Small Business Grants for Hiring in the Food Processing Sector

May 2016 Update: Please be advised that some qualification criteria have changed since this article’s posting date. To discover if your business is eligible to receive funding to hire a recent graduate, use our free Wage Subsidy Identifier tool. 

Grants are available for local, regional, and national employers to help facilitate the transition of young workers into the labour market. Many wage subsidies become available throughout the spring and summer months every year to encourage this integration. While many grants for hiring recent graduates exist, some programs are industry or sector-specific. Understanding your eligibility for these programs is crucial to ensuring an easy application and reception of funds. This blog will focus predominantly on the eligibility requirements of food processors who wish to receive funding to hire recent graduates.

Small Business Grants for Hiring in Food Processing Sector: Overview

Approved applicant companies will receive Canadian small business grants funding support in order to hire a young worker that is either unemployed or underemployed within the food processing industry. This government funding for business hiring program focuses on:

• Increasing the supply of highly qualified people to the sector
• Promoting the benefits of advanced food processing and other related studies of youth
• Helping highly skilled young people transit from school to work
• Demonstrating leadership in partnership with the Government of Canada by investing in the skills required to meet professional needs of youth and labour needs of food processing industry

Small Business Grants for Food Processing Sector Eligibility

Eligible companies can receive up to $20,000 in Canada small business grants for hiring.  The approved employee must be hired for a minimum of three months, with a maximum term of 1 year.

Employee eligibility requirements for these small business government grants include:

• Must be a graduate of a post-secondary program no more than 30 years of age
• Must be one of either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or persons on whom refugee protection has been granted
• Cannot currently in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits
• The employee must be new to the applicant company

Company eligibility requirements for Canada small business grants for hiring in the Food Processing sector:

• Eligible companies are food manufacturers.
• Must provide fulltime work of a minimum of 30 hours per week, for a term of no less than 3 months.
• Company must be located in Canada and be capable of supporting and training the new hire.

Canadian Government Grants for Hiring Support