Small Business Internship Program (SBIP)

Canada recognizes the importance of the adoption, use and development of e-business.

Industry Canada - Small Business Internship Program provides small and medium-sized enterprises financial support to hire a post secondary student intern to assist them in their adoption of e-business strategies to increase their productivity and competitiveness. Financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds in each province and territory.

To be eligible for this program, your firm must:

• be a Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with less than 500 employees;
• be incorporated or a sole proprietorship and for-profit;
• have been in continuous operation for a minimum of one year;
• have an existing web site and wish to enhance your e-business capability;
• contribute a minimum of 25% of the student wages and related expenses.

Please note: Priority will be given to businesses who have not received funding in the past from the Small Business Internship Program.

What are the benefits of this program?

A significant number of SMEs are currently simply connected to the Internet or are passively on-line, and might not be taking advantage of the possibilities offered by e-business. The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SMEs by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.

Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary students who will work on e-business projects. The Government of Canada will reimburse up to 75% of the eligible wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits, to a maximum of $10,000. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs. Support will be available for twelve weeks.

How to apply?

SMEs that are planning an e-business project, and would like to have a student intern help them make it a reality can submit an application form electronically, by mail or fax for project approval to one of the organizations who administers the program.

The projects will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Will the internship meet SBIP's objectives?
• Will it give a student intern meaningful work experience?
• Will it give the student intern 12 weeks of work?
• Will the employer provide a minimum of 25 percent of intern wages and related eligible costs?
• Will the internship run between April 1st and March 31st of any given year?

All employers will be notified once the project is approved. The SME can then proceed in hiring and advertising their student intern position at universities and colleges, on job boards or other job advertisements as the SME sees appropriate.

What are the eligible costs?

Eligible costs that can be claimed by participating SMEs are the student interns’ wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits.