Register for Grants and Contributions Online Services

What you need to know about the registration process GCOS

• By creating a GCOS account for your organization, you will become the main accountholder with responsibility for the activity within the account. Once registered, you will be able to delegate access to the system to other representatives in your organization and customize what each representative is able to do within the account. Representatives need to create their own sign-in information and user profile before access can be granted.
• This process for registering an organization account for GCOS can take the Primary Officer on average two weeks to complete. Choosing online options, where possible, throughout the process and verifying the accuracy of the information you provide can help to complete the process more quickly. Representatives can create their user profiles and be added to the account quickly, once it is established.

Steps to complete the registration process:

1. Establish your username and password. To complete this step, you may use a username and password that you already have with one of the financial institutions on the Government of Canada’s list of Sign-in-Partner, so that you don’t have to remember new sign-in information, or sign-in with or register for a GCKey. Both options are quick and easy!
2. Create your user profile. Once this is complete, you will receive a user reference number (URN), which is your unique client identifier for GCOS.
3. Create a profile for your organization. Completing your organization’s profile requires your business number, legal and operating name and the address, as registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If you have a registered payroll program account business number (i.e.: a business number with the “RP” program extension) you are encouraged to use it as it will enable an automated validation of the information and help to expedite your registration process.
4. Consent to Validation of your Organization Information. A CRA authorized representative from your organization must provide consent for ESDC/Service Canada to validate information about your organization. An authorized representative is someone listed with the CRA as having authority to consent on behalf of your organization. If you are not an authorized representative with the CRA for your organization, you will be asked to provide the email address of someone who can provide this consent.
5. Validate and Authenticate your Identity. As the main accountholder, we require you to validate and authenticate your identity – either online through the CRA using your “My Account” sign-in information or in-person at a Service Canada Centre.
6. Obtain the authorization code to represent your organization. An authorization code, along with your contact information, will be mailed to the head of your organization once the previous steps have been completed successfully. The head of your organization will be instructed to provide you with the authorization code to complete the registration process. Once you have it, log back into GCOS and enter the code.

The User Guide for Registration and Account Management provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to complete the GCOS registration process and subsequently manage your GCOS account.

Additional questions or concerns about the GCOS registration process can be directed to the Employer Contact Centre by phone or the GCOS team by email.

Guides and help

• Account registration and management
• All GCOS user guides

Contact us

• Contact the Employer Contact Centre for help

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