Application Process

For more information on the ACG Base and ACG CFP programs, please refer to the Program Guidelines on the Employment Ontario Partners’ Gateway.

Training Delivery Agents are responsible for determining which funding stream best fits their projects but should be aware that there is no guarantee of funding under the CFP.

The CFP provides a flexible model of funding that responds to the varying levels of support required by TDAs and complements the ACG Base Program. The ministry releases an annual CFP to support TDAs in making capital investments.

Please refer to the 2024-2025 Apprenticeship Capital Grant Call for Proposal Guidelines located on the Employment Ontario Partners Gateway (EOPG).

No, the CFP will not affect ACG base funding. The CFP can be used to supplement, not replace, the existing approved funding under the guidelines or for special initiatives announced in the CFP as determined by the ministry. If approved, funding for each contract must be tracked and audited separately, and the CFP application must clearly identify the separate deliverables, timelines and budget for the project.

In order to be eligible to apply to the Apprenticeship Capital Grant (ACG) Call for Proposals (CFP), Training Delivery Agents must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the ACG CFP guidelines.

ACG projects are meant to support apprenticeship in-class training, including Level 1 in-class training provided to Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program participants.

Projects that support the alterations, renovations, and enhancements of existing facilities, including mobile apprenticeship training units, are allowed if the units are used for hands-on apprenticeship training that supports a Training Delivery Agent’s approved in-class training activity and will improve the condition and efficiency of apprenticeship training facilities overall.

Equipment for trade shows is not an eligible cost. Please refer to section 1.65 in the 2024-2025 Apprenticeship Capital Grant CFP guidelines for more information on eligible expenditures.

Projects related to the construction of additions to existing buildings require a 50 per cent contribution from the Training Delivery Agent. All other approved projects will receive 100 per cent of approved funding.

All costs required to “bring the asset into service”, such as any professional fees, permits and other municipal or provincial charges directly related to the completion of the project can be included. If the project is additions to existing buildings, these costs are subject to the 50/50 cost sharing stipulation.

While a TDA may have more than one campus in a region, they can only submit a maximum of one application per region.

Please refer to Section 1.4 and 1.5 in the Apprenticeship Capital Grant Call for Proposals guidelines for more information on applicant and project eligibility.

Audit and accountability requirements do not allow the transfer of funds between fiscal years or between contracts. Training Delivery Agents (TDAs) may be approved for projects under both the base and CFP in contracts that pertain to the same year; however, funds must be recorded and tracked separately. TDAs will sign a separate contract for the base funding.

If a project is funded with base allocation and CFP funding, the funding for each project must be tracked separately as well as be audited separately at the end of the contract term.

However, if a TDA has a larger project that could span over the three years of their base allocation, they could work with their local ministry office to seek approval for a phased approach which spreads the cost of the project and associated milestones over multiple years.

If a TDA applies to the CFP for a phase of a larger project, they should be aware that the CFP is a competitive process and there is no guarantee that a phase of the project will be approved.

While approval of all funding requested is not guaranteed, there is no cap to how much funding a Training Delivery Agent can request through the Apprenticeship Capital Grant CFP.

In order to receive full consideration during evaluation, applications must provide a clear and detailed response to all sections listed in the Application. Ministry staff will review submitted applications and evaluate eligible applications against the program criteria. Notwithstanding the eligibility criteria set out, the ministry will have sole authority to decide which projects are funded.

Please refer to Section 3.0 of the Apprenticeship Capital Grant CFP guidelines for more information on the application process.

Applications may only include one project. A project is limited to one of the following activities:

• Purchase of equipment (equipment may be new and/or used or replacement of existing) for one primary trade
  • Note: projects that include the purchase of equipment may include minor modifications to facilities to accommodate installation.
• Facility improvement
• Addition to building

Applications that include more than one activity, will be deemed ineligible and not reviewed. For example: if an applicant is seeking funding to renovate a classroom through facility improvement, but the application also includes the purchase of equipment such as workstations, this would be deemed ineligible.

An application will be reviewed in its entirety and those that meet the eligibility criteria will either be recommended for approval based on a scoring matrix or not recommended.

Yes, multiple pieces of equipment can be proposed under one project and the equipment can be a combination of replacement of previous equipment and the purchase of new or used equipment. However, the purchase of equipment must be within the same scope of project and activity and be for one primary trade. For example, the purchase of two new or used stove tops, two new or used range hoods and the replacement of one refrigerator for the kitchen lab to deliver training for Cook (415A).

Please refer to section 1.5 in the 2024-2025 Apprenticeship Capital Grant Call for Proposals guidelines for more information on project eligibility and activities.

The ministry is looking to Training Delivery Agents for new ideas on innovative teaching technologies in their application. Innovation takes original, different, out-of-the-box, and/or creative ideas and turns them into new approaches in order to improve the quality of training and have a positive impact within the province’s Apprenticeship program.

Yes, in-kind or monetary contributions to support a project can be provided by entities outside of the Training Delivery Agent network, such as employers or industry associations.

Apprenticeship Capital Grant (ACG) is meant to support apprenticeship in-class training. Training Delivery Agents (TDAs) approved for and delivering in-class training must follow current curriculum standards.

As part of the CFP application, TDAs should link projects to the curriculum as evidence for why the project is needed. Please note, effective January 2022, Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) has assumed responsibility for the development and maintenance of these standards. Please use the current curriculum standards for each trade on the STO website.

The additional space must be added onto an existing building owned (not leased) by the Training Delivery Agent on an existing campus. Building a second floor or adding a room within an existing building, would be considered an addition and would be subject to the 50/50 cost sharing stipulation.

An addition to a building under construction is considered as an amendment to a construction project and not an eligible addition to an existing building as specified in the guidelines. The construction of a freestanding building or structure is not an eligible expense.

All project activities must be completed within 12 months of contract start date. For equipment, this means it must be installed and functional by the end of the project transfer payment agreement (“the agreement”). The ministry will not pay for any cost overruns nor make provisions for when the project is not completed or goes beyond 12 months. As part of the application, Training Delivery Agents should provide a contingency plan to address cost or time delays including evidence that monies have been set aside to complete the project.

Amendments to the timelines may be made a the discretion of the ministry.

To ensure that consistent and accurate information is provided, proponents will have the opportunity to submit questions through a formal questions and answers process.

Questions regarding the 2023-2024 Apprenticeship Capital Grant (ACG) Call for Proposals (CFP) should be submitted by e-mail by March 14, 2024 to: ACGCFP@ontario.ca.

Responses to any questions submitted will be added to the ACG CFP question and answers and posted on the Employment Ontario Partner’s Gateway by March 16, 2024.

Following March 14, 2024, no further questions on proposals will be accepted to ensure a fair and competitive process. If you have questions about the form itself, not the content of your proposal, you may contact your local regional office.