Employers must read and adhere to these conditions to participate in Level UP. Riipen reserves the right to remove or suspend participants for violations.
This article is a general guide to the Level UP program. You are required to read and sign the official participation agreement provided for your specific cohort when you join the program.
1. Eligibility Requirements
To participate in Level UP, I confirm that my organization meets all of the following criteria:
Is a not-for-profit, public sector, or private sector employer.
Is registered and operating in Canada with a valid business number.
Is not a publicly funded post-secondary institution.
Is not a financial sector institution with 500 or more employees.
Is not a member of the House of Commons or Senate.
Does not engage in partisan political activities.
Is not a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government entity.
Riipen reserves the right to verify eligibility at any time and remove any employer that does not meet these requirements.
2. Level UP Participation Requirements
By participating in Level UP, I agree to the following:
Program limits and account integrity
Participate in a maximum of one project per cohort per company .
Note: Organizations that identify as a non-profit organization will be allowed to do up to 3 projects per cohort.
Participate with no more than two companies registered to my name.
Accept no more than three students per matched project.
Maintain only one active employer account per organization. Participation through multiple accounts or entities to bypass program limits is strictly prohibited.
Ensure all participating organizations are verified and approved by Riipen.
Fair use and conflict of interest
Not request, accept, or receive any payment, fee, or financial benefit from students.
Not collaborate with or accept applications of friends, family members, employees, or individuals with a pre-existing personal or professional relationship.
Ensure all student selection decisions are fair, merit-based, and aligned with program intent.
Work eligibility and compliance
Ensure the opportunity takes place in Canada or, if virtual, that the student is located in Canada.
Confirm that the project does not:
Replace an existing employee or contractor.
Fill a vacancy due to a layoff or labour dispute.
Displace or reduce hours for an existing worker.
Acknowledge that students are compensated through the Level UP program and are not employees of the organization.
Enforcement
Understand that any violation of participation requirements may result in immediate removal from the program, cancellation of active projects, and restriction from future Riipen programs.
Program administration
Acknowledge that Riipen may reassign or adjust projects across Level UP experiences to meet program needs, without impacting agreed timelines.
3. Project Timeline & Cohort Dates
I confirm that I have reviewed and understand all cohort timelines as outlined on the Riipen platform and supporting documentation.
I understand that all timelines are fixed and cannot be extended.
I acknowledge that failure to adhere to timelines may result in students being ineligible for payment and may impact my eligibility for future participation.
4. Project Requirements
Project setup and scope
Define a clear, structured project scope on the Riipen platform prior to accepting students.
Ensure the project requires no more than 60 hours of work per student, and can be completed over a period of 2-8 weeks.
Ensure all work is appropriate for a student experience and does not require prior employment, unpaid pre-work, or external commitments.
Application and participation expectations
If a project receives 10 or more qualified applications and no students are accepted, I will be restricted from participating in future Level UP cohorts during the funding period (May2026 to April 2027).
Student selection and matching
Review applications in a timely manner throughout the 2-week application period and make selections in good faith and thoughtfully declining applicants who are not a fit.
Once a student is matched, the match is final. No removals, replacements, or accommodations are permitted.
Commit to working with selected students through to project completion.
Project execution
Ensure students are officially matched on the Riipen platform before any work begins. Work completed outside the platform or prior to matching will not be recognized.
Not request or require students to:
Work beyond 60 hours
Complete unpaid work outside the project scope
Use paid tools, licenses, or services at their own expense
Provide a minimum of 5 hours of mentorship per student, including regular check-ins and feedback.
Engagement and responsiveness
Maintain consistent and timely communication with students throughout the project.
Respond to student inquiries and submissions within a reasonable timeframe.
Notify Riipen immediately if issues arise that may impact project completion.
Make reasonable efforts to accommodate student academic schedules and previously communicated availability.
Completion and verification
Submit all required employer deliverables upon project completion, including:
Exit survey
Feedback to students through the platform
If a student does not complete the work, submit a flag through the Riipen platform before the cohort deadline.
Deliverables requirement
Student deliverables must be submitted in full through the Riipen platform and must clearly reflect the work completed during the project period. Deliverables are required to include sufficient detail to demonstrate the scope of work completed and align with the number of hours being claimed for compensation.
Limited redaction of confidential or sensitive information is permitted; however, all submissions must remain compliant with Riipen’s Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) policy and retain enough detail to validate the work performed.
Employers may review submitted deliverables and provide feedback; however, employers may not withhold, block, or delay submission of deliverables in a way that prevents project completion or impacts a student’s eligibility for payment.
Failure to allow for the submission of complete and compliant deliverables may result in Riipen proceeding with project review and payment determination at its sole discretion.
5. Student Payment Eligibility
Student payment is administered solely by Riipen Networks Inc.
Only students who are:
Officially matched to a Level UP project on the Riipen platform
Completed all program requirements within the defined timelines will be eligible for payment.
Riipen reserves sole discretion in determining student eligibility for payment.
Employers have no authority to promise, adjust, or influence student compensation.
6. Prohibited Behaviours
The following actions are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate removal from the program, cancellation of projects, and restriction from future participation:
Selecting or pre-arranging participation with individuals you know personally, including friends, family members, employees, or prior collaborators.
Directing students to complete work outside of the Riipen platform or before they are officially matched.
Requesting additional unpaid work beyond the defined 60-hour project scope.
Requiring students to purchase software, tools, licenses, or incur any out-of-pocket costs.
Offering or providing separate compensation, incentives, or employment outside of the Level UP structure during the project period.
Using Level UP projects to replace paid roles, contractors, or operational staff.
Creating duplicate accounts or participating through multiple organizations to bypass program limits.
Failing to engage with applicants or intentionally leaving roles unfilled after receiving qualified applications.
Misrepresenting project scope, expected deliverables, or time requirements.
Withholding feedback, approvals, or required submissions that impact a student’s ability to complete the project and receive payment.
Riipen reserves the right to investigate and determine violations at its sole discretion.
7. Respectful Behaviour Agreement
I agree to:
Conduct all interactions with professionalism, respect, and integrity.
Refrain from harassment, discrimination, hate speech, coercion, or any form of inappropriate conduct.
Provide a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for participating students.
Understand that any violation may result in immediate removal from the program and termination of access to Riipen services.
Acknowledge that Riipen’s determination of misconduct is final.
8. Data Collection, Use and Sharing
By participating in this program, I acknowledge and agree that:
Riipen may collect, store, and use my personal and participation-related information for the purposes of program administration, eligibility verification, reporting, and evaluation.
This information may include, but is not limited to, my name, contact information, educational or organizational details, project participation data, and survey responses.
Riipen may share relevant information with its funding partner, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), to meet program reporting, auditing, and compliance requirements.
My information may be used in aggregated and anonymized formats for internal analysis, impact measurement, and reporting purposes.
Riipen will handle personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and regulations.
I understand that participation in the program is conditional upon consent to the collection, use, and sharing of this information as outlined above
9. Acknowledgement
By participating in the Level UP program, I acknowledge and agree that:
I have read and understood all program requirements, expectations, and limitations outlined in this agreement.
I understand that Level UP is a government-funded program with strict compliance requirements and timelines.
I accept full responsibility for adhering to all participation, project, and communication requirements.
I understand that failure to comply may result in removal from the program, cancellation of projects, and ineligibility for future participation.
I understand that Riipen reserves the right to enforce all terms of this agreement at its sole discretion.