First Peoples Development Inc (FPDI)

Name

First Peoples Development Inc (FPDI)

Legal name

First Peoples Development Inc.

Website

https://fpdinc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

First Nations Employment and Training Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM), TVET/Skills & Workforce Education Authorities (EDADAAAH), Train-the-Trainer & Instructor Enablement Services (BPAEANAL)

Keywords

• First Nations employment services
• Vocational skills training
• Apprenticeship support programs
• Labour market development
• Youth STEM education

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Program Funding: FPDI operates under a funding agreement with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to deliver the ISET (Indigenous Skills and Employment Training) program. Additional funding comes from Indigenous Services Canada for programs like Robotics and Drone training. The organization was rated as an 'optimal capacity' holder by ESDC, indicating capacity to successfully deliver ISET program and accurately measure and report on successes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FPDI administers Manitoba's Indigenous Skills and Employment Training framework through 28 Sub-Agreement Holders and community-level Employment and Training Coordinators. It provides vocational and pre-apprenticeship training, employment support, youth STEM and robotics programs, child-care support, and related administrative services for First Nations individuals and communities.

Product overview

FPDI operates as an administrative organization delivering the ISET (Indigenous Skills and Employment Training) program, Manitoba's largest First Nations employment and training initiative working with 28 Sub-Agreement Holders. The core offering is a portfolio of 15+ vocational pre-apprenticeship programs in construction, trades, hospitality, healthcare, and technology (Sprinkler Fitter, Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Welding, Millwright, Heavy Equipment Operation, Line Cook, Practical Nursing, and more). Supporting initiatives include youth robotics and drone training, the LauncHER into Trades women-in-trades program, Labour Market Survey Initiative for Indigenous Labour Market Information collection, Food Security Project, and the Tech for Seniors digital literacy workshop. A social enterprise (FPDI Café) provides employment for program graduates. Operational infrastructure includes ARMS for client data tracking, a Job Board portal, and community resource directories. The organization rated as "optimal capacity" holder by ESDC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FPDI Café: A café launched in July 2025 following the Line Cook Program, located at 1355 Mountain Avenue inside the Winnipeg Free Press building.
• LauncHER into Trades
• Women of Millwrighting

Products and services

• ISET (Indigenous Skills and Employment Training) Program Government-funded employment and training framework providing apprenticeship training, job start-up support, career exploration, upskilling, wage subsidies, and certificate programs for First Nations learners in Manitoba.
• Trade Skills Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Portfolio of vocational and pre-apprenticeship programs covering sprinkler fitting, carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, millwrighting, bricklaying, scaffolding, heavy-equipment operation, and other trades.
• FPDI Robotics Program Hands-on youth STEM program teaching robotics, coding, programming, and drone flight operations through LEGO EV3 Mindstorms, VEX V5, Sphero RVR+, LEGO Spike PRIME, and related platforms.
• FPDI Café Social-enterprise restaurant at 1355 Mountain Avenue in the Winnipeg Free Press building, serving breakfast and lunch and providing employment to Line Cook Program graduates.
• Child Care Program Funding and support for 24 on-reserve First Nation daycares, including professional-development and cultural-programming resources.
• Job Board Online employment portal connecting First Nations job seekers with employers through separate employer and job-seeker registration portals.

Quantifiable outcome

• During ASET: 26,000+ trained, 9,500+ employed, 5,200+ pursued further education
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Aboriginal Employment Services (AES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPDI partnered with AES to implement the Labour Market Survey Initiative, which collects Indigenous Labour Market Information (ILMI) from First Nations communities across Manitoba. Together they have collected over 22,000 surveys to help identify training needs.
• Assiniboine Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Heavy Duty Technician Program and Practical Nursing Program. ACC provides accredited certificate programs with credit recognition for apprenticeship levels.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 2085 (IBEW 2085)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Powerline Technician Training and Construction Electrician Pre-Employment Program. IBEW provides instructors, training facilities, and organizes employment placements for graduates.
• Piping Industry Technical College of Manitoba (PITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sprinkler Fitter, Welding, and Plumbing pre-employment programs. PITC provides classroom and practical training facilities with qualified instructors.
• Operating Engineers Training Institute of Manitoba (OETIM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Heavy Equipment Operator training providing nationally recognized credentials and leading-edge HEO training.
• University of WinnipegsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Drone Project on Digital Agriculture Field Data Collection. U of W is developing the Growing Digital Agriculture Initiative using drones for crop health data collection.
• First Class Training Centre Inc. (FCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Class 1 Driver Training Program. FCTC is a member of the Manitoba Trucking Association with certified instructors for truck driver training.
• Manitoba Building TradessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for construction trades training including home building projects in First Nations communities.
• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Indigenous Welding Program providing industry connections and employment pathways for welding graduates.
• Lotus Learning SolutionssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Millwright, Try-A-Trade, Small Engine Maintenance, and Carpentry pre-employment programs.
• UBC Training Centre ManitobasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Carpentry and Scaffolding pre-apprenticeship programs providing hands-on training facilities.
• Bricklayers Local 1coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pre-apprenticeship Bricklayer Program delivering 20 weeks of classroom and practical training with work placement and Level 1 accreditation.
• LiUNA Training InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Construction Craft Worker accredited pre-employment program providing Level 1 accreditation.
• Insulators Local 99secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Heat and Frost Insulator Pre-Apprenticeship Program providing 17-week training with safety certifications.
• Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Line Cook Program delivering 5-week culinary training with certifications and employment pathway to FPDI Cafe.
• Green IglusecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Food Security Project constructing a Growing Dome greenhouse in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) with training for greenhouse managers.
• Hockridge Trade School Ltd.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Heavy Equipment Operator training in Dauphin, Manitoba providing quality learning experience.
• Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Practical Nursing Program providing clinical placement opportunities and healthcare sector connections.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Indspire: A national Indigenous-led charity providing bursaries, scholarships, and youth programs to advance Indigenous education and employment outcomes — comparable Indigenous workforce development mission at broader national scale.

Direct peers

• Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement Holders (Urban): Urban Indigenous organizations (e.g., Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment Centre, Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle in Hamilton) delivering similar federal Indigenous employment training programming — comparable mission with urban delivery focus vs. FPDI's on-reserve Manitoba mandate.
• Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT): Saskatchewan's First Nations-governed post-secondary institution delivering trades, technology, and apprenticeship training to Indigenous learners — comparable scope and target population to FPDI's trades training portfolio.
• First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI): An Indigenous-owned and controlled post-secondary institution in Ontario delivering accredited trades, technology, and apprenticeship programs to First Nations learners — directly comparable training-to-employment mission with FPDI's pre-apprenticeship portfolio.
• Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASET) — other provincial holders: Other ISET/ASET administrative agreement holders across Canada (e.g., BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan) deliver the same federal Indigenous Skills and Employment Training mandate under similar10-year agreements. Direct peers operating parallel models serving Indigenous populations in their respective provinces.

Others

• AFOA Canada: Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada — Indigenous-led capacity building organization focused on financial management and governance training for Indigenous organizations, complementary to FPDI's capacity-building mandate.
• Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB): A national Indigenous business organization focused on Indigenous economic inclusion and workforce participation. Comparable Indigenous-focused mission but emphasizes employer/entrepreneur side rather than direct training delivery.
• Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC): National Indigenous women's organization with workforce, economic security, and skills development mandates — comparable Indigenous-serving mission with women-focused emphasis including trades retention initiatives like FPDI's LauncHER into Trades.

Broad incumbents

• First Nations University of Canada (FNUC): A First Nations-governed university offering degree, diploma, and trades programming nationally. Comparable Indigenous-led education mission but broader academic scope than FPDI's pre-apprenticeship focus.

Regional players

• Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP): National representative organization for off-reserve Indigenous peoples (Métis, non-status, urban Indigenous) — operates in adjacent Indigenous workforce space with overlapping but distinct constituency from FPDI's on-reserve focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LauncherFPDI
• Facebookfacebook.com/FPDINC
• Instagraminstagram.com/first_peoples_development_inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-peoples-development-inc-fpdi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 First Peoples Development Inc (FPDI)