apply for the WIL grant below

Apply for $5,000 in grant funding to help alleviate labour costs and keep our industry engaged with the new emerging labour force in our province. This grant funding is brought to you in partnership with the Government Of Alberta.

Questions? Jump to our FAQ.

applications are now open!

Please submit the following form to apply

If you have more questions you can reach us here.

What is the AHA WIL grant

AHA was recently granted funds for an industry specific campaign that will allow Alberta restaurateurs to receive $5,000 worth of government funding to help alleviate labour costs, all while introducing new, or passionate individuals to the hospitality sector.

The grant allows restaurants to match and hire post-secondary students who are actively seeking roles within the hospitality sector - this includes front of house, back of house, leadership positions, as well as marketing and tech support. 

Restaurants must be active AHA members to qualify for the grant, and then submit a short questionnaire and application to be considered. The Association has roughly 80 grants to provide to restaurants in Alberta, and wants to ensure that this process will be as simple and as efficient as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Only members of the Alberta Hospitality Association can apply for the grant. Once a member, the grant is specifically for owners/operators within Alberta who have hired someone who is currently enrolled or has recently graduated (within the last 12 months) from a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in Alberta.

  • The grant is $5,000 CAD dollars.

  • You can only apply for the grant once per calendar year and only once per membership. If you have more than one business operating within Alberta that you would like to be considered for the grant, you need to purchase a membership for both separate businesses.

    Ex. Two locations under the same ownership group can apply separately within the same calendar year. Provided that both unique locations have their own AHA membership.

  • Applications are reviewed monthly. We will notify the sender of the application status within 60 working days.

  • No. The student must be actively enrolled or have graduated within the past 12 months from a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in Alberta for their employment costs to be eligible for the grant funding.

  • The grant money will be distributed quarterly based on the operator submitting the required worker documentation from the previous quarter. AHA will provide documentation.

  • Yes, in order to be eligible for the grant the student must work on average 24 hours per week for the three month period beginning from the date of your application or the student hire date (whichever is later).

  • The grant can be applied to existing employees or new employees. If you intend to hire for a new position, you can apply before you hire into the position. You will be conditionally approved. Once you successfully hire a post-secondary student into the role and provide proof of minimum number of hours worked (24 hours per week for 3 months) you will receive the funds.

  • Three months after your grant application or student hire date (whichever is later) you will be reminded to submit all required documentation. Once that is received you will receive your funds within 2 weeks.