The Building Up Manitoba Program: a plain guide for employers

You have people who could do more with the right training, and work that would run better with clear roles and written policies. Most owners put that work off because of the cost. Manitoba has a program that shares it.

What it is

The Building Up Manitoba Program, known as BUMP, was launched on 25 May 2026 by the governments of Canada and Manitoba. It is funded through the Canada-Manitoba Labour Market Transfer Agreements, and it brings together parts of two programs that have now ended: the Canada-Manitoba Job Grant and the Workforce Development Program.

BUMP is a cost-shared program. It can reimburse up to 50 per cent of eligible costs in two streams:

• Employee Training: up to $10,000 per employee, for training that leads to a job, a better job or more job security.
• Human Resources Strategy Development: up to $25,000, for outside help to assess your HR needs and put HR plans, policies and job descriptions in place.

The total across both streams is up to $100,000.

Who can apply

The employer must:

• have fewer than 500 full-time equivalent employees, counting related businesses
• be permanently established in Manitoba
• have been fully operational for at least one year when it applies

For-profit businesses, non-profits, industry associations, unions, municipal governments and Indigenous governments can apply. Government departments, Crown corporations and businesses that mainly earn passive income cannot.

How the application works

1. Intake form. The employer completes a short intake form online. The program calls this a mandatory first step.
2. Screening. A Workforce Development Consultant reviews the form and follows up to talk about eligibility and fit.
3. Full application. Employers that meet the criteria are invited to send a full application.

Applications are accepted all year. The employer applies in its own name: the program says applications sent by another organization on behalf of the business are not eligible.

How you get paid

BUMP pays back after the work is done. You pay your training provider or HR advisor in full, then send the program your invoices, matching proof of payment and a final report on what was completed. Payment depends on finishing the approved activities and on the expected outcomes.

The date that matters

The program follows the provincial fiscal year, 1 April to 31 March, and funding agreements cannot run past the end of the year you apply in. For the current year, that is 31 March 2027.

Where to read more

The official program page has the full rules and the intake form: gov.mb.ca/jec/busdev/financial/bump. Questions go to workforcetraining@gov.mb.ca.