The Small Business Internship Program

5 Easy Steps for Employers

1. Meet the business criteria
2. Determine your e-business project (see page 3 for details)
3. Apply for SBIP –Download the Application
4. Submit Your Application to Muskoka Community Network
5. Recruit an E-Business student for your project

Quick Links

• Information about the Small Business Internship Program (SBIP)
• Information For Business
• Information for Students
• What are the Eligible Costs?
• Where can I get more information?

Where Can I Get More Information?

• Local - Muskoka Community Network
• Provincial - Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations
• Federal - Industry Canada

Information About the Small Business Internship Program (SBIP)

The 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 an active e-business strategy that will help them prosper during the current economic instability.

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. This support will help participating SMEs increase their productivity and competitiveness in order to grow their businesses.

The SME negotiates the salary of the intern, and the benefits they may receive. The Government of Canada will reimburse 75% of the eligible wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits, up to a total of $10,000. Businesses are responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs. Support will be available for twelve weeks.

SBIP also offers promising post-secondary students valuable, hands-on job experience working on e-business and ICT projects under the guidance of entrepreneurs. Student interns will gain an appreciation of entrepreneurship and the opportunity to explore career possibilities while making money to continue their education.

Intake for the SBIP program is now closed for this year (last updated: July 26, 2010)

Information for Students

Students interested in being a part of the SBIP must meet the following criteria:

• be enrolled in a post secondary education program (or have recently graduated from such a program) AND intending to return to school;
• be between the ages of 15 and 30;
• be pursuing education in an information and communications technology-related field where information technology (IT) knowledge and skills are important (e.g. business, e-commerce studies, computer science);
• be legally entitled to work in Canada (this includes permanent residents of Canada but does not include those awaiting permanent status, or persons with temporary work visas, such as students who have graduated and have temporary work visas).

Hiring for the SBIP will be done by the SMEs who are involved in the program. Post-secondary students should check job boards at their local universities and colleges as well as any places where job advertisements may be placed by businesses looking for student interns. Interested post-secondary students who meet the criteria can send their résumé along with a covering letter to the participating small and medium-sized businesses.

If you have an idea for an e-business project, you are encouraged to contact a business to discuss the possibility of working together. The business then completes an application form. If the project is approved, the business can then proceed in hiring you if you meet the employment profile.

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SBIP student interns are expected to: 

• demonstrate motivation, shared responsibility and commitment to achieving project goals;
• submit a short project report to the employer by the completion of the project; 
• provide their consent to participate in the evaluation/assessment of the project;
• complete and submit the Participant Information Form (PIF); and 
• not be in receipt of Employment Insurance at the commencement of Internship.

Students can learn more at:

• http://www.mcnet.ca/sbip
• http://www.oacfdc.com/ont-sbip/frame8a.asp
• http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/h_00009.html

Information For Business

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;
• contribute 25% of the student wages and related expenses for 12 weeks.
• Must have a process for supervising and being a mentor for the student
• Must have the student work on a project which accomplishes any or all of the following:
• Support e-business marketing and market research for the firm
• Improve client/customer support for the firm using e-business and/or information and communication technologies (ICT)
• Enhance productivity of the firm using ICT and/or e-business 
• Enhance visibility of the firm using e-business ICT and/or e-business

SMEs that are planning an e-business project, and would like to have a student intern help them make it a reality should review the guidelines before submitting an application form electronically, by mail or fax to Muskoka Community Network for project approval.

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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.

Businesses Can Learn More at:

• http://www.mcnet.ca/sbip
• http://www.oacfdc.com/ont-sbip/frame8b.asp
• http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/h_00010.html

Contact Information

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September 3rd, 2010