Level UP Program: Key Dates
Level UP connects students across Canada with real-world employer projects, allowing them to gain hands-on experience while supporting organizations in various industries. This article details important dates for both students and employers depending on which cohort you are participating in.
What is a Cohort?
A cohort refers to a group of students who participate in a specific term of the Level UP program. Each cohort operates within set dates, during which students engage with employer projects. This structure allows for organized timelines and ensures that students and employers can collaborate effectively. Students and employers must apply to participate in each cohort.
Projects will start and end on the following dates for the three open cohorts & many private experience cohorts:
Open cohorts
July 2025: July 7 - August 29, 2025
September 2025: September 22 - November 14, 2025
January 2026: January 19 - March 14, 2026
Private experience cohorts:
Summer cohort: July 7 - August 29, 2025
Fall cohort: October 27 - December 29, 2025
Dates and cohort availability are subject to change.
Open Level UP Cohorts:
July 2025 Open Cohort
July 2025 Open Cohort
Projects must align with following cohort schedule:
May 20, 2025:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the July 2025 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.June 2, 2025:
Students Invited to Confirm Eligibility and Submit an Application
Selected students are invited to confirm their eligibility by completing their application. Visit our application process help article for more details.Before June 20, 2025:
Final Employer Project Matching Period
During this period, employers will finalize their project details if needed, based on the Level UP team’s proposed changes. This deadline is subject to change if funding capacity for this cohort is reached earlier.June 23, 2025:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.June 23 - July 4, 2025:
Student Project Application Period
Students will apply to projects during this window. You can apply to up to 4 projects. The first employer to accept your application is the project that you will work on. There are no opportunities to change projects once you are added to a project.July 7, 2025:
Project Start Date
Projects officially begin. Students and employers should start their collaboration from this date, and students must complete the onboarding survey and hit “Start Project” in the platform in order to confirm the project's participation in the cohort.August 29, 2025:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.August 29, 2025:
Exit Survey & Feedback
Once projects are submitted, both employers and students need to complete the exit survey and provide feedback for one another on the platform. A reminder that student payment will be withheld up to 5 weeks or until the survey is completed & employers have provided their feedback.August 29 - November 28, 2025:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Students will have 12 weeks from the final cohort date to be compensated for their project work. Visit Payments for more details.
September 2025 Open Cohort
September 2025 Open Cohort
Projects must align with following cohort schedule:
July 21, 2025:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the September 2025 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.August 4, 2025:
Students Invited to Confirm Eligibility and Submit an Application
Selected students are invited to confirm their eligibility by completing their application. Visit our application process help article for more details.Before September 5, 2025:
Final Employer Project Matching Period
During this period, employers will finalize their project details if needed, based on the Level UP team’s proposed changes. This deadline is subject to change if funding capacity for this cohort is reached earlier.September 8, 2025:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.September 8 - 19, 2025:
Student Project Application Period
Students will apply to projects during this window. You can apply to up to 4 projects. The first employer to accept your application is the project that you will work on. There are no opportunities to change projects once you are added to a project.September 22, 2025:
Project Start Date
Projects officially begin. Students and employers should start their collaboration from this date, and students must complete the onboarding survey and hit “Start Project” in the platform in order to confirm the project's participation in the cohort.November 14, 2025:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.November 14, 2025:
Exit Survey & Feedback
Once projects are submitted, both employers and students need to complete the exit survey and provide feedback for one another on the platform. A reminder that student payment will be withheld up to 5 weeks or until the survey is completed & employers have provided their feedback.November 14, 2025 - February 13, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Students will have 12 weeks from the final cohort date to be compensated for their project work. Visit Payments for more details.
January 2026 Open Cohort
January 2026 Open Cohort
Projects must align with following cohort schedule:
October 16, 2025:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the January 2026 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.November 10, 2025:
Students Invited to Confirm Eligibility and Submit an Application
Selected students are invited to confirm their eligibility by completing their application. Visit our application process help article for more details.Before December 19, 2025:
Final Employer Project Matching Period
During this period, employers will finalize their project details if needed, based on the Level UP team’s proposed changes. This deadline is subject to change if funding capacity for this cohort is reached earlier.January 5, 2025:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.January 5 - January 16, 2025:
Student Project Application Period
Students will apply to projects during this window. You can apply to up to 4 projects. The first employer to accept your application is the project that you will work on. There are no opportunities to change projects once you are added to a project.January 19, 2025:
Project Start Date
Projects officially begin. Students and employers should start their collaboration from this date, and students must complete the onboarding survey and hit “Start Project” in the platform in order to confirm the project's participation in the cohort.March 13, 2025:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.March 13, 2025:
Exit Survey & Feedback
Once projects are submitted, both employers and students need to complete the exit survey and provide feedback for one another on the platform. A reminder that student payment will be withheld up to 5 weeks or until the survey is completed & employers have provided their feedback.March 13 - April 30, 2025:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Students will have 8 weeks from the final cohort date to be compensated for their project work, in order to comply with our funding. Visit Payments for more details.
Private Experience Level UP Cohorts:
Summer 2025 Private Experience Cohort
Summer 2025 Private Experience Cohort
Projects must align with following cohort schedule:
May 12, 2025:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to private experience summer cohorts. There may be multiple cohorts, each seeking different types of projects. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.June 6, 2025:
Final Employer Project Matching Period
During this period, employers will finalize their project details if needed, based on the Level UP team’s proposed changes. This deadline is subject to change if funding capacity for this cohort is reached earlier.June 16, 2025:
Students Invited
Students are invited to their respective private experience cohorts.June 16 - June 27, 2025:
Student Project Application Period
Students will apply to projects during this window. You can apply to up to 4 projects. The first employer to accept your application is the project that you will work on. There are no opportunities to change projects once you are added to a project.July 7, 2025:
Project Start Date
Projects officially begin. Students and employers should start their collaboration from this date, and students must complete the onboarding survey and hit “Start Project” in the platform in order to confirm the project's participation in the cohort.August 29, 2025:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.August 29, 2025:
Exit Survey & Feedback
Once projects are submitted, both employers and students need to complete the exit survey and provide feedback for one another on the platform. A reminder that student payment will be withheld up to 5 weeks or until the survey is completed & employers have provided their feedback.August 29 - October 17, 2025:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Students will have 8 weeks from the final cohort date to be compensated for their project work, in order to comply with our funding. Visit Payments for more details.
Fall 2025 Private Experience Cohort
Fall 2025 Private Experience Cohort
Projects must align with following cohort schedule:
September 2, 2025:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to private experience summer cohorts. There may be multiple cohorts, each seeking different types of projects. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.October 3, 2025:
Final Employer Project Matching Period
During this period, employers will finalize their project details if needed, based on the Level UP team’s proposed changes. This deadline is subject to change if funding capacity for this cohort is reached earlier.October 6, 2025:
Students Invited
Students are invited to their respective private experience cohorts.October 6 - 17, 2025:
Student Project Application Period
Students will apply to projects during this window. You can apply to up to 4 projects. The first employer to accept your application is the project that you will work on. There are no opportunities to change projects once you are added to a project.October 27, 2025:
Project Start Date
Projects officially begin. Students and employers should start their collaboration from this date, and students must complete the onboarding survey and hit “Start Project” in the platform in order to confirm the project's participation in the cohort.December 29, 2025:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.December 29, 2025:
Exit Survey & Feedback
Once projects are submitted, both employers and students need to complete the exit survey and provide feedback for one another on the platform. A reminder that student payment will be withheld up to 5 weeks or until the survey is completed & employers have provided their feedback.December 29 - February 20, 2025:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Students will have 8 weeks from the final cohort date to be compensated for their project work, in order to comply with our funding. Visit Payments for more details.