New disability employment system launching July 1 managed by multinational contractors
AKG Canada and Serco Canada will oversee Alberta's ADAP program with five minimum offices each in Edmonton and Calgary.
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Alberta's new disability employment system will be managed by the Canadian affiliates of large international firms, with procurement documents revealing the identity of two prime contractors set to oversee the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
ADAP launches July 1 and will coexist with Alberta's current disability employment system called Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). Thousands of people currently on AISH will move to ADAP due to the province's new standards for the older program.
AKG Canada, whose parent company is based in Australia, won a $47 million five-year contract providing services in Edmonton and northern Alberta. Serco Canada, an affiliate of the U.K.-based contractor, will oversee ADAP employment services for Calgary and southern Alberta under a five-year contract worth $51 million.
The procurement document estimates 26,800 ADAP clients will be referred to the contractors during the active intake period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029. An optional two-year extension could see another 2,900 referrals.
Both companies will refer ADAP clients to existing employment service providers. In Edmonton and Calgary, they will offer client assessment, employment action planning, case management, and peer support. The companies are expected to set up a minimum of five offices in each city for in-person client visits — at least one downtown and one in each quadrant. In medium-sized cities and other areas, they will only refer clients to existing employment services.
AKG Canada and Serco Canada will also oversee Stream C clients — people receiving income support payments deemed able to work but facing factors such as criminal records, addictions, or mental health conditions that put them at risk of staying unemployed.
Most people currently receiving AISH benefits will automatically move to ADAP unless they meet specific criteria, including having a severe and profound developmental disability, living in a continuing care home, receiving Persons with Developmental Disabilities services, or having a palliative or terminal medical condition.