Canada Summer Jobs
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Provides wage subsidies to help employers create summer job opportunities for youth (students) across Canada, particularly in not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Canadian employer with 50 or fewer employees (private sector requirement; non-profits and public sector may also apply)
- Must hire youth aged 15–30 for a summer position (minimum 6–8 weeks, generally runs May–August)
- Position must be a new job for the youth — cannot displace an existing employee
- Employer must not be a federal political party or registered lobbyist
- Wage subsidy covers up to 100% of provincial/territorial minimum wage for non-profit employers; up to 50% for small for-profit businesses
- Employer must comply with Employment Insurance, health and safety, and labour standards requirements
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to 100% wage subsidy (minimum wage)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 100% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Annual — 2026 cycle closed December 11, 2025. Next intake expected November 2026.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
See how this program compares on approval odds, difficulty, and competition — so you know if it’s worth your time. Unlock with Premium →
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipScoring is done within your federal electoral constituency, not nationally — so competitiveness depends on your riding. Align your job descriptions with the 2026 national priorities (affordable housing, green/environmental, digital skills/AI) for up to 30 bonus points. Assign a mentor with 2+ years of experience and write a detailed mentoring plan — this is explicitly scored and often overlooked by applicants. Submit early to leave time for ESDC to flag incomplete items (you only get 5 business days to respond). Private sector employers: do the math — 50% of minimum wage with no MERCs means your net subsidy covers only 25-35% of actual employment costs.
See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it. Unlock with Premium →
Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Incomplete application — missing attestation, missing documents, or unanswered required fields (5 business days to fix if flagged)
- Low scoring on assessment criteria — weak skills development plan, poor mentoring plan, no alignment with national/local priorities
- Constituency funding fully allocated to higher-scoring applicants
See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours. Unlock with Premium →
Success Profile
Not-for-profit organization (receives 100% subsidy + MERCs) with a clear youth development mandate, detailed mentoring plan, experienced mentor, and job descriptions aligned with national priorities (housing, environment, digital skills). Located in a less competitive federal riding. Has prior CSJ experience with good performance record. Organization can articulate meaningful skills development outcomes for the youth participant. Application submitted early in the window with all required fields complete.
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Evaluation Criteria
Scored on 100 points within the applicant's federal electoral constituency: Skills development opportunities (30 pts) — quality of learning outcomes and career development plan; Supervision plans (15 pts) — mentor experience and oversight structure; Mentoring plans (15 pts) — mentor with 2+ years experience, planned activities; National priority alignment (15 pts) — housing, green/environmental, digital/AI in 2026; Quality wages above minimum (10 pts) — paying above minimum wage scores bonus points; Local priority alignment (10 pts) — priorities set by the local MP; Youth retention intent (5 pts) — plans to continue employment after summer.
See exactly what reviewers score on — so you know where to focus. Unlock with Premium →
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 14
Eligible Expenses 3
- Wages at provincial/territorial minimum wage rate (up to 100% for non-profits, 50% for private/public)
- Mandatory Employment Related Costs — EI, CPP/QPP, vacation pay, workers' compensation (non-profits only)
- Overhead costs for accommodating youth with disabilities (tools, adaptations, support services)
Ineligible Expenses 6
- Work performed outside Canada
- Personal services to the employer (domestic, childcare for employer's family)
- Partisan political activities
- Fundraising activities to pay for the position's salary costs
- Activities that are discriminatory, intolerant, or undermine human rights
- Wages above the provincial/territorial minimum wage (the premium is at employer's cost)
Intake Periods
Annual intake in November-December for the following summer. CSJ 2026 intake: November 4 to December 11, 2025. CSJ 2027 intake expected November 2026. Approximately 5-week application window.
Deadline Notes
CSJ 2026 intake is CLOSED (deadline was December 11, 2025). Funding confirmations begin April 2026. Jobs run April 20 to August 29, 2026. The program opens annually in November for the following summer. Historically, the intake window is approximately 5 weeks in November-December. Expect CSJ 2027 intake to open ~November 2026.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Federal and provincial government departments and agencies
- Members of Parliament, Senators, and members of provincial/territorial legislatures
- Immediate family members of MPs applying through their constituency office
- Organizations engaging in partisan political activities
- Organizations with a prior 'Event of Default' on a CSJ agreement within the last 2 years
- Private sector employers with more than 50 full-time employees
Get the step-by-step application guide — documents, timeline, and what to prepare. Unlock with Premium →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskSee which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get. Unlock with Premium →
How Canada Summer Jobs Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Summer Jobs | Up to 100% wage subsidy | Easy | Reimbursement | Annual — 2026 cycle... |
| Industrial Research Assistance Progra... | Up to $1 million | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Annual intake window.... |
| Youth Employment and Skills Program | Up to $25,000 | Hard | Advance Payment | Between intakes —... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
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