Career, employment and training services for individuals

Career planning

Taking time to reflect and plan your next steps can help you choose a career path that fits you.

Resumes, cover letters, and interview preparation

Get help with your job search, including resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, and understanding the labour market. Practical tools are available.

Skills Development Program

Funding is available for short-term training (up to 52 weeks) to help build skills if you have lost your job or are thinking about a new career.

Self-Employment Program

Eligible NWT residents can access funding to help with the transition of starting or taking over a small business. You’ll need to commit to working full-time in the business.

Apprenticeship, trade and occupation certification

Build a career in one of 43 designated trades or 17 designated occupations. Financial assistance may also be available to eligible apprentices to support technical training and other apprenticeship-related costs.

Schools North Apprenticeship Program (SNAP)

Provides high school students interested in skilled trades with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience while completing their high school education and earning work experience credits.

Student Financial Assistance Program

Financial assistance is available to eligible NWT residents to assist with costs related to post-secondary education. It’s a chance to explore new career paths and build skills for what comes next.

Entrepreneur support

Funding of up to $25,000 for entrepreneurs and small businesses to assist with startup funding, capital asset acquisition, market and product development and operational support.

Micro business

Funding of up to $6,000 over three years for commercial renewable resource harvesters and small businesses to make their projects sustainable.

Tourism Business Mentorship Program

Mentorship program to help strengthen the tourism industry and increase the business knowledge of tourism operators. Experienced professionals work with new entrepreneurs on-site at the Mentors place of business as well as virtually.

Income Assistance Program

You may be eligible for assistance based on your current financial situation. It can help cover basic needs and give you space to focus on what comes next.

Funding, services and supports for businesses

Business Intelligence and Networking

Financial assistance to assist with costs associated with attendance at seminars and trade shows. Aimed at helping applicants create new business partnerships and secure new work contracts.

Sector support

Funding for businesses to offset the cost of investing in new, or expanded, facilities and equipment; or investing in research and expansion needed to improve their understanding or presence in a sector.

Strategic investments

Funding to NWT businesses looking to making large investments in their company in order to expand and grow their business.

Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program

Funding to re-invent, improve or expand a tourism product or service. Funding is available for business planning, product development and packaging, marketing and safety upgrades.

Tourism training fund

Funding for individuals, business and groups to increase the number of skilled and certified people working in the tourism industry.

Debt Financing

Prosper NWT offers flexible financing options to help businesses to start, grow, and thrive. Support includes term loans, standby letters of credit, and working capital guarantees.

Equity Financing

Prosper NWT provides investment and management support through its venture investment program. It also invests in community initiatives and businesses that create jobs, support local artists and crafters, and/or provide goods and services to NWT communities.

Digital Program

Prosper NWT helps businesses adopt new digital tools through its Accelerate Digital Adoption Projects for Tomorrow (ADAPT) Fund. Grants are available for projects such as creating or upgrading websites, adding e-commerce, setting up online payments, and building digital inventory systems.

Advisory and Business Support Services

Prosper NWT provides advice, resources, and free webinars to entrepreneurs and business owners through its Business Service Centre, co-funded with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).

Learn about the upcoming opportunities

There are huge opportunities on the horizon. Learn about the major infrastructure projects, national defence initiatives, major investments in housing, and resource industry opportunities. 

Construction Site With Excavators on Sunny Day

Mackenzie Valley Highway

A highway that will replace the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road between Wrigley and Norman Wells
NWT landscape featuring trees, rocks and lakes

Arctic Economic and Security Corridor

A vital transportation link connecting communities and regions through the NWT into Nunavut, extending to a port on the Arctic Ocean
Construction crew working on a wall

Major investments in Housing

Projects to increasing access to safe, modern, and energy-efficient housing across the territory.
Taltson river and surrounding landscape

Taltson Hydro Expansion

A transformative clean energy initiative that will double the Northwest Territories’ hydro capacity by connecting the Snare hydro system with the Taltson hydro system.

Procurement opportunities

Businesses interested in supplying goods, services or construction work can learn how to participate in Government of the Northwest Territories procurement opportunities, attend procurement information sessions, and monitor federal procurement opportunities for upcoming projects.

Doing business with the GNWT

Learn about GNWT procurement processes, bidding opportunities and supplier information.

Procurement workshops and training

Attend information sessions to better understand how to compete for GNWT contracts and prepare successful submissions

Business Incentive Policy

The Business Incentive Policy (BIP) gives preference on government procurement to businesses that are owned and operated within the NWT.

CanadaBuys

The Government of Canada's procurement website, where businesses can find federal contracting opportunities and information on hwo to do business with the federal government.

MERX

A tendering website that posts contracting opportunities from governments, public sector organizations and businesses across Canada. Businesses can use MERX to monitor a broad range of contracting and tender opportunities in one place.
Updated: Sep 01, 2026