2026 Skills Development Placement Program (SDPP) Company Application

To save your draft application to continue working on it at a later time, please select "Save" at the bottom of this page - you can select "skip creating account" and input your email address. If you have a Jotform account your application will be saved in your 'drafts'. You will receive an email from Jotform with a link to access it and complete it at a later time. Please monitor your junk folder for this. You can also click to 'get draft link' to copy the link and save it in your bookmarks. To avoid losing your progress, do not exit the page until you have either saved the link to your bookmarks or have received the e-mail.

To send your draft application to IION to review- please hit "submit" at the bottom of the page. The application will be sent directly to IION. You will also receive a confirmation email, please keep this for your records!

IION will review one draft before your final submission - you will receive written feedback via email. You will then be able to edit your application through the email from Jotform.

This is a competitive program. All matches are subject to a competitive review process.
The Skills Development Placement Program (SDPP) involves mandatory experiential personal/professional development for the participants (employees):
*4 half-day workshops on Zoom: Monday, May 4- 8:30am-12:30pm, Thursday, July 9- 8:30am-11:30am, Thursday, July 16- 8:30am-11:30am, Friday August 21-8:30am-11:30am
*3-day in-person retreat (accommodations and meals are provided by IION) Monday-Wednesday, June 8th, 9th, 10th at the Canadian Ecology Center (CEC), Mattawa. (*Retreat location is tentative, based on the CEC/Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park reopening date, alternative location is Nipissing University, North Bay)
The innovative company and participant must be located within one of IION’s districts: Nipissing,Timiskaming, Parry Sound or Muskoka.
The deadline for applications is April 10, 2026. Both companies & participants must apply.
Companies must have a participant by April 10, 2026, to proceed to the selection committee.
The participant must be a new or recent hire. Please feel free to contact us to determine if your participant qualifies.
The participant must be 18 years of age or older, and legally entitled to work in Canada.
Companies must follow the rules set for minimum wage in Ontario.

Registered Business Name *

Legal Business Name *

Business Type*

Sole ProprietorPartnershipCorporation

Business Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityProvince

Postal Code

Business Website

CRA Business Number

Company Contact *

First NameLast Name

Main Contact Email*

example@example.com

Phone Number*

Please enter a valid phone number.

Company Secondary Contact

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Please enter a valid phone number.

Detailed description of your company*

Where do you see your company in 5 years? What are your future aspirations to grow and scale and how are you going to get there? *

Keeping with IION's mandate of supporting innovative companies that are creating jobs and revenue through new or significantly improved products, processes or services; highlight how your company is innovative. *

The SDPP is a project based program, please provide a detailed description of the project(s), and tasks to be completed by the participant*

Explain in detail how the project(s) will help your company accomplish a growth milestone and outline the anticipated economic benefits*

How will this project benefit Northern Ontario?*

If this grant is not approved, what impact would it have on hiring?*

The full-time position would not be filled without SDPP funding.The position would be part-time without SDPP funding.The absence of SDPP funding would not have any impact on the ability to hire full-time for this position.

Company Snapshot *

	Gross Sales Revenue	Number of Employees (# of individuals on the company payroll that receive a T4 statement. Do not include contractors.)
Past Fiscal Year
Current Fiscal Year Projections
Projected in 3 years

Please provide justification for the numbers you provided above *

Finding a participant is the responsibility of the company.
The company must have a matched participant (the participant must also apply to the program) before the deadline of April 10, 2026.
Each company applicant can hire one individual.
The individual must be a new or recent hire, not previously employed at the company.
If a company DOES have a participant, please note it below. IION will consider this a match to move onto the selection committee once both company & participant applications are received.

Do you have a candidate in mind?*

YesNo

Is the candidate 18 years of age or older, and legally entitled to work in Canada.?*

YesNo

Please indicate what was or what is the anticipated first day of work for the participant at your company.

Date

Participant's Name:

The company must contribute a minimum of $2,760 ($4.60/hour) to meet the provincial minimum wage requirements over the duration of the program, which commences May 4, 2026 with program completion between August 21 and August 28, 2026.*

I Agree

The participant must complete a minimum of 600 experiential hours of paid work with the company.*

I agree

Companies must cover the Mandatory Employment Related Expenses “MERCs” such as CPP & EI*

I Agree

The participant must be a new or recent hire - they cannot have previously been employed at the company. Companies must hire the participant as a full-time employee (minimum 37.5 hours/week for 16weeks) and must therefore generate a T4 statement*

I Agree

Companies must pay the participant a minimum of $10,560 (in regular hourly wages) over the duration of the program which commences May 4, 2026 with program completion between August 21 and August 28, 2026. Successful companies must submit pay stubs monthly to IION throughout the program to confirm that the minimum wage is being met or exceeded*

I Agree

Companies acknowledge the wage subsidy will be disbursed in two payments: 1) 50% ($3,900) after June 30th, with a minimum $5280 paid to the participant, and submission of corresponding paystubs. 2) and the remaining 50% ($3,900) upon completion of the placement, the reporting requirements and paystubs*

I Agree

Companies understand that participants must be present during the mandatory 4 virtual personal/ professional development workshops which will be delivered on Zoom as well as the 3-day in person retreat at the Canadian Ecology Center in Mattawa (accommodations and meals provided by IION). I understand that the company must treat these as paid work time. Monday May 4- 8:30am-12:30pm, Thursday July 9- 8:30am-11:30am, Thursday July 16- 8:30am-11am, Friday August 21-8:30am-11:30am, 3-day in-person retreat (accommodations and meals are provided by IION) Monday-Wednesday, June 8th, 9th, 10th.*

I Agree

Companies understand that the company/participant is responsible for the participant's travel arrangements and travel costs to and from the Canadian Ecology Center in Mattawa, or Nipissing University in North Bay, for the Innovation Retreat and that the participant remains onsite for the duration.*

I Agree

Please upload a detailed job description, this is for IION's records*

Please note that submission of this application is not a guarantee of approval. Applications are reviewed by a review committee. IION will not reimburse the company for wages outside of the placement period.

If approved, these will be the reporting requirements:

The applicant must register as an Innovation Initiatives Ontario North client.
The SDPP uses a reimbursement model.
- An invoice may be submitted to IION for reimbursement of $3,900 after June 30th,2026. The applicant will be reimbursed only when they have submitted the required paystubs as proof of payment totalling a minimum of $5,280 in regular hourly wages.
- A second invoice may be submitted to IION for reimbursement of $3,900 after August 21st,2026. The applicant will be reimbursed only when they have submitted the required paystubs as proof of payment totalling a minimum of $5,280 (total of $10,320) in regular hourly wages and have submitted the completed program surveys.
To remain eligible for future IION funding, the SDPP final survey and the yearly client survey must be completed.

The applicant’s signature acknowledges the following:

Companies agree that the IION-SDPP placement shall commence on May 4, 2026 and will be completed between August 21 and August 28, 2026.
Companies are responsible for registering as an IION client before receiving SDPP funding.
IION will not be responsible for any costs in excess of the grant amount of $7,800.
Companies are responsible for ensuring the tasks of the participants correspond with the duties outlined in this application.
Companies agree to complete the SDPP survey and the IION annual survey to fulfill the reporting obligations and remain eligible for future funding administered by IION.
Participants must be 18 years of age or older, and legally entitled to work in Canada.

The Applicant’s failure to meet these conditions, both financial and otherwise, will void the application.

IION will provide $7,800.00 to the approved applicant over the 16-weeks. This was calculated based on a $13 per hour rate at 37.5 hours per week, excluding Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs).

The Applicant is responsible for the MERCs and the $2,760 minimal additional regular hourly wage amount. The Applicant may choose to compensate the Participant at a higher rate but acknowledges that IION will not be responsible for any contract changes negotiated between the Applicant and the Participant, further costs, or MERCs resulting from these changes.

The Applicant further acknowledges that IION accepts no responsibility for the Participant's performance provided under this agreement. It is the Applicant's responsibility to ensure that the work is done to the quality and standards it expects and to coach the Participant to reach these goals.

The responsibility of IION is to issue approved wage supplement payments to the Applicant as previously described and to provide professional development training to the Participant.

The Applicant further acknowledges that IION has a five-year obligation to track the Applicant's commercialization efforts and results which shall require mandatory reporting (upon request) by the Applicant of annual revenues and job creation and other related information as required.

The Applicant agrees to provide promotional materials upon request (company logo, photos of Participant at placement location, etc.) for IION marketing and other media-based initiatives supporting the IION-SDPP. IION respects the Applicant's property and will only utilize the materials provided and approved by the Applicant.

The Applicant acknowledges the right of IION to audit the Eligible Activity and the right of representatives of the Minister of Industry to audit, or cause to have audited, the accounts and records of the Applicant and to have a right of access to the books and the Applicant's accounts. The Applicant shall be required by IION to act as its agent for the purpose of any inquiry undertaken by the Auditor General of Canada with respect to the use of funds under this agreement. The Applicant shall release to IION, upon request and in a timely manner, for the purpose of releasing to the Auditor General of Canada, all records held by the Applicant, or by agents or contractors of the Applicant, relating to the contribution agreement and the use of funds; and such further information and explanations as to the Auditor General, or anyone acting on behalf of the Auditor General may request relating to any part of the contribution agreement or the use of funds.

The Applicant agrees to comply with all federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and other applicable laws governing the Applicant or the Applicant's activity, or both, including, but not limited to, statutes, regulations, by-laws, rules, ordinances and decrees. This includes legal requirements and regulations relating to environmental protection.

The Applicant agrees to acknowledge if requested thereof, the federal government's role in the funding provided through this agreement and consent to a public announcement of the eligible activities by or on behalf of the Minister in the form of a news release. The Minister will inform the Applicant of the date of any public announcement. The Applicant consents to the participation of the Minister, or the Minister's representatives, at such an announcement event, and to have such an event take place on a day mutually agreed upon by the Applicant and the Minister or the Minister's representative.

The Applicant will agree to display promotional material provided by the Minister at such an event. Release of confidential or competitively sensitive information will not be required as this is protected under the Access to Information Act.

I have read, understand and agree to the above conditions and that I have the authority to sign on behalf of the Applicant. I certify that my answers are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. If this application leads to approval, I understand that false or misleading information in my application may result in removal from the program.*

Yes, I understand

Please type your name as your signature *

Skills Development Placement Program (SDPP) Company Application

While completing this application please note:

Company Information

Project Information

Project Impact

Matching

Project Costing Details

Supporting Documents

Reporting Requirements

Terms & Conditions