Ontario Chamber of Commerce Talent Opportunities Program (TOP)
Can you win this grant?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
Takes about 20 seconds. We use this program’s real eligibility rules.
Want your full match picture across 650+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Wage subsidy for registered Canadian businesses and not-for-profit organizations hiring post-secondary students in work-integrated learning placements.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a registered Canadian business or not-for-profit organization in any industry, province, or territory.
- Student must be enrolled at a recognized Canadian college or university in a program where the placement is part of the study plan.
- Student must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred.
- Placement must occur during a scheduled work term and be relevant to the student's field of study.
- Employers with 100 or more employees must demonstrate the placement is net-new.
- Federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, Crown corporations, hospitals, public long-term care facilities, post-secondary institutions, elected officials, partisan organizations, and major financial-sector employers are ineligible.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Wage subsidy of up to 50% of wages, to a maximum of $5,000 per placement.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Summer 2026 (May – August) and Fall 2026 (September – December) terms are open; first-come first-served until funding is exhausted.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win TOP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipApply as early as possible for open terms; the Winter 2026 cohort already closed due to high demand.
Rejection Pitfalls 6
- Applying during a closed term (e.g., Winter 2026, closed due to high demand)
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 1
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Applying for TOP? 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) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Unknown RiskHow TOP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Chamber of Commerce Talent Op... | Wage subsidy of up to 50% of... | Moderate | Reimbursement | Summer 2026 (May –... |
| Industrial Research Assistance Progra... | Up to $1M | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| Youth Employment and Skills Program | Up to $25K | Hard | Advance Payment | Between intakes —... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about TOP