Grant
Federal
Active
BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program
BioTalent Canada
Maximum Funding
60% of eligible costs
Program timeline: September 9, 2024 – March 31, 2028
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Varies
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
60%
BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program provides up to 60% of a youth's salary up to a maximum of $20,000, including wrap-around services. Wage subsidy providing bio-economy employers with 60% of a barriered youth's salary up to a maximum of $20,000 (inclusive of wrap-around services), for youth aged 15-30 facing barriers to employment. The program covers up to 60% of eligible costs. Program timeline: September 9, 2024 – March 31, 2028.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Wage subsidy providing bio-economy employers with 60% of a barriered youth's salary up to a maximum of $20,000 (inclusive of wrap-around services), for youth aged 15-30 facing barriers to employment. Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
Eligibility Requirements
- Employer must operate within the bio-economy
- Employer must provide supervision and mentorship, and assign a mentor or job coach to support the participant's development
- Employer must offer a full-time position of at least 30 hours per week for at least 3 months
- Employer must contribute at least 40% of the participant's salary
- Employer must submit progress reports as required
- The position must not be funded through another federal program (for example IRAP or Mitacs)
- Participant must be "youth furthest from employment": facing a barrier to employment AND involuntarily NEET — not in employment, education or training for the past 6 months. Both conditions must be met; applicants who do not meet both are waitlisted
- Participant must be 15 to 30 years of age
- Participant must be a new hire to the organization
- Participant must not be in school full-time (part-time students may be considered)
- Participant must be able to work a minimum of 30 hours per week
- Participant must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person, and legally entitled to work in Canada
- Candidates may alternatively be considered if, before starting the placement, they are underemployed (working less than 30 hours per week) or not employed in their field of study
- Qualifying barriers include living with disabilities, Indigenous youth, recent immigrants or refugees, youth from racialized communities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, those experiencing homelessness or precarious housing, youth in low-income households, youth in rural or remote areas, those with caregiving responsibilities, early school leavers, underemployed youth, women in STEM, and youth in Official Language Minority communities
- BioTalent Canada does not provide employer matching — the placement must be found before the application process starts
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- 60% of a youth's salary up to a maximum of $20,000, including wrap-around services
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 60% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Program timeline: September 9, 2024 – March 31, 2028
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe program targets 60% representation from underrepresented groups, so recruiting from those groups strengthens your application.
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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The pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
6 docs
Application Steps
1
Confirm you are a bio-economy employer who can meet the terms You must operate within the bio-economy, provide supervision and mentorship, offer a full-time position of at least 30 hours per week for at least 3 months, assign a mentor or job coach, submit progress reports as required, and contribute at least 40% of the participant's salary. The position must not be funded through another federal program such as IRAP or Mitacs.
Required Documents 6
✓ Completed Career Starter application package (downloaded from the program page via Apply Now)
✓ Evidence the employer operates within the bio-economy
Eligible Expenses 2
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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3 partners
Compatible Programs
Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Pro... | 60% of a youth | Moderate | Varies | Program timeline:... |
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| Alberta Innovation Employment Grant | up to $4M | Hard | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
| PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Develo... | Varies | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program
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How much does the employer receive, and what does it have to cover?
60% of the youth's wages to a maximum of $20,000 per intern, and that maximum is inclusive of wraparound services. The employer must contribute at least 40% of the participant's salary.
Who counts as a 'youth furthest from employment'?
Someone facing a barrier to employment who is also involuntarily NEET — not in employment, education or training for the past 6 months. Both conditions must be met; candidates who meet only one are waitlisted.
Will BioTalent find me a candidate?
No. Employer matching services are not provided through Career Starter, and students must find a placement before the application process starts. BioTalent points employers and students to its national job board, The PetriDish.
Can I stack this with IRAP or Mitacs?
No. Positions must not be funded through another federal program, and IRAP and Mitacs are named as examples. The employer's 40% share has to come from the employer.
How long does approval take?
BioTalent Canada states the application review process may take up to 40 business days, so build that into your hiring timeline.
What does the hire get besides a wage?
A dedicated BioTalent case manager, an individualized case plan with ongoing check-ins, access to Technical Skills Fundamentals and Essential Skills Fundamentals training, and wraparound services funding averaging $2,500 per participant for barriers like transportation or housing.
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Full Playbook: BioTalent Canada — Career Starter Program
6 steps · 6 docs · reviewer insights