Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Supports work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students by providing wage subsidies to employers who create co-op placements in STEM and business fields (e.g., through partner delivery organizations).
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Canadian employer in any sector offering quality work placements to post-secondary students
- Must apply through an approved SWPP delivery partner organization (not directly to the federal government)
- Work placement must be paid and provide meaningful work experience in a STEM, business, or related field
- Placement must be for currently enrolled post-secondary students (college or university)
- Employer must commit to mentorship and structured learning during the placement
- Small and medium-sized employers are prioritized; additional funding available for placements with underrepresented students
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $5,000 per placement (standard); $7,000 per placement (underrepresented groups)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
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 TipChoose your delivery partner strategically — Magnet is the largest general-purpose partner, but sector-specific partners (BioTalent for biotech, ICTC for digital, EMC for manufacturing) often have dedicated budgets and faster processing. Apply the moment intake opens for your target term, especially for summer placements. The 'net new' requirement means you need to be hiring MORE students than your baseline year — plan your hiring pipeline to demonstrate growth. If you're hiring from underrepresented groups, the enhanced 70% subsidy ($7,000 max) makes this program exceptionally cost-effective.
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Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Employer is a government entity, hospital, crown corporation, or post-secondary institution
- Position is not 'net new' — employer is not increasing total student hires above baseline year
- Student is not enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution
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Success Profile
Any registered Canadian business or not-for-profit that can demonstrate a 'net new' increase in student hires. Most common profile: SMEs in technology, manufacturing, biosciences, or professional services hiring co-op students from Canadian universities and colleges. No minimum company size or revenue requirement. Employers who have existing relationships with post-secondary co-op programs find this especially easy to access.
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Evaluation Criteria
Not merit-based — funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis within each delivery partner's budget. Eligibility assessment checks: (1) employer is a registered Canadian business or eligible non-profit, (2) position is 'net new' above baseline year student hiring, (3) student is enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution, (4) placement meets minimum quality standards (learning component, supervision). No scoring, no proposal writing, no competitive ranking.
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 4
- Student wages for the duration of the work placement
- Mandatory employer-paid payroll contributions (CPP, EI) on subsidized portion
- Wages for placements of 12-16 weeks duration at minimum
- Wages for underrepresented group placements (enhanced 70% rate)
Ineligible Expenses 5
- Training costs or professional development fees
- Equipment, materials, or supplies for the student
- Employer overhead or administrative costs
- Wages already funded by another federal program (CSJ, NSERC, IRAP, Mitacs)
- Benefits beyond mandatory payroll contributions
Intake Periods
Rolling applications through delivery partners, organized by academic term. Summer term (May-August) opens early in the calendar year and has the highest demand — budgets often exhaust within weeks. Fall and winter terms generally have better availability. For example, TECHNATION's Summer 2026 registration opens March 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET.
Deadline Notes
No fixed deadline. Employers apply through one of 18 delivery partners on a rolling basis. However, funding is allocated by academic term and exhausted on a first-come-first-served basis. Summer terms (April–August) have the highest demand and often enter waitlist status within weeks of opening. Winter and fall terms generally have better availability. The $635.2M renewal (November 2025) secures the program through 2028-29.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government departments or agencies
- Hospitals and healthcare authorities (public sector)
- Crown corporations
- Post-secondary educational institutions
- Organizations already receiving federal funding for the same position (CSJ, NSERC, Mitacs, IRAP)
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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 SWPP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) | $5,000 per placement | Easy | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| 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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