Anderson Career Training Institute

What Anderson Career Training Institute does

Anderson Career Training Institute (ACTI) is a privately held nonprofit organization headquartered at 10604 – 172 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, founded in 1995. ACTI's core offering is a 26-week Self-employment Program, consisting of 10 weeks of in-class or online instruction followed by 16 weeks of guided business development, designed to help eligible Albertans start, take over, or grow a small business within their first six months of operation. The program is fully funded by the Government of Alberta with support from the Government of Canada, making it free to participants who meet eligibility criteria (with priority given to current or recent Employment Insurance recipients), and it covers practical topics including goal setting, market research, accounting, banking, licensing, insurance, marketing, and promotion.

The business model is government-grant-funded rather than commercial: ACTI generates no revenue from program participants and instead receives appropriations from provincial and federal partners. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through a website contact form, phone outreach (780-944-0909), and 90-minute Online Discovery Orientations offered both in-person and online, supplemented by multi-channel awareness marketing (Google Ads, radio, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, email newsletter) and word-of-mouth referrals from the 1,900+ alumni base. A team of 18+ practicing entrepreneurs and business specialists delivers instruction, with selected alumni returning as instructors.

ACTI's product surface has expanded beyond training into complementary tools: the ACTI Marketplace (a Shopify-powered e-commerce sub-brand enabling graduates to sell online), the Program Readiness Quiz (Tally-based eligibility screening), and the ACTI Resources content library (blogs and guides on entrepreneurship topics). The organization holds no disclosed patents, has no subsidiaries, is not publicly listed, and operates exclusively within Alberta as a regional training provider for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.

Name

Anderson Career Training Institute

Legal name

Anderson Career Training Institute

Website

https://acti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Anderson Career Training Institute (ACTI) is a nonprofit founded in 1995 in Edmonton, Alberta, delivering a free, government-funded 26-week Self-employment Program to eligible Albertans seeking to start or grow their own businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career Training and Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dislocated Worker & Rapid Response / Reemployment Programs (EDAAAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

Keywords

• Self-employment training
• Entrepreneurship education
• Business mentorship programs
• Small business launch support
• Government-funded career training

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Self-employment Program is fully funded through partnership with the Government of Alberta with support from the Government of Canada. The program is provided at no cost to eligible participants who are starting a business, taking over an existing one, or are in their first six months of operation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ACTI delivers a fully funded 26-week Self-employment Program for eligible Albertans, combining 10 weeks of in-class or online training with 16 weeks of guided business development and mentorship. The program is offered at no cost through government funding and is complemented by the ACTI Marketplace, a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform where program graduates can launch and sell their business products and services.

Product overview

Anderson Career Training Institute (ACTI) offers a single integrated product ecosystem centered on its government-funded Self-employment Program, a 26-week training initiative that combines 10 weeks of in-class/online instruction with 16 weeks of guided mentorship. The program is supported by complementary services including a free Online Discovery Orientation (Info Session) for prospective participants, a Program Readiness Quiz for eligibility assessment, and the ACTI Marketplace—a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform where program graduates can launch their businesses. Additional resources include blog posts and guides covering entrepreneurship topics. All services are designed for eligible Albertans seeking to start or grow their own businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACTI Marketplace: A platform powered by graduates of Anderson Career Training Institute's Self-employment Program where new businesses launch. Every purchase helps an entrepreneur take their next step toward independence.

Products and services

• Self-employment Program A fully funded 26-week government-supported training program providing practical business skills, mentorship, and support for eligible Albertans looking to start or grow their own business. Combines 10 weeks of in-class/online training with 16 weeks of guided business development.
• ACTI Marketplace A Shopify-powered e-commerce platform enabling graduates of ACTI's Self-employment Program to launch their businesses and sell products and services online. Every purchase helps an entrepreneur take their next step toward independence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years of helping launch businesses in Alberta
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Lighthouse Labs: Canadian technology training provider offering intensive bootcamp-style programs. Comparable to ACTI in cohort-based accelerated training delivery, though focused on software development rather than general self-employment.

Others

• Immigrant Employment Council of Alberta (IECA): Alberta nonprofit supporting immigrant employment and entrepreneurship through training and employer connections. Comparable as a regional workforce development and entrepreneurship training partner for a similar newcomer segment that ACTI serves.
• Calgary Economic Development: Regional economic development organization supporting business growth and entrepreneurship in Calgary and southern Alberta. Comparable through its entrepreneur support programs and Alberta-based mandate, though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• SCORE: US-based nonprofit offering free business mentorship and education to entrepreneurs. Closely mirrors ACTI's mentor-driven, government-supported self-employment training model with a large alumni network.
• Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC): National umbrella for women's entrepreneurship organizations delivering training, mentorship, and support to women-led businesses. Comparable to ACTI's cohort-based, mentor-driven training approach for a defined target segment.
• Futurpreneur Canada: Canadian nonprofit providing entrepreneurship support, mentorship, and financing to young entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to ACTI's mission of helping aspiring business owners launch through structured programs and mentorship.

Regional players

• Centre for Entrepreneurship (Edmonton Metropolitan Region): Edmonton-region nonprofit providing small business training, advisory, and mentorship to local entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to ACTI's mission, training format, and Alberta geography.
• Community Futures Alberta: Network of nonprofit community business development corporations across Alberta providing small business loans, training, and advisory services to rural entrepreneurs. Directly overlaps ACTI's Alberta-based self-employment support mandate.
• Startup Edmonton: Edmonton-based entrepreneurship hub offering programming, community, and mentorship to founders. Overlaps with ACTI's Alberta focus and self-employment development mission, though more tech-startup oriented.

Broad incumbents

• BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada): Crown corporation providing Canadian entrepreneurs with financing, advisory, and training at a national scale. Comparable through its entrepreneur education and advisory offerings, though broader and financing-led rather than free self-employment training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AndersonCareerTraining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anderson-career-training-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/andersoncareertraining

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Anderson Career Training Institute