This program is currently between intakes. Annual intake in November-December for the following summer. CSJ 2026 intake: November 4 to December 11, 2025. Confirm on the official site ↗
Updated June 2026 · Verified against Employment and Social Development Canada guidelines
▲ Growing ✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement Est. 2007
Grant Federal Between Intakes

Canada Summer Jobs

Employment and Social Development Canada
Maximum Funding
Up to 100% wage subsidy (minimum wage)
Annual — 2026 cycle closed December 11, 2025. Next intake expected November 2...
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
100%
Canada Summer Jobs provides Up to 100% wage subsidy (minimum wage). 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. The program covers up to 100% of eligible costs. Annual — 2026 cycle closed December 11, 2025. Next intake expected November 2026.. Approval odds: ~20–40% (GrantCompass analysis)
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

28,265 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 263,468 awards since 2006. Typical award: $6.3K. Half of all awards fall between $3.9K and $13.4K. Top provinces: Ontario 33% · Quebec 23% · British Columbia 10%. Covers: ESDC Canada Summer Jobs — direct employer wage subsidies (all recipient types: non-profits, for-profits, public sector). Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.

The typical Canada Summer Jobs award is $6.3K — the median of 263,468 awards since 2006. In 2025, 28,265 organizations were funded.

28,265funded in 2025
$6.3Ktypical award
263,468awards since 2006

Award size distribution. Half of awards fall between $3.9K and $13.4K, with a typical award of $6.3K.

Award sizes middle 50% of awards
$6.3K typical $13.4K
Top provinces ON 33%QC 23%BC 10%

Named recipients

Recent recipients of Canada Summer Jobs include Ville de Bathurst (Bathurst, NB, 2026), Canadian Tire 106 (Sussex, NB, 2025) and Ville de Carleton-sur-Mer (Carleton-sur-Mer, QC, 2025).

  1. 2026Ville de BathurstBathurst, NB
  2. 2025Canadian Tire 106Sussex, NB
  3. 2025Ville de Carleton-sur-MerCarleton-sur-Mer, QC
  4. 2025Greentee Golf C.C. Westwood Plateau Fine LtdCoquitlam, BC
  5. 2025Greentee Golf Westwood Sky CourseCoquitlam, BC
  6. 2025Classic IndianWaterloo, ON
  7. 2025Développement de KamouraskaKamouraska, QC
  8. 2025GVL Rive-Nord inc.Terrebonne, QC
  9. 2025La Friperie du PavoisQuébec, QC
  10. 2025Canadian Association for Student EntrepreneurshipBrampton, ON
Show 28 more recipients
  1. 2025Auberge d'Anjou Surya CaféPetit-Rocher, NB
  2. 2025Red House StablesSouris, PE
  3. 2025Mijotry Service Traiteur incPlessisville, QC
  4. 20259534-3372 Quebec inc.Trois-Rivières, QC
  5. 2025Outbound StationBritannia Beach, BC
  6. 2025Jijuktu'kwejk Watershed AllianceBerwick, NS
  7. 2025Community Focused TelevisionWindsor, ON
  8. 2025Northwood Group of CompaniesDartmouth, NS
  9. 2025Canadian Musicians Co-OperativeBarrie, ON
  10. 2025JEMA International Travel ClinicSt. John's, NL
  11. 2025Camp ScugogNestleton Station, ON
  12. 2025Tok Health Inc.Markham, ON
  13. 2025Tulk's Home HardwareCarmanville, NL
  14. 2025Dre Rachelle B Savoie C.P.Incbathurst, NB
  15. 2025Bedford Minor BaseballBedford, NS
  16. 2025Trinity Cabins and Trailer ParkTrinity TB, NL
  17. 2025ACER Association for Canadian Educational ResourcesMississauga, ON
  18. 2025WESDOBrampton, ON
  19. 2025Demonstration Forest CommitteePort Saunders, NL
  20. 2025SPCA St. John'sSt. John's, NL
  21. 2025Boissonnault McGraw & Associated Ltd.Campbellton, NB
  22. 2025Amazon Pools and SpasFredericton, NB
  23. 2025York Care CentreFredericton, NB
  24. 2025Supreme CarrierLunenburg, NS
  25. 2025Boys and Girls Clubs of WinnipegWinnipeg, MB
  26. 2025district scolaire francophone sudSaint John, NB
  27. 2025Trudy's Coffee and ConveniencePasadena, NL
  28. 2025Friends of Stratford LibraryStratford, PE
See how much each recipient received, and how each award compares to the typical one. Included in Premium ↓

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

See all Canada Summer Jobs winners →

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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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
Provinces
All Provinces
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup Growth Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Easy
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

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

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Between Intakes
Approval
Moderate
Approval Rate
~20–40%
Accessibility
4/5

Accessible — straightforward requirements

Competition
3/5

Moderate competition — prepare a strong application

Difficulty
2/5

Easy — minimal documentation

Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

Scoring 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.

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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
+5 more pitfalls
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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.

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Premium All 8 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 Canada Summer Jobs

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

Premium 7 steps 14 docs

Application Steps

1 Register for GCOS Create an account on Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) at canada.ca/gcos using GCKey or banking credentials. Ensure your CRA Business Number with payroll deductions (RP) account is active.
2 Review priorities and guidelines Review the 2026 national priorities (housing, green/environmental, digital/AI) and your local MP's constituency priorities. Align job descriptions to score maximum points.
3 Develop job descriptions Write detailed job descriptions with clear skills development outcomes, learning goals, and career connections. Include mentoring plan with an experienced mentor (2+ years) and planned mentoring activities.
4 Complete application Fill out the CSJ Application/Agreement form (EMP5396A) via GCOS or downloadable PDF. Include organization description, supervision plan, recruitment plan, health and safety documentation, and accessibility accommodations.
5 Submit during intake window Submit before the deadline (December 11, 2025 for CSJ 2026). Apply early to allow time for ESDC to flag incomplete items — you get only 5 business days to respond to information requests.
6 Receive funding decision Funding confirmations begin April 2026. Sign the contribution agreement before hiring. Post positions on Job Bank. Hire youth aged 15-30 for the summer period.
7 Submit reimbursement claim After the job ends, submit the claim form with timesheets and supporting documentation to Service Canada within 30 days of the last CSJ-funded job completion.

Required Documents 14

✓ CRA Business Number with payroll deductions (RP) account (15-digit)
✓ CSJ Application/Agreement form (EMP5396A) via GCOS or PDF
✓ Signed attestation confirming compliance with program terms
✓ Authorized representative signature(s)
✓ Organization description and mandate
✓ Job descriptions with skills development and learning outcomes
✓ Mentoring plan (mentor experience, planned activities)
✓ Supervision plan
✓ Recruitment plan (including Job Bank usage intention)
✓ Health and safety practices documentation
✓ Work environment policies
✓ Accessibility and accommodation plans for youth with disabilities
✓ MERCs calculation worksheet (not-for-profits only)
✓ Declaration of other funding sources for the position(s)

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

Employer applications not currently open. The 2026 cycle closed December 11, 2025. Next employer intake expected November 2026 (based on historical pattern; 2026 window opened November 4, 2025). Check canada.ca/canada-summer-jobs for the official announcement in fall 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
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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

Premium 3 partners

Compatible Programs

Provincial/territorial wage subsidy programs Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) YESS — Skills Link / Career Focus
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk
Premium See which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get.

How Canada Summer Jobs Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
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Innovative Solutions Canada up to $150,000 Hard Milestone-Based Challenge-specific — new...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Canada Summer Jobs

Free
Can private sector employers get full wage coverage?
No — private sector employers get 50% of minimum wage (e.g., $2,400 for 8 weeks in Ontario). Non-profits get 100% coverage + MERCs (up to $5,800). MERCs are only for non-profits in Ontario.
How long does it take to get paid after approval?
Reimbursement only — you pay the youth first, then submit receipts. ESDC processes claims within 30 days of receiving complete documentation. Must be paid within 30 days of the placement end date.
Why do most applications get rejected?
Incomplete applications (missing attestation or documents) or weak scoring on assessment criteria — especially poor mentoring plans and no alignment with national priorities like green jobs or digital skills.
Can I stack this with provincial programs?
Yes — many provinces offer complementary youth subsidies. But total government funding cannot exceed 100% of actual costs. Must declare all funding sources on the application.
What's the minimum hours/week for a position?
Must be full-time (30+ hours/week) for the entire 6–8 week placement. Part-time or less than 30 hours/week disqualifies the position.

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