The short answer
Employers can apply for Canada Summer Jobs 2027 from October 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. Eastern. CSJ is a federal wage subsidy for summer jobs for youth aged 15 to 30. Not-for-profit employers receive up to 100% of minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs (CPP, EI, vacation pay). Private-sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees and public-sector employers receive up to 50% of minimum wage. ESDC posts the 2027 closing date and national priorities when the call opens; the last window ran just over five weeks, from November 4 to December 11, 2025. At the 8 weeks and 35 hours a week that ESDC aims to fund, that is about $5,000 per youth for an Ontario nonprofit and about $2,500 for a small business. Applications are scored out of 100 points, and 55 of those points rest on the supervision, mentoring and skills plan you write, so that is the part to draft before the window opens.
Key facts at a glance
- 2027 call for applications: opens October 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. Eastern. The closing date is posted when it opens; the 2026 window ran November 4 to December 11, 2025. Source: ESDC, Canada Summer Jobs applicant guide (page updated September 29, 2026).
- Funding for 2027: Budget 2025 set $594.7 million over two years starting in 2026–27, which covers the 2026 and 2027 summers. ESDC has stated a target only for 2026: around 100,000 jobs. Source: ESDC news release, November 2025.
- How applications are scored: after 15 eligibility checks, out of 100 points: supervision 15, mentoring 13, transferable skills 27, pay above minimum wage 10, keeping the youth on afterwards 5, youth facing barriers 10, national priorities 10, local priorities 10. Source: ESDC, How we assess your application (2026 cycle).
- Nonprofit subsidy: up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage, plus mandatory employment costs (CPP, EI, vacation pay, workers’ compensation, and provincial payroll levies where they apply). Source: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Canada Summer Jobs applicant guide.
- Private-sector & public-sector subsidy: up to 50% of minimum wage, no mandatory employment cost top-up.
- Private-sector cap: only employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees at time of application are eligible.
- Youth eligibility: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons with refugee status, aged 15 to 30 at the start of employment.
- Job duration: minimum 6 consecutive weeks, maximum 16 consecutive weeks, minimum 30 hours/week, maximum 40 hours/week.
- Last cycle (2026): jobs ran April 20 to August 29, 2026. The 2027 national priorities are published with the call.
How many employers get Canada Summer Jobs funding each year, and who are they?
Canada Summer Jobs signed 28,265 employer agreements in 2025, and 60.4% of the agreements that record a recipient type went to nonprofits, 29.6% to businesses and 7.0% to public bodies. The median agreement paid $6,340, and Ontario employers held a third of all agreements on file.
Where Canada Summer Jobs agreements land, by province (all years on file)
The recipient mix is the number most employers ask about, and it favours nonprofits by two to one. Of the 194,671 agreements that record what kind of organisation received them, 117,568 went to nonprofits, 57,707 to for-profit businesses and 13,675 to public bodies such as municipalities and school boards. Another 68,050 agreements on file do not record a recipient type, so the shares are stated for the typed population only.
One agreement is one employer approval, not one job. Employers apply for a number of positions and the agreement value covers all approved positions, which is why the median of $6,340 sits above a single minimum-wage summer placement and the 75th percentile of $13,440 reads like two or three. Volumes ran between 26,764 and 28,265 agreements a year from 2023 to 2025 after the larger 2021 and 2022 seasons.
| Year | Agreements | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 42,967 | Largest year on file |
| 2022 | 36,197 | |
| 2023 | 26,764 | |
| 2024 | 27,392 | |
| 2025 | 28,265 | Most recent complete season |
Source: Government of Canada Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions, Canada Summer Jobs employer agreements (ESDC), all recipient types, 2006 to February 2026; 253,053 agreements with a disclosed value, 261,503 with a province, 194,671 with a recipient type. Verified 2026-10-04. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
How Canada Summer Jobs works
CSJ is not a grant you receive upfront. It is a reimbursement-based wage subsidy paid to you while the youth is on payroll.
Canada Summer Jobs is administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) through Service Canada. Approved employers hire a youth, pay them at least minimum wage through their normal payroll, and receive a subsidy reimbursement from the federal government for the eligible portion of wages. The youth must be on payroll as a regular employee with standard payroll deductions — not an independent contractor, not a co-op student placed through a third party.
The program runs through an annual competitive intake. Applications are evaluated at the constituency level by Service Canada, in consultation with local priorities identified by each Member of Parliament's office. That means your application competes against other employers in your federal riding, not nationally, which is a meaningful advantage if your local labour market has fewer applicants in your sector.
The reimbursement timeline
You pay the youth through your own payroll. Any employer can ask for an advance of up to 75% of the agreement (for agreements of $100,000 or less; 50% above that), paid once you send ESDC the Employer and Employee Declaration form for each youth you hire. The rest comes when you submit your final claim, which is due within 30 days after the last CSJ-funded job ends. Without an advance, you carry the wages until that claim is paid.
CSJ 2027 timeline, next to the 2026 cycle
| Milestone | 2027 cycle | 2026 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Employer applications open | October 27, 2026, 9 a.m. Eastern (announced) | November 4, 2025 |
| Application deadline | Not posted yet. Early December 2026 if the window runs as long as 2026’s (estimate) | December 11, 2025 (closed) |
| Funding decisions | From about April 2027 (estimate) | From April 2026, continuing into the summer |
| Earliest job start | About April 2027 (estimate) | April 20, 2026 |
| Latest job start | About July 2027 (estimate) | July 20, 2026 |
| Latest job end | About late August 2027 (estimate) | August 29, 2026 |
What to have ready before October 27
Everything below can be done now. None of it depends on details ESDC will publish when the call opens.
| Get ready | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A GCOS account, with your identity verified | GCOS is the portal ESDC recommends for applying. Identity verification is a separate step that unlocks all of its features, and ESDC asks you to finish it well before the deadline. |
| Your 15-digit CRA payroll (RP) number | The application asks for it (for example 123456789 RP 0001), and you must have an RP account before you hire anyone through CSJ. |
| Who signs and who answers | Name the person authorized to sign and the contact for Service Canada. If ESDC emails about missing or unclear information, you have 5 business days to reply or the application is not assessed. |
| A supervision plan for each job (15 points) | Scored on whether supervision is on-site or remote, how often it happens, the supervisor’s experience, the feedback the youth gets, and what the supervisor provides. |
| A mentoring plan (13 points) | Scored on one-on-one or team mentoring, frequency, the mentor’s experience, a formal or informal relationship, and what the mentor provides. |
| The skills the youth will build, written into the job tasks (27 points) | The largest single criterion. Reviewers can read your job description and task list when they score it. |
| Your wage and retention decisions (15 points) | Paying above the provincial minimum wage earns 10 points and planning to keep the youth on afterwards (full- or part-time) earns 5. You report on both at the end. |
| Workers’ compensation or equivalent liability insurance | The youth must be covered from their first day of work, and the application asks whether you have it. |
| Health and safety and anti-harassment measures | Both are among the 15 eligibility requirements. An application that does not show them is screened out before it is scored. |
| Your federal riding | Local priorities are worth 10 points and are set riding by riding by the MP. ESDC assigns your riding from the postal code where the work happens, so look it up by that postal code. The 2027 list appears on ESDC’s local priorities page when the call opens. |
Who can apply as an employer
Three employer types are eligible. Private-sector employers face an employee-count cap that catches many growing businesses off guard.
If you are a not-for-profit organization, you are the most-favoured employer type under CSJ. You receive the highest subsidy rate (up to 100% of minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs), and there is no employee-count restriction. Charities, community organizations, associations, and other registered nonprofits all qualify, regardless of size.
If you run a private-sector business, you qualify only if you have 50 or fewer full-time employees at the time you submit your application. This is measured across the entire organization — all locations, all entities operating under the same business number. A retail chain with 60 staff across three locations is not eligible, even if any individual location has fewer than 50. Your subsidy rate is capped at 50% of minimum wage, with no top-up for CPP or EI costs.
If you are a public sector employer (municipal government, school board, hospital, crown corporation, etc.), you are eligible at the 50% rate, with no employee-count cap. Crown corporations and entities that receive primary funding from the federal government face additional restrictions — check the applicant guide for details.
| Employer type | Employee count restriction | Subsidy rate | MERC covered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not-for-profit organization | None | Up to 100% of min. wage | Yes (CPP, EI, vacation pay, workers’ compensation and other mandatory costs) |
| Private sector employer | 50 or fewer full-time employees | Up to 50% of min. wage | No |
| Public sector employer | None | Up to 50% of min. wage | No |
Youth eligibility requirements
The youth you hire through CSJ must meet all of the following at the start of employment:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 15 to 30 years old at the start of the funded job |
| Status in Canada | Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person with refugee status |
| Work authorization | Legally entitled to work in Canada in the applicable province or territory |
| Employment relationship | Must be a direct employee — payroll deductions required |
| International students | Not eligible — temporary study status does not qualify |
Subsidy rates and what's actually covered
The subsidy only covers wages up to the provincial or territorial minimum wage. Any wages above minimum come entirely out of your pocket.
The CSJ subsidy reimburses a percentage of minimum wage — not the youth's actual hourly wage if you pay above minimum. If you are a nonprofit paying a student $19/hr in Ontario (where minimum wage has been $17.95/hr since October 1, 2026), you receive up to 100% of $17.95 per hour, and you absorb the remaining $1.05 per hour yourself. Paying above minimum wage also earns 10 of the 100 assessment points. Many employers pay above minimum wage to attract quality candidates, so build that gap into your hiring budget.
For nonprofits, the 100% rate also covers mandatory employment-related costs (MERCs): the employer's share of CPP contributions, EI premiums, and any required vacation pay. This is a meaningful benefit — employer-side payroll costs typically add 10–15% on top of wages, so the real subsidy value for nonprofits is closer to 110–115% of minimum wage equivalent. Private-sector and public-sector employers do not receive this MERC top-up.
Illustrative subsidy value by province (nonprofit, 8 weeks, 35 hrs/week)
| Province | Min. wage (Oct. 2026) | Approx. gross subsidy (100%, 8 wks) | With MERCs (~12%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $17.95/hr | $5,026 | ~$5,629 |
| British Columbia | $18.25/hr | $5,110 | ~$5,723 |
| Alberta | $15.00/hr | $4,200 | ~$4,704 |
| Quebec | $16.60/hr | $4,648 | ~$5,206 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00/hr | $4,760 | ~$5,331 |
If you're a small business vs. a nonprofit: the real difference
Nonprofit employers paying minimum wage get back nearly all of the wage plus the mandatory payroll costs. What they pay is anything above minimum wage and any benefits they choose to offer.
Small businesses cover half of minimum-wage costs plus 100% of any wages above minimum, plus all payroll costs. For an 8-week, 35-hour position at Ontario’s $17.95 minimum wage, a small business would receive roughly $2,513 in subsidy and pay the rest, including all payroll costs. Still worthwhile — but plan your budget around the 50% floor, not the 100% ceiling.
The application process
CSJ runs through a once-per-year intake. Missing the window means waiting 12 months. Here is how the process flows.
Applications are submitted through GCOS (Grants and Contributions Online Services), the federal government's online application portal. You can also submit a paper application, but GCOS is strongly recommended for confirmation of receipt and faster processing. You will need your CRA business number and payroll deductions (RP) account number ready before starting.
Application eligibility decision tree
Ineligible job activities
| Activity type | Why it's ineligible |
|---|---|
| Work carried out outside Canada | Program is restricted to Canadian labour market outcomes |
| Teleworking from outside Canada | Same restriction; physical location of youth determines eligibility |
| Personal services to the employer | E.g., house cleaning, personal errands, personal care for the owner |
| Discriminatory activities | Any work that discriminates on grounds prohibited under the Canadian Human Rights Act |
| Activities restricting reproductive health services | Specific CSJ program condition introduced in prior cycles and maintained |
| Independent contractor arrangements | Youth must be a direct employee on your payroll |
How ESDC scores a CSJ application (100 points)
Two steps: 15 eligibility checks first, then a quality score out of 100. An application that misses any eligibility check is not scored at all.
The eligibility screen checks that you applied before the deadline, ticked the attestation, sent a complete application, and are an eligible employer with eligible job activities. It also checks that each job runs 6 to 16 consecutive weeks at 30 to 40 hours a week and pays at least minimum wage, and that you declared other funding for the same wages and any money owed to the Government of Canada. Finally, it looks for health and safety measures, measures against harassment and discrimination, and a supervision plan and a mentoring plan. ESDC also reviews your past agreements, and problems in earlier projects can make a new application ineligible.
| What is scored | Points | What earns them |
|---|---|---|
| Quality work experience | 30 | |
| Pay above the provincial or territorial minimum wage | 10 | A wage above minimum. You report the wage paid at the end. |
| Keeping the youth on after the agreement | 5 | An intention to keep them, full- or part-time. You report whether you did. |
| Supervision | 15 | A plan tied to the job’s tasks. ESDC looks at on-site or remote supervision, how often it happens, the supervisor’s experience, the feedback and what the supervisor provides. |
| Skills development | 40 | |
| Mentoring | 13 | One-on-one or team, how often, the mentor’s experience, formal or informal, what the mentor provides. |
| Transferable skills | 27 | Skills the youth will develop, which reviewers can check against your job description and tasks. |
| National and local priorities | 30 | |
| Youth facing barriers to employment | 10 | Prioritizing their recruitment, with extra points for support once they are hired. ESDC may check your hiring against this. |
| National priorities | 10 | Jobs that support a national priority, with extra points for more than one. 2027’s list is published with the call. |
| Local priorities | 10 | Supporting your riding’s local priorities, with extra points for more than one. You are not penalized if your MP set none. |
How to write a competitive CSJ application
How to write toward the 100 points, criterion by criterion.
CSJ is competitive. Not every application receives funding, even if the employer and position are technically eligible. Each tip below maps to lines in the scoring table above. The biggest share, 55 of the 100 points, goes to supervision, mentoring and the skills the youth builds.
1. Describe the youth's benefit concretely, not vaguely
Transferable skills are worth 27 points and mentoring 13, the largest share of the score. Weak answers say "the youth will gain work experience." Strong answers say: "The youth will develop project management skills by leading our summer community programming series: coordinating with 3 venue partners, managing a $4,000 event budget, and facilitating 6 sessions for 20–30 participants each." Specificity signals a genuine mentorship commitment.
2. Name the national priority your job supports (10 points)
The 2026 national priorities were construction (including affordable housing work), green jobs and environmental protection, and technology and digital skills, including foundational AI skills. ESDC publishes the 2027 list with the call on October 27. If your position touches one, name it explicitly; supporting more than one earns additional points, and you report on it afterwards. A software development nonprofit, an environmental charity, or a homebuilder's association has a natural fit. A general retail business does not, and should lean on local priorities and community impact instead.
3. Check your riding’s local priorities (10 points)
Each constituency has local priorities that reflect the MP's office input on regional labour market needs. These are published on the ESDC Canada Summer Jobs local priorities page each intake cycle. Meeting more than one earns additional points, and if your MP set none, you are not penalized. Look up your federal riding and check what sectors or community needs are listed before you write your application.
4. Plan to recruit youth facing barriers to employment (10 points)
ESDC awards points to applications that prioritize hiring youth who face barriers to employment, and more if you have measures to support them once they are hired. The application guide lists the groups that count. Only claim it if you will do it: if you are approved, ESDC may check that your recruitment and hiring match what you wrote.
5. Submit early and watch your inbox
If anything is missing or unclear, ESDC emails the contact on your application, and you have 5 business days to answer or the application is not assessed. Submitting early leaves time to fix a problem before the deadline. In GCOS you can save a draft and come back to it, but once you submit you cannot change it. You should get a tracking number and an acknowledgement email straight away; no confirmation means the application was not submitted.
6. Keep a clean record
ESDC reviews your past CSJ agreements, and problems such as financial irregularities, health and safety concerns or an unfinished project can make a new application ineligible. ESDC does not share individual scores, so if you were declined before, reread the scoring criteria above before you apply again.
What changed in 2026, and what is known about 2027
The program structure remained broadly consistent with prior years. Several specifics shifted that employers should know before the next intake.
The headline change for 2026 is the scale of the commitment: Budget 2025 committed $594.7 million over two years, starting in 2026–27, to support around 100,000 summer jobs in 2026. Because the two years run from 2026–27, the same commitment covers the summer of 2027.
The 2026 national priorities were construction (including affordable housing), green jobs and environmental protection, and technology and digital skills, including foundational AI skills. Supporting more than one earns additional points.
The hiring period and duration rules were maintained from prior cycles: positions ran April 20 to August 29, 2026, with a minimum of 6 consecutive weeks and maximum of 16 consecutive weeks. The minimum 30 hours per week and maximum 40 hours per week requirements were unchanged.
The private-sector eligibility threshold remained at 50 full-time employees. There was no announced change to subsidy rates (100% nonprofit, 50% private/public) for the 2026 cycle. Employers planning for 2027 should monitor ESDC announcements through the fall for any subsidy rate or threshold adjustments.
What is known about the 2027 cycle so far
The 2027 call opens eight days earlier in the calendar than the 2026 call did (November 4, 2025). ESDC says the applicant guide will be updated with full program details once the application period begins, so the closing date, the 2027 national priorities and any change to the rules are not public yet. Funding comes from the same two-year Budget 2025 commitment as 2026. Here is what you can prepare now.
Related youth hiring and wage subsidy programs
If Canada Summer Jobs is not the right fit — because your business is too large, you need year-round positions, or you want to hire post-secondary students specifically — these alternatives are worth exploring.
Canada Summer Jobs
Between IntakesThe core federal wage subsidy for youth summer employment. Nonprofits receive 100% of minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs. Private-sector employers with ≤50 full-time employees and public-sector bodies receive 50%. 2026 application window closed; the 2027 call opens October 27, 2026.
SWPP funds co-operative education and work-integrated learning placements for post-secondary students. Unlike CSJ, it is open to employers of all sizes and runs year-round, not just summer. Administered through sector-specific delivery organizations (e.g., BioTalent for life sciences, ICTC for tech). The student must be enrolled in a post-secondary program with a co-op or work-term component.
Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP)
Between IntakesYESP is the umbrella federal youth employment program under which CSJ operates. Other YESP streams fund skills development, entrepreneurship, and pathways for underrepresented youth. Employers typically access YESP through delivery organizations rather than applying to ESDC directly.
BioTalent — Science Horizons Youth Internship Program
Between IntakesFunded through Environment and Climate Change Canada's Science Horizons program, BioTalent delivers internships for recent post-secondary graduates in life sciences, clean technology, and environmental sectors. Employers receive a wage contribution for positions of 3–12 months. Better suited to science-heavy employers needing skills beyond typical summer-job tasks.
Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) funded youth internships focused on digital skills development for nonprofits and social enterprises. The program is currently closed with no announced replacement. Employers in this space should consider the Student Work Placement Program or the ICTC WIL Digital Program instead.
STIP Green Jobs funds internships for youth in science and technology roles within organizations working on environmental and green economy outcomes. Year-round, not just summer. Employers in clean technology, environmental consulting, renewable energy, agriculture, or natural resources should check eligibility.
CSJ vs. alternatives: which program fits your situation?
| Situation | Best-fit program | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit, any size, summer position | Canada Summer Jobs | 100% subsidy + MERCs — best rate available |
| Private business, ≤50 employees, summer position | Canada Summer Jobs | 50% subsidy, competitive intake |
| Private business, >50 employees | Student Work Placement Program | No employee-count cap; post-secondary only |
| Need year-round, not just summer | SWPP or STIP Green Jobs | Both run beyond the summer window |
| Life sciences or clean tech employer | BioTalent SWPP or Science Horizons | Sector-specific delivery, longer durations |
| Tech employer, digital roles | ICTC WIL Digital (SWPP) | Sector-specific SWPP stream for tech |
| Need a recent graduate, not a student | Science Horizons or STIP | These programs cover recent graduates; CSJ + SWPP require current enrollment or any youth 15–30 |
Common mistakes that get applications declined
These are the errors that consistently result in rejected or declined Canada Summer Jobs applications.
Applying without an active CRA RP account
You must have a CRA payroll deductions program account (RP account) before hiring any youth through CSJ. If you receive funding but don't have an active RP account, you cannot complete the hire. Set it up through CRA My Business Account before the intake window opens, not after you are approved.
Describing the job benefit to you, not to the youth
The application narrative asks what the youth gains, not what your organization gains. Applications that spend most of their narrative on organizational needs ("we need help with summer programs") with minimal attention to skills development, mentorship, and career relevance for the youth score poorly. Lead with the youth's benefit and support it with specifics.
Counting only one location's employees for the 50-FTE threshold
The 50 full-time employee cap applies to your entire organization, not a single location. A business with 30 employees at each of two locations has 60 total and does not qualify. Count all full-time employees on payroll at the time of application across all entities operating under the same CRA business number.
Leaving GCOS and the details to the last week
Identity verification in GCOS is a separate step from creating the account, and ESDC asks you to finish it well before the deadline. If ESDC then emails you about something missing or unclear, you have 5 business days to answer. A submission in the final days leaves no room for either. Start in the first days the window is open, so any problem can be fixed before it closes.
Assuming international students qualify
International students — anyone in Canada on a temporary study permit who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident — do not qualify as eligible youth participants under CSJ. The program is specifically designed to connect Canadian youth to the Canadian labour market. Hiring an international student with CSJ funding creates a compliance issue at payroll documentation stage.
Paying wages in cash without proper payroll records
CSJ reimbursement requires payroll documentation: T4 slips, payroll register records, proof of CPP/EI remittances. Employers who run informal payroll or pay cash create documentation gaps that delay or block reimbursement. If your organization does not currently have a formal payroll system, set one up before hiring — even a basic CRA payroll account with proper deductions satisfies the requirement.