At the moment, one of our most popular government funding programs regarding the hiring of new talent is the MITACS Enterprise Program. This is a 6-month internship program that would give post-secondary graduates or Masters students/graduates in the science, technical, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines a chance to gain valuable skills and experience by working with Canadian businesses that operate in their related field of study. The MITACS Enterprise Program would provide funding for multiple graduates or post-secondary students up to a maximum of $30k or 50% of intern(s) salaries.
Applying for Small Business Funding Grants
The MITACS Enterprise Program requires their applicants to operate in Southern Ontario and have an available position in one of the STEM disciplines. In order to be considered eligible, the applicant must pass through two phases of application submissions; (1) a preliminary application process and (2) a final application process. The applicant must indicate in these applications whether they already have someone in mind for the position or if they are currently looking for candidates. Businesses should be able to prove their ability to mentor their intern by teaching them valuable skills that they would be able to apply to other jobs in their area of expertise. There is a 2-3 week waiting period for a Selection Committee to assess applications; however, businesses could begin their search for applicants right away and are encouraged to find a candidate before the application process. Please keep in mind that if you already have a candidate ready for funding, you cannot put them on payroll until you are accepted by MITACS. If you need to hire them immediately, putting them on contract until your application is accepted will ensure you retain your eligibility for MITACS Enterprise funding. The application deadline for this program is February 28, 2012, interested parties should begin their applications now.
Upon Receiving Approval for Government Business Funding
Once your business receives approval you will have to begin searching for an eligible applicant if you haven’t already found one. To find an intern, businesses can post their available position on the MITACS’ opportunities webpage. This page acts as a Job Board for positions in one of the STEM fields of study. To improve your pool of candidates, businesses might want to post their job opportunities on other Job Recruitment sites including the University of Waterloo’s Jobmine, as well as the University of Guelph’s Job Posting Site. Other private Job Posting Sites would also be an efficient Recruitment Resource to Strengthen your Workforce.
Payment Methods of MITACS Canadian Government Funding
The MITACS Enterprise Program will support up to $15,000 per graduate for a total of $30,000 maximum or 50% of the intern(s)’s salary. For those who are curious as to how they will be reimbursed for the salary of their intern(s), the payment schedule would go as follows:
- 2 Months of the Intern(s)’s salary would be paid to the business up front by MITACS ;
- 3 Months of salary contributions would be paid half way through the 6 month internship upon MITACS receiving the proof of payment ;
- The Final month’s salary contribution would be paid at the end upon submission of final report and proof of payment.
Other Government Funding Programs for Hiring
For those who are interested in this type of Government Grant but are not operating or searching for an intern one of the disciplines of STEM, please check out our blog that features the other Funding Programs for Hiring.
Mentor Works is a private organization that is dedicated to help businesses find government funding that would fit their needs for growth financing options. For more information on this application process or other government funding mechanisms, please contact Mentor Works, The Government Funding Experts. Businesses can also learn more about Canadian Government Funding Programs by following us on Twitter or signing up for one of our Free 60 Minute Government Funding Workshops.