Closed
Source verified July 6, 2026
Venture for Canada — Internship Program
Wage subsidies for student internships
Latest source updateLast Update: July 6, 2026Latest change: The Internship Program now shows a Fall 2026 intake, revised hiring-request rules, and a lower wage subsidy of up to $5,000.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: July 6, 2026
Latest change: The Internship Program now shows a Fall 2026 intake, revised hiring-request rules, and a lower wage subsidy of up to $5,000.
VFC Internship Program updates
The Internship Program content now shows Fall 2026 hiring requests open, with the password sent to business-verified eligible employers by email on June 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST, and hiring requests for Fall 2026 opening on June 22. The hiring-request step now requires the student to have already verbally accepted the job offer, and employer verification has shifted from a knowledge assessment to third-party business verification. Funding terms were also revised: the wage subsidy changed from up to $7,000 to up to $5,000, while the current program copy still states a 50-70% wage subsidy capped at $7,000 in one section, indicating a material terms update across the program pages. Scope signals changed as well, including Ontario restriction language being removed and the internship-facing page being replaced with broad site navigation, while the training content moved from points-based eligibility to a self-paced virtual training library.
Funding available
$ 7,000
Deadline
November 7, 2025
Location
Canada
Overview
Le Programme de stages de Venture for Canada offre une subvention salariale de 50 % jusqu’à 5 000 $ par stagiaire et par trimestre aux employeurs admissibles au Canada. Certaines catégories d’étudiants sous-représentées peuvent aussi être admissibles à une subvention de 70 % jusqu’à 7 000 $, sous réserve de disponibilité.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Non-financial cooperative
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 500 employees maximum
Audience
- Canadians
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Providing internship placements to university or college students in a small business, startup, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity.
- Offering hands-on work experience in entrepreneurial or innovation-related roles, such as sales, marketing, software, hardware development, finance, or operations.
- Delivering work-integrated learning opportunities that foster skill-building and work-readiness for students.
- Facilitating remote or in-person internships with structured supervision and coaching.
Official resources
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- All Canadian students can apply.
Who is not eligible
- Government departments and crown corporations.
- Credit unions.
- Post-secondary institutions (universities, colleges, and polytechnics).
Eligible expenses
- Wages paid to student interns (subsidized hourly wages, minimum $18.00/hour via payroll).
Eligible geographic areas
- British Columbia (BC)
- Alberta (AB)
- Saskatchewan (SK)
- Manitoba (MB)
- Quebec (QC)
- New Brunswick (NB)
- Nova Scotia (NS)
- Prince Edward Island (PE)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)
- Yukon (YT)
- Northwest Territories (NT)
- Nunavut (NU)
How to apply
- Submit the application to indicate interest in the Fall 2026 cohort or a future cohort.
- Wait for the Hiring Request form password, which is sent by email to business-verified eligible employers.
- Submit a Hiring Request only after your student has already verbally accepted your job offer.
Processing and Agreement
- Funding can only be allocated to employers who are fully eligible and have completed the application, watched the onboarding webinar, and completed third-party business verification.
- To submit a Hiring Request and secure your place in the funding queue, your student must have already verbally accepted your job offer.
- The password to access this form was sent to business-verified eligible employers by email on June 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST.
Additional information
- Students who self-identify in underrepresented categories may qualify for a 70% subsidy, subject to availability.
- The 70% subsidy level cannot be disclosed to the employer until the student has been hired.
- The same student-employer match can be funded for a maximum of two consecutive terms, up to a total of 8 months.
- The same student can be hired by the same employer for a maximum of four cohorts in total, whether consecutive or not.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Venture for Canada — Internship Program Program
What is the Venture for Canada — Internship Program?
Le Programme de stages de Venture for Canada offre une subvention salariale de 50 % jusqu’à 5 000 $ par stagiaire et par trimestre aux employeurs admissibles au Canada. Certaines catégories d’étudiants sous-représentées peuvent aussi être admissibles à une subvention de 70 % jusqu’à 7 000 $, sous réserve de disponibilité.
How much funding can be received?
Venture for Canada — Internship Program Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $7,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program?
To be eligible for the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program, you must:
Must be a small or medium-sized business, start-up, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity
Must employ fewer than 500 people
Must be registered in any province or territory of Canada
What expenses are eligible under Venture for Canada — Internship Program?
Providing internship placements to university or college students in a small business, startup, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity.
Offering hands-on work experience in entrepreneurial or innovation-related roles, such as sales, marketing, software, hardware development, finance, or operations.
Delivering work-integrated learning opportunities that foster skill-building and work-readiness for students.
Facilitating remote or in-person internships with structured supervision and coaching.
Who can I contact for more information about the Venture for Canada — Internship Program?
You can contact Venture for Canada (VFC) by email at internemployers@ventureforcanada.ca.
Where is the Venture for Canada — Internship Program available?
The Venture for Canada — Internship Program program is available across Canada.
Is the Venture for Canada — Internship Program a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Venture for Canada — Internship Program is a Wage Subsidies And Interns