How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $7000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is 2024-07-06T03:59:59Z.

Who are the financial supporters of the Venture for Canada — Internship Program?

Venture for Canada — Internship Program is funded by Venture for Canada

What are Venture for Canada — Internship Program's eligibility criterias?

Be a small or medium-sized business, start-up, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity. Registered in one of the following Canadian provinces or territories: BC, AB, SK, MB, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, or NU. Employ fewer than 500 people.

Venture for Canada — Internship Program

Last Update: January 24, 2025

Canada

Interns for startups and SMEs

Venture for Canada — Internship Program at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $7,000
Up to 50% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : June 10, 2024
Closing date : July 6, 2024

Financing Type

Wage Subsidies And Interns

Eligible Industries

All industries

Grant Providers

Venture for Canada

Status

Open

Overview of the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program

Access wage subsidies to hire interns from Canadian universities and colleges.

Financing terms and conditions

The Venture for Canada Internship Program offers wage subsidies to support the integration of student interns into small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. These subsidies alleviate payroll expenses, enabling businesses to focus on fostering innovative and entrepreneurial skill-building environments for interns.

Up to $7,000 wage subsidy per student, per term, with a subsidy rate of 50-70% depending on the intern's background.
Employers must pay interns at least $18.00 per hour.
The subsidy is distributed in two installments: the first half within 45 days of the intern's start date, and the second half upon completion of the internship.
Funding requirements include adherence to payment through payroll and maintaining a safe and supportive internship setting.
Remote internships are eligible as long as there is adequate virtual supervision and coaching.

Eligible projects & activities

This grant offers funding opportunities to businesses interested in hosting interns, supporting entrepreneurship, and fostering skill development. Eligible activities focus on integrating interns while providing them with work-readiness training and support.

Hiring and integrating interns into the company workflow.
Providing a supportive work environment that promotes innovation or entrepreneurial skills.
Offering part-time or full-time internships with flexible terms and remote working options.
Participating in entrepreneurial and work-readiness training through VFC programs, ensuring interns contribute effectively to company projects.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 5,600

Hire a financial analysis intern to support our cooperative's budgeting and financial reporting

$ 7,000

Engage two marketing interns to enhance digital content and social media presence

$ 5,250

Hire an engineering intern to assist with renewable energy projects

$ 4,550

Employ an HR intern to help with recruitment and staff training programs

$ 7,000

Hire three IT interns to develop a new mobile application for our company

$ 7,000

Engage a graphic design intern to develop new branding materials

Eligibility criteria of the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific criteria related to the type and location of the business, as well as the nature of the internship provided.

The company must be a small or medium-sized business, start-up, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity.
The business must be registered in one of the following Canadian provinces or territories: BC, AB, SK, MB, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL, YT, NT, or NU.
The company must employ fewer than 500 people.
The business must provide a safe and supportive internship that develops innovation or entrepreneurial skill-building opportunities.
Employers based exclusively in Ontario are not eligible.
Government departments, crown corporations, credit unions, and post-secondary institutions are not eligible to apply.

Who is eligible?

Small or medium-sized businesses, start-ups, social enterprises, non-profits, or charities registered in Canadian provinces or territories outside of Ontario, employing fewer than 500 people, and providing safe, supportive internships that develop innovation or entrepreneurial skills opportunities can apply for this grant.

Who is not eligible

This grant is not applicable to certain types of employers to ensure alignment with its objectives of supporting eligible sectors. Specific restrictions are designed to streamline support towards small and medium-sized businesses in Canada.

Employers based exclusively in Ontario.
Government departments and crown corporations.
Credit unions.
Post-secondary institutions (universities, colleges, and polytechnics).
International students cannot participate as interns.

Eligible expenses

There are eligible expenses for this grant. Employers can receive a 50-70% wage subsidy (up to $7,000) per student per term. The eligible expenses include:

Hourly wages for interns
Training costs for interns
Virtual supervision and coaching for remote internships

Eligible geographic areas

The Venture for Canada Internship Program is aimed at supporting businesses located in various provinces and territories across Canada. These eligible locations have been identified to facilitate regional innovation and entrepreneurship.

British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut

Eligibility criteria of the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. Businesses and internships must meet the following criteria:

Be a small or medium-sized business, start-up, social enterprise, nonprofit, or charity
Registered in specific Canadian provinces or territories
Employ fewer than 500 people
Provide a safe and supportive internship that develops innovation or entrepreneurial skill-building opportunities

How to apply to the Venture for Canada — Internship Program program

Check if You Qualify & Apply

Complete the preliminary information form to verify eligibility for the program.
Receive a link to the full application upon qualification.

Attend an Employer Onboarding Session

Participate in a webinar where VFC will provide guidance and recommendations for the hiring process.
Ensure attendance is mandatory to align expectations.

Multiple Ways to Find a Student

Post job opportunities on the VFC Bulletin Board.
Alternatively, recruit students through your personal networks, ensuring they meet program criteria.

Hire & Request Funding

Submit a Hiring Request form upon finding a suitable student candidate.
Await confirmation of funding eligibility, which will be provided within 15 business days.

Get Paid

Receive the subsidy in two installments: the first within 45 days from the start and the second within 45 days upon completion.

Meanwhile, Interns get Training

Ensure the interns receive continuous VFC training during their placement.

Hire Again

If previously eligible, bypass initial steps for future hires, subject to conditions.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

VFC Interns come from a diverse range of over 108 universities and colleges across urban and rural centers in Canada.
The program is designed to have minimal administrative burden on employers, using digital forms and fast approval processes.
A preliminary internship subsidy of up to 50% is offered, with potential to increase to 70% when hiring from underrepresented groups.
VFC provides ongoing entrepreneurial training to interns during their internship to enhance their work-readiness and capacity.
The program requires that employers pay interns at least $18.00/hour through payroll, supporting both part-time and full-time roles.
Remote internships are fully supported, provided there is virtual supervision.
Interns can work with organizations in typical roles such as Sales, Marketing, and Development; employers are encouraged to consider other types of entrepreneurial roles as well.
Hiring multiple interns is possible depending on the number of staff in the organization and their participation history in the program.
Regular webinars and onboarding sessions are conducted to assist employers with best practices and recommendations for the hiring process.
The internships and funding adhere to the timelines and dates specified for semester-based cohorts, like the Summer Cohort's specific application and hiring deadlines.

Documents and links

Venture for Canada — Internship Program

Apply to this program

Funding for Canadian SMEs to develop and test innovations