Bringing In the Right People to Land Government Funding.

There is a difference between knowing which experts exist and actually deciding whom to bring in, and in what order, to pursue government funding for training. That second question is the harder one, and it is where businesses either save themselves a lot of trouble or waste money on help they did not need. You do not hire one person who does everything. You assemble a small group, each doing one piece, and you keep them in the right sequence.

I am Malcolm Gurley, President of Gurley Leadership Solutions, and we sit in one seat at that table as the training provider, so I will be clear about how the pieces fit and where we do and do not belong. This is a practical guide to getting expert help with government funding in Ontario, and to bringing in only the help you actually need, based on what is current as of July 2026.

Do You Even Need to Bring In Outside Help?

Start here, because the honest answer is often no. Many employers can handle a straightforward Ontario Job Grant application themselves using the free official resources, especially for a single, clear training need. The program's own portal walks you through the steps, and Employment Ontario can answer questions directly. Bringing in paid help makes sense when your situation is more complex, when you are short on time, or when the amount at stake justifies the cost of getting the application right. If it is simple, do it yourself and keep your money. If it is not, bring in help deliberately, for the specific parts where it adds value.

The Small Team That Actually Brings In Funding

When you do bring people in, think of it as assembling a team where each person owns one piece and hands off cleanly to the next. Getting the roles clear is what keeps you from paying two people for the same work.

1. The program administrators, first and free. For the Ontario Job Grant, Ontario.ca and Employment Ontario (1-800-387-5656) are the actual authority on eligibility and amounts. Everyone else works around what they tell you, so start here before you engage anyone paid.
2. A grant writer or funding advisor. These private specialists identify the right program and prepare or write the application. Bring one in when the paperwork is complex or time is tight, and be clear on whether you are paying a flat fee or a percentage.
3. Your accountant or bookkeeper. Applications need clean financial information. The person who already knows your numbers is usually the fastest and cheapest source for that piece, and they can often confirm which programs fit.
4. Your training provider. The provider supplies the course outline, outcomes, schedule, and costs the application asks for, and then delivers the approved training. This is a required input to the paperwork, but the provider does not file or decide anything.

Bringing In Your Training Provider

Our seat at the table is specific, and I would rather define it narrowly than overstate it. When you bring us in, we provide the program outline, learning outcomes, schedule, and cost information that a funding application asks for, so that part of the file is ready. If funding is approved, we deliver the training. We do not decide your eligibility, submit the application, or promise that funding will come through, because those belong to the program. One rule that shapes the whole sequence: approval generally has to be in place before training begins, so bring your training provider in early enough to supply the details, but do not start the training until the funding decision is made.

The training itself is the point of the whole exercise, and it is built on proven Leadership Management International content, customized to your organization, and designed to deliver a strong return whether or not funding is involved. You can read more about the approach in our guide on how to develop better leaders, or learn why organizations choose Gurley Leadership Solutions.

How to Bring In Help Without Overpaying or Getting Burned

A few cautions to keep the exercise sensible. Be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed approval, because the program decides and budgets are limited. Agree on what a paid advisor charges, and whether it is a fee or a percentage of the grant, before you commit. Do not pay two people to do the same piece, which is exactly what happens when the roles are not clear. Check the program's own rules first, since eligibility and amounts are set by the administrators and change without notice. And respect the sequence: for the Ontario Job Grant you generally need approval before training starts, so a plan that begins training first can cost you the funding.

Bring in only what you need, put the free official help first, and keep the training, which is the part that actually changes how your people lead, at the centre of the decision. If you want to talk through a leadership program and what we would supply as your training provider, a short call is the easiest place to start.