Government of Canada calls for project proposals to make workplaces more diverse, inclusive and safe

GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 5, 2026 /CNW/ - Every worker deserves an equal opportunity and a safe work environment. Yet many workers--especially women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities--continue to face barriers to equity and experience harassment and violence at work.

Today, the Government of Canada launched calls for proposals to support innovative projects that will help create safer, more inclusive, and more equitable workplaces in federally regulated private sectors. The projects will focus on improving workplace culture, preventing harassment and violence, and removing systemic barriers so that workers can reach their full potential.

Two calls for proposals are being carried out jointly by the Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Impact Canada at the Privy Council Office (PCO). Funding will be provided through two existing funding streams: the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity (WORBE) program and the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund (WHVPF). WORBE projects aim to improve representation of designated groups, increase understanding of industry specific barriers to equity, and develop new inclusion tools and guides tailored to industry needs. WHVPF projects aim to create safer and healthier workplaces by co-developing sector-specific tools and resources related to harassment and violence prevention.

Funding recipients will receive support to develop, implement and advance their projects, and to track and measure results. Recipients will be required to demonstrate value for the funding they receive and to make their final projects publicly available so that workers and workplaces across Canada can benefit.

ESDC will provide up to $16.5 million in total to fund the new projects under the two streams. Selected applicants will receive up to $500,000 each per year for up to three years, starting in June 2026. Interested parties should consult the applicant guide for WORBE and the WHVPF before submitting their project proposals by February 13, 2026.

Quotes

"Creating a stronger, inclusive and barrier-free Canada is not just the right thing to do, it's ensuring every worker can reach their full potential. Through our partnership with Impact Canada, we're making sure no one is left behind. Building a strong Canada begins with the choices and actions we make in our own communities."

– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

"If you have ideas on how to build respectful and inclusive workplaces, now is your chance to make a difference in Canada's world of work. Creating partnerships through these projects is the strength of this initiative, because effective, lasting changes are those that result from sharing valuable knowledge, wisdom and experience."

– The Honourable John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour)

Quick facts

• Impact Canada, established in 2017 in PCO, designs outcomes-based solutions through a five-step process (Understand-Design-Test-Implement-Evaluate) that drives program development and implementation toward identified outcomes. It will work with the Labour Program to review the current design, assessment and delivery of both WORBE and WHVPF programs based on the findings of this pilot initiative.
• Two externally recruited review committees will be established in the coming weeks to assess project proposals and provide recommendations for funding to the Minister of Jobs and Families in the spring of 2026. Both committees will include volunteer subject matter experts from private and public sectors and stakeholders.
• Eligible applicants for WORBE include employers' associations (unionized and non-unionized), non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations, private-sector organizations, academic institutions and incorporated individuals (or willing to incorporate).
• Eligible applicants for WHVPF include not-for-profit organizations, federally regulated private sector, Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities), unions and incorporated individuals (or willing to incorporate).

Related links

Backgrounder: Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity – Ongoing projects
Backgrounder: Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact: Jennifer Kozelj, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]