BioTalent Canada — Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Program Description

Provides a wage subsidy of 50% of student gross pay, to a maximum of $5,000 per placement term, to Canadian biotech, biopharma, and bio-economy employers who create paid work-integrated learning placements (co-op, internship) for enrolled post-secondary students. BioTalent delivers this on behalf of ESDC's federal Student Work Placement Program. The federal government confirmed a 3-year funding extension in November 2025, making this program available through at least 2027.

Eligibility Requirements

• Biotechnology, biosciences, biopharma, or bio-economy organization (as of August 1, 2024, bioscience employers receive priority)
• Healthcare organizations with documented bio-economy overlap (clinical trials, biomedical research) are considered
• Must create a net-new paid work-integrated learning (WIL) placement — for employers with 100+ full-time staff, placement must be above historical hiring baseline on file with BioTalent
• Employers with fewer than 100 employees are exempt from net-new baseline requirements
• Post-secondary institutions cannot apply as employers (ineligible as of April 1, 2022)
• Student must be enrolled full-time or part-time at a Canadian post-secondary institution (CEGEP, college, undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate)
• Student must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or refugee with legal work authorization
• Placement duration: minimum 4 weeks to maximum 16 weeks; minimum 10 hours per week
• Student must be on employer payroll with standard payroll deductions (CPP, EI)