Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ)

• Signed attestation and authorized representative signature(s) on the Canada Summer Jobs Application/Agreement form
• Completed application form submitted via GCOS, the online fillable form, or the PDF application form EMP5396A

Who is eligible?

• Not-for-profit organizations.
• Public sector employers.
• Private sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees.

Who is not eligible

• Federal government departments and agencies.
• Provincial government departments and agencies.
• Members of the House of Commons and the Senate or their immediate family members.
• Organizations engaged in partisan political activities.
• Organizations that infringe, undermine, weaken, or restrict legally protected human rights in Canada.

Eligible expenses

• Wage contribution for not-for-profit employers up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage and associated mandatory employment-related costs.
• Wage contribution for public and private sector employers up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage.
• Workers’ compensation or equivalent liability insurance costs for not-for-profit employers.
• Accommodation-related overhead costs for youth with disabilities, including personal tools, adaptations, and professional support services.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Job activities carried out outside Canada.
• Job activities that provide a personal service to the employer.
• Partisan political activities.
• Fundraising activities intended to cover youth salary costs.
• Activities that discriminate, promote intolerance or prejudice, or undermine women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada

• Quality work experiences for youth: salary above minimum wage, retention after the agreement, and supervision.
• Skills development: mentoring and transferable skills gained through the placement.
• National and local priorities: support for youth facing barriers to employment.

• Step 1: Review program instructions
  • Read the Applicant Guide and Articles of Agreement.
  • Review the information required to complete the application.
• Step 2: Prepare your application
  • Gather your organization details and job information.
  • Prepare the required supervision, mentoring, and skills development information.
• Step 3: Submit your application
  • Complete and submit the application through GCOS or another accepted application method.
  • Check the attestation box before submitting.
• Step 4: Await the decision
  • Service Canada will review the application and send the funding decision by email.

• Service Canada screens applications for eligibility and may request missing or unclear information by email.
• Eligible applications are assessed and ranked against the program objectives.
• Members of Parliament may provide feedback on eligible projects in their constituencies.
• Funding decisions are sent by email, and all decisions are final.
• If approved, a formal agreement must be signed before any reimbursable activities begin.

• Employers and participants funded through the program must complete feedback questionnaires as part of program follow-up.
• All CSJ-funded positions are automatically posted on Job Bank for increased visibility to youth job seekers.
• An employer's history with the program, such as past financial irregularities or project compliance, may affect future application eligibility.
• Successful applicants may be subject to inspections or audits as part of program monitoring.