What is Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)?
Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) is delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) as a wage subsidy. Funding is typically up to $5,000 per student placement (50% of gross wages). This page covers eligibility, intake status, and what an application actually requires.
At a glance
| Funding amount | Up to $5,000 per student placement (50% of gross wages) |
|---|---|
| Cost share | SWPP covers up to 50% of student wages (capped at $5K); up to 70% for underrepresented placements (capped at $7K) |
| Level | Federal |
| Program type | Wage Subsidy |
| Delivered by | Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) |
| Available in | All provinces |
| Intake status | Open - Fall 2026 term; first-come, first-served until funds allocated |
| Last verified | 2026-08-24 |
Who qualifies
- Eligible industries: All sectors; delivered through industry-specific partner organizations (Magnet, BHER, TECHNATION, CWC, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, Toronto Finance International, others)
- Employee count: min 1, max No formal max (SMEs under 100 FTE prioritized)
- Eligible activities: Hiring a Canadian post-secondary student (college or university) for a paid work placement of at least 4 weeks; placement must align with the student's program of study; in-person, hybrid, or remote work all acceptable
Watch out for
Not incorporated; placement not connected to a post-secondary student's program of study; placement shorter than 4 weeks; student not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person; non-cash compensation only
Deadlines & how to apply
CURRENT TERM IS FALL 2026: placements running Sep 1 to Dec 31, 2026, intake open now. Summer 2026 (May 1 to Aug 31) is still taking late applications while funds last but is no longer the live term. IMPORTANT CORRECTION: canada.ca (modified Apr 1, 2026) now states a flat 'up to $5,000 for every opportunity offered to a student', which is 50% of gross wages. The old tiered 70% / $7,000 rate for under-represented students no longer appears on the official page; do not budget on it. Apply through one of 18 industry delivery partners, NOT directly to ESDC. Choose the partner matching your sector (Technation and ICTC for tech, BioTalent, ECO Canada, EMC for manufacturing, Magnet as the general-purpose option, and others). Only organizations with 100+ employees must demonstrate net-new placements; smaller employers do not. $635.2M renewed through 2028-29.
How NorthGrants helps with Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)
Most business owners read about Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), see the funding amount, and stop. The hard part isn't finding the grant. It's building an application that actually wins.
NorthGrants builds the full application framework for you: a tailored project narrative aligned to this program's evaluation criteria, a budget structure that maps to eligible costs, and the supporting documentation checklist. You review it, refine the parts only you can write, and submit.