQ
Can Neovation apply for funding on our behalf?
No. These programs expect the employer to apply. Some, such as Manitoba's BUMP, refuse an application that another organization submits for you.
Will a program pay for training from Neovation?
The program decides. We list programs whose rules allow an outside training provider, but each program judges every application, and some add conditions on how the training is delivered. Check the official page before you plan around one.
Can funding cover AI training?
Several programs can. Alberta's CAPG includes digital and technological skills, Nova Scotia's WIPSI includes technology adoption, Quebec's program pays a higher share when new technology makes training necessary, and BDC LIFT can finance the training that is part of an AI adoption project.
Why isn't my province or state listed?
We list only programs whose rules allow an outside provider like us to be paid. Some large programs require a trainer based in their province or state, or deliver training through public colleges or the state itself. Talk to us about where you are, and we'll let you know if there is a program that fits.
How current is this page?
Each program shows the date we last checked its official page. Programs change, so the official page is always the one to trust.
Talk to us about what you need to get done.
Tell us what you're working on and we'll suggest where to start. We reply within three business hours.
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