In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, training your employees is more crucial than ever. While the costs of training can be substantial, the long-term benefits significantly outweigh the initial investment. By equipping your team with the skills they need to harness new technologies, your organization can stay ahead of the competition and adapt to industry changes. As businesses strive to innovate and improve productivity, programs like the Nova Scotia Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI) offer essential support.
It is crucial for your employees to keep up with the latest technology, so your business can remain competitive. With the onset of AI usage within workplaces, we foresee plenty of businesses investing in company-wide AI trainings. Scale AI is a great federal program that covers AI training costs up to 50%. Contact us to learn more.
Funding Snapshot: Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)
Funding Amount
The WIPSI program offers varying levels of funding depending on the size of your business:
- For businesses with 50 or fewer employees: The minimum application amount is $5,000 in direct training costs, with up to $100,000 available per fiscal year. The program funds 100% of eligible costs up to $10,000, and 50% of eligible costs above that amount.
- For businesses with 50 or more employees: The minimum application amount is $10,000 in direct training costs, with the same $100,000 fiscal year cap. Eligible costs can be funded up to 50%.
- For organizations, business associations, and private sector unions: The minimum application amount is $10,000 in direct training costs. Additional funding for administration costs may be available on a case-by-case basis.
Applicant Eligibility
To qualify for WIPSI funding, your business must:
- Be located in Nova Scotia;
- Be registered and active in the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies or incorporated by an Act of the Nova Scotia Legislature;
- Have been operating for at least one full calendar year; and
- Generate at least 30% of its revenue from commercial activity.
You can apply either as an individual business or as part of an organization or association representing a group of businesses.
Project Eligibility
The WIPSI program supports training initiatives that aim to enhance productivity and foster innovation. Eligible training types include:
- Information technology training;
- Technical training;
- Workflow systems and processes training; and
- Other training that directly benefits your business and is not typically eligible for other government funding.
However, certain types of training are excluded, such as legislated or mandatory training, training outside of Nova Scotia when similar options exist within the province, and professional development necessary for an employee’s current role.
Deadlines
Applications for WIPSI must be submitted and deemed complete before the training start date. The review process typically takes 15-30 business days from the receipt of a complete application, allowing businesses to begin training at their own risk before approval is granted.
Fund More Staff Training
Investing in employee training is an investment in your company’s future success. The WIPSI program can help you upskill your team and help drive innovation and growth for your business. If you are looking for additional funding opportunities to support your training needs, we can guide you through the available programs and ensure you maximize the benefits for your business. Reach out to us to explore more training grants that align with your strategic goals.
One of the most popular grant training programs is the Canada Job Grant (CJG). Covering up to 83% cost coverage on training programs, this grant is designed to upskill your staff. While well-known, the CJG has specifications tailored to each province in Canada. This process can be really timely and costly to figure out – however, as Canadian grant experts, we can take care of the application. Reach out to us today and secure training funds!