Updated October 2026 · Verified against Employment and Social Development Canada guidelines
▲ Growing ✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement Est. 2007
Grant Federal Active

Canada Summer Jobs

Employment and Social Development Canada
Maximum Funding
50% to 100% of minimum wage
December 3, 2026 (the CSJ 2027 call opened October 27, 2026)
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
100%
Canada Summer Jobs provides 50% to 100% of minimum wage. Provides wage subsidies to help employers create summer job opportunities for youth aged 15 to 30 (student status is not required) across Canada, particularly in not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses. The program covers up to 100% of eligible costs. The deadline is December 3, 2026 (the CSJ 2027 call opened October 27, 2026).
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

28,265 organizations received this funding in 2025 — 262,721 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 October 2026.

The typical Canada Summer Jobs award is $6.3K — the median of 262,721 awards since 2006. In 2025, 28,265 organizations were funded.

28,265funded in 2025
$6.3Ktypical award
262,721awards 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 27 more recipients
  1. 2025Auberge d'Anjou Surya CaféPetit-Rocher, NB
  2. 2025Mijotry Service Traiteur incPlessisville, QC
  3. 2025Red House StablesSouris, PE
  4. 20259534-3372 Quebec inc.Trois-Rivières, QC
  5. 2025Outbound StationBritannia Beach, BC
  6. 2025Jijuktu'kwejk Watershed AllianceBerwick, NS
  7. 2025Brilliant LabsSaint John, NB
  8. 2025Calgary & District Cricket LeagueCalgary, AB
  9. 2025Goody's Ball HockeyMemramcook, NB
  10. 2025Team Up CanadaLangley, BC
  11. 2025Boxing Rock Brewing CompanyShelburne, NS
  12. 2025Alberta Health ServicesMedicine Hat, AB
  13. 2025University of New BrunswickFrederictonm, NB
  14. 2025posAbilities Association of British ColumbiaBurnaby, BC
  15. 2025Moncton Golf and Country Club Ltd.Riverview, NB
  16. 2025East Coast Environmental LawHalifax, NS
  17. 2025Waugh River Stablestatamagouche, NS
  18. 2025Lambourne Environmental Ltd.Red Deer County, AB
  19. 2025Salmon Arm Economic Development SocietySalmon Arm, BC
  20. 2025Eastside City ChurchCalgary, AB
  21. 2025Compound Cut ClubEdmonton, AB
  22. 2025Trailside Bottle ExchangeKensington, PE
  23. 2025Boys & Girls Clubs of SaskatoonSaskatoon, SK
  24. 2025MR MIKES SteakhouseCasualOlds, AB
  25. 2025Damnable Trail NetworkEastport, NL
  26. 2025St. Mark's HalifaxHalifax, NS
  27. 2025Wainwright Golf CourseWainwright, AB
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 aged 15 to 30 (student status is not required) across Canada, particularly in not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Not-for-profit and public sector employers of any size, and private sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees
  • In operation for at least 2 years by December 31, 2026 (new for 2027). Younger organizations can still apply if they met all the conditions of a CSJ 2026 agreement and were reimbursed for at least one CSJ 2026 job
  • Must hire youth aged 15–30 for a summer position (6 to 16 consecutive weeks between April 19 and August 28, 2027)
  • 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
50% to 100% of minimum wage50–100% of minimum wage: up to 100% for not-for-profit employers, up to 50% for public and private sector employers
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 100% of eligible costs
Deadline
December 3, 2026 (the CSJ 2027 call opened October 27, 2026)

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Dec 3, 2026
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
4/5

Accessible — straightforward requirements

Competition
3/5

Moderate competition — prepare a strong application

Difficulty
2/5

Easy — minimal documentation

Approval Rate
Processing Time
Budget Trend
Premium See your real odds, processing time and budget trend for this program — and exactly what it takes to win it.

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.

Premium See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.

Rejection Pitfalls 9

  • Incomplete application — missing attestation, missing documents, or unanswered required fields (5 business days to fix if flagged)
+8 more pitfalls
Premium See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours.

Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Premium All 9 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

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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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.

Required Documents 14

✓ CRA Business Number with payroll deductions (RP) account (15-digit)
✓ CSJ Application/Agreement form (EMP5396A) via GCOS or PDF

Eligible Expenses 3

Ineligible Expenses 6

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

Premium The full guide for this program also covers:
  • 6 more application steps
  • 12 more required documents
  • 3 eligible expenses
  • 6 ineligible expenses
  • Intake periods
  • Deadline notes
  • Ineligible organizations

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

Free
Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Canada Summer Jobs 50–100% of minimum wage Easy Reimbursement December 3, 2026 (the...
Industrial Research Assistance Progra... Up to $1M Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
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...

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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 (CPP/QPP, EI, vacation pay and Workers' Compensation) are reimbursed for not-for-profit employers only, in every province and territory.
How long does it take to get paid after approval?
You can ask for an advance on the application: up to 75% of the agreement when the contribution is $100,000 or less, paid once ESDC receives your Employer and Employee Declaration. The balance is paid after your Payment Claim and Activity Report, which is due within 30 days after the last funded job ends.
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 funded placement (6 to 16 weeks). Part-time or less than 30 hours/week disqualifies the position.

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