BioTalent Canada — Science Horizons Youth Internship Program
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Subsidizes 80% of a recent post-secondary graduate's salary (up to $25,000) plus up to $5,000 for training and wrap-around services, for employers in Canada's bio-economy hiring environment-related STEM interns aged 30 or under. The program reopened in June 2025 with new funding for small and medium-sized employers in the bioscience sector, placing 25+ recent graduates in 4-12 month internships.
Eligibility Requirements
- Employer must operate in Canada's bio-economy or an environment-related STEM field (biotech, clean tech, environmental science, bio-manufacturing, agri-food science)
- Eligible employer types: for-profit SMEs, corporations, industry associations, non-profits, post-secondary institutions, government entities, Crown Corporations, Indigenous organizations
- Internship position must be environment-related STEM focused
- Must provide supervised mentorship structure and a safe, respectful workplace
- Must add participant to employer payroll with standard payroll deductions (CPP, EI, income tax)
- Minimum 20% employer salary cost contribution required (employer pays at least 20% of gross salary)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $25,000 salary subsidy (80% of salary) + up to $5,000 training — up to $30,000 total per intern
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 80% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Rolling — check BioTalent Canada website for current cohort status
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win BioTalent Canada — Science Horizons Youth ... — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 7 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Applying for BioTalent Canada? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe Science Horizons program operates in cohorts with limited slots — when a new round opens, apply immediately. The intern must be new to your organization, aged 30 or under, with a post-secondary degree, and not currently receiving EI. You cannot stack this with other federal hiring programs (IRAP, Mitacs, Canada Summer Jobs). The training supplement ($5,000) requires pre-approval — flag it in your application. If your target intern is over 30 but otherwise qualified, look at the BioTalent SWPP program instead.
Rejection Pitfalls 7
- Internship role is not environment-related STEM (e.g., administrative or marketing roles)
- Participant is over 30 years old at internship start date
- Participant is not a post-secondary graduate
Success Profile
A Canadian cleantech, biotech, or environmental science SME with 2-250 employees looking to hire a recent STEM graduate for a 4-12 month role in environmental research, clean energy, bio-manufacturing, or related field. Strong applicants have a structured mentorship plan and a defined STEM-focused project for the intern.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications assessed on: (1) employer eligibility in bio-economy or environment-STEM field, (2) quality of the STEM internship role and mentorship plan, (3) participant eligibility (age, education, citizenship, EI status), (4) alignment with Environment and Climate Change Canada's green-economy mandate, and (5) SME priority (small and medium employers receive preference in slot allocation).
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 3
- Intern gross salary (80% covered, up to $25,000 total)
- Training and skills development costs (up to $5,000, pre-approval required)
- Wrap-around services supporting the intern's success in the workplace (pre-approval required)
Ineligible Expenses 5
- Administrative or non-STEM intern roles
- Wages already funded by any other federal program
- Contractor or freelance arrangements (intern must be on employer payroll)
- Benefits beyond gross salary (CPP, EI employer contributions not covered)
- Training costs above $5,000 ceiling
Intake Periods
Cohort-based. June 2025 cohort required placements to begin by December 1, 2025. New cohort for 2026 not yet announced as of research date. Monitor biotalent.ca for announcements.
Deadline Notes
Program reopened June 2025 with placements required to begin by December 1, 2025 for that cohort. New openings may be announced for 2026 — check biotalent.ca/programs/science-horizons-youth-internship-program/ for current status. Current website shows program as CLOSED as of research date; new cohort funding announcement expected.
Open Application Portal →Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskIf the internship ends early or participant eligibility is found to be misrepresented, BioTalent may recover pro-rated subsidy amounts. Low risk for compliant employers.
How BioTalent Canada — Science Horizons Youth ... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioTalent Canada — Science Horizons Y... | Up to $25,000 | Easy | Advance Payment | Rolling — check... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... | Varies | Easy | Equity | Ongoing |
| Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing | Varies | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| Genome Canada | Up to $10 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BioTalent Canada — Science Horizons Youth ...