Due to high demand, the program is currently at capacity. Applications received now will be waitlisted and we will contact you if additional spots become available. As the current review process unfolds, more spots may become available. Submitting an application now is encouraged so that you application is added in priority sequences as spots open up.
Employers can apply for an Innovator Skills Initiative hiring grant valued at up to $10,000 to supplement a new employee’s salary. Employers may receive up to 10 (ten) Innovator Skills Initiative grants through Innovate BC for 10 (ten) different employees per program year and maximum one grant per candidate per employer. Each application is for ONE employee, please submit a separate application for each employee.
Employer Eligibility
The Employer:
- Must be one of the following:
- a technology business/organization hiring for a business role or tech role*
- a non-tech business/organization, including public body and Indigenous community, hiring for a tech role*
*A tech role is one that is enabled with technology. A business role is one that requires knowledge of business functions and processes. Both roles must require a level of education, certification or micro credential to perform.
- Must be established in B.C., as defined by being registered in B.C. and/or having a physical location within the province.
- May be of any size.
- Will be prioritized if they belong to one of the following sub-sectors, in alignment with Provincial priorities: Agritech, AI, AR/VR, Biotech, Cleantech, Digital Media, Hydrogen, ICT, Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Quantum Computing.
Employee Eligibility
The Employee:
- Must meet all eligibility criteria below on the date of employee form submission or placement start date, whichever is earlier.
- Self-identifies as under-represented, as provided in the list of groups below:
- Categories:
- Indigenous
- Black and people of colour
- 2SLGBTQQIA+
- Neuro-diverse
- Non-binary
- Persons living with a visible or invisible disability
- Women
- Youth from care
- Other
- Categories:
- Must be living in B.C. and be eligible to work in B.C., including:
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or authorized in writing to work in Canada under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- 16-years of age or older as per B.C.’s Employment Standards Act.
- Must be a new hire on or after April 1, 2023. A new hire is defined as an individual who has not worked for the employer or related companies in the last 6 months before the placement start date.
- Must have completed their training or education, whether at a post-secondary institution or through other recognized pathways on or after December 1, 2019 and before the placement start date.
- Can be a student, including co-op students and international students, enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution in B.C.
- Is not a relative or family member of the employer and/or principal shareholder.
- Agrees to complete a brief survey during the placement.
Placement Eligibility
Placements:
- Must be at minimum a 4-month period.
- Must start no earlier than April 1, 2023 and end no later than October 31, 2023.
- May be retroactive (an application may be submitted and approved after the hire date).
- Must be at minimum an average of 15 hours per week, for a total minimum of 240 hours during the 4-month placement.
For more information about the program requirements, please click here.
Innovator Skills Initiative 2023
Due to high demand, the program is currently at capacity. Applications received now will be waitlisted and we will contact you if additional spots become available. As the current review process unfolds, more spots may become available. Submitting an application now is encouraged so that you application is added in priority sequences as spots open up.
Employers can apply for an Innovator Skills Initiative hiring grant valued at up to $10,000 to supplement a new employee’s salary. Employers may receive up to 10 (ten) Innovator Skills Initiative grants through Innovate BC for 10 (ten) different employees per program year and maximum one grant per candidate per employer. Each application is for ONE employee, please submit a separate application for each employee.
Employer Eligibility
The Employer:
- Must be one of the following:
- a technology business/organization hiring for a business role or tech role*
- a non-tech business/organization, including public body and Indigenous community, hiring for a tech role*
*A tech role is one that is enabled with technology. A business role is one that requires knowledge of business functions and processes. Both roles must require a level of education, certification or micro credential to perform.
- Must be established in B.C., as defined by being registered in B.C. and/or having a physical location within the province.
- May be of any size.
- Will be prioritized if they belong to one of the following sub-sectors, in alignment with Provincial priorities: Agritech, AI, AR/VR, Biotech, Cleantech, Digital Media, Hydrogen, ICT, Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Quantum Computing.
Employee Eligibility
The Employee:
- Must meet all eligibility criteria below on the date of employee form submission or placement start date, whichever is earlier.
- Self-identifies as under-represented, as provided in the list of groups below:
- Categories:
- Indigenous
- Black and people of colour
- 2SLGBTQQIA+
- Neuro-diverse
- Non-binary
- Persons living with a visible or invisible disability
- Women
- Youth from care
- Other
- Categories:
- Must be living in B.C. and be eligible to work in B.C., including:
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or authorized in writing to work in Canada under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- 16-years of age or older as per B.C.’s Employment Standards Act.
- Must be a new hire on or after April 1, 2023. A new hire is defined as an individual who has not worked for the employer or related companies in the last 6 months before the placement start date.
- Must have completed their training or education, whether at a post-secondary institution or through other recognized pathways on or after December 1, 2019 and before the placement start date.
- Can be a student, including co-op students and international students, enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution in B.C.
- Is not a relative or family member of the employer and/or principal shareholder.
- Agrees to complete a brief survey during the placement.
Placement Eligibility
Placements:
- Must be at minimum a 4-month period.
- Must start no earlier than April 1, 2023 and end no later than October 31, 2023.
- May be retroactive (an application may be submitted and approved after the hire date).
- Must be at minimum an average of 15 hours per week, for a total minimum of 240 hours during the 4-month placement.
For more information about the program requirements, please click here.