Host a municipal intern

• Grant funding of $62,500 per host municipality for the 2026 program.
• $55,000 allocated for intern compensation, including salary, benefits, and payroll deductions.
• $7,000 provided for additional expenses such as recruitment, relocation, professional development, safety equipment, association membership fees, electronic equipment, and supervisor travel costs for internship workshops.
• Municipalities are expected to financially contribute additional funding (“top-ups”) to intern compensation and/or cover extra expenses beyond the grant amount.

• The applicant must be a municipality or a planning services agency in Alberta.
• The organization must have the capacity to provide comprehensive training and mentorship aligned with the intern workplan, or partner with another organization to do so.
• The organization must demonstrate commitment from senior management and council or board to support and supervise the intern.
• The applicant must not hire an existing or recent employee as an intern, except for individuals who were summer students, casual employees, or co-op students.
• The applicant must commit sufficient financial and staff resources to effectively host and support the intern for the duration of the program.

Who is eligible?

• Municipalities
• Planning service agencies

Who is not eligible

• Organizations that are not municipalities or planning service agencies.
• Host municipalities and planning service agencies seeking to hire an existing or recent employee as their municipal intern, except if the employee worked as a summer student, casual employee, or co-op student.

Eligible expenses

• Intern compensation, including salary, benefits, and payroll deductions.
• Recruitment costs for hiring an intern.
• Relocation expenses for the intern.
• Professional development costs, such as training, courses, and conference attendance.
• Safety equipment needed for the intern's role.
• Association membership fees related to the internship.
• Electronic equipment required for the intern.
• Travel costs for supervisors to attend in-person internship workshops.

Eligible geographic areas

• Municipalities and planning service agencies located in Alberta.

• Organization's ability to provide training in all areas covered by the intern's work plan.
• Commitment to dedicating the necessary time and resources (financial and human) to welcoming and developing the intern.
• Active involvement of municipal management in supervising and mentoring the intern.
• Demonstrated support from the city council and administration for the internship program.
• Ability to share knowledge and assist the intern in their activities and professional development.

• Webinar information sessions are offered for potential host organizations to ask questions about the program; registration is required.
• If unable to attend an information session, questions can be sent by email for follow-up.
• The program is not intended as a temporary employment opportunity but as a means to build administrative capacity in municipalities.
• Host municipalities are expected to provide mentorship, rotation through various departments, and access to professional development for the intern.