Canadian Funding PARTNERS

COJG Eligibility

Employer eligibility, funding tiers, and what to prepare before you apply.

A practical view of the rules that matter most when an Ontario employer wants to move into a real COJG file.

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At A Glance

The file gets stronger when employer, training, and business outcome all line up.

We use this page as the initial filter. If the employer profile, trainee profile, provider structure, and timing all make sense together, the application path is much cleaner.

Ontario-based employer

The employer should be licensed to operate in Ontario, and the training should support a job located in Ontario.

Third-party training

The program works best when the employer is buying structured third-party training, not internal or loosely defined support.

Employer contribution

The employer contributes its required share of the training cost and does not shift that obligation to the trainee.

Outcome alignment

The training should connect to a new or better job, meaningful upskilling, retention, or successful onboarding.

Employers that are typically eligible

  • Private-sector employers operating in Ontario
  • Not-for-profit employers, including some employer groups and consortium arrangements
  • Employers training current employees or certain new hires with conditional offers
  • Employers that can document workplace safety coverage, liability coverage, and basic compliance readiness

Employers that commonly fall out of scope

  • Federal, provincial, or municipal government organizations and agencies
  • Broader public sector organizations and some publicly funded institutions
  • Employers already receiving overlapping government funding for the same individual and same training activity
  • Files where trainees would displace existing workers or where the employer contribution is pushed onto participants

Funding Levels

What employers often want to know first.

Employer Type Typical Support Level General Cap
Large employers with 100+ employees Up to 50% of eligible training expenses Up to $10,000 per trainee
Small employers with fewer than 100 employees Up to 83% of eligible training expenses Up to $10,000 per trainee
Eligible small employers hiring and training unemployed individuals Up to 100% of eligible training expenses Up to $15,000 per trainee

Actual approval logic still depends on the quality of the file, the training structure, and the employer context. We treat this table as a planning tool, not a guarantee.

Supporting items employers should be ready for

  • Company details, CRA number, location details, and point-of-contact information
  • Employee count and trainee roster details
  • Training dates, course outline, price per participant, and provider details
  • WSIB or equivalent coverage and general liability readiness
  • Evidence the employer can cover its contribution where required
  • Outcome logic for promotions, raises, retention, hiring, or role progression

Common fit issues we catch early

  • Training start dates that are too close
  • Providers without enough public structure or credibility material
  • Training that reads more like consulting than workforce upskilling
  • Weak trainee outcome statements
  • Files that overlap with other government support for the same person and training activity
  • Budget assumptions that do not match the likely contribution tier

Need a fast read on your employer fit?

We can quickly tell you whether the employer profile looks strong, what funding tier is most realistic, and what still needs to be prepared before submission.

Start The Review See The Next Step