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.

NOTE: Students are limited to participating in ONE project per funding year (May 2026-April 2027)!

Projects will start and end on the following dates:

Open cohorts

May 2026: May 25th - July 3rd, 2026
July 2026: July 20th - September 11th, 2026
October 2026: October 26th - December 18th, 2026
January 2027: January 25th - March 19th, 2027

Dates and cohort availability are subject to change.

Level UP Cohorts for 2026/2027 funding year (April 2026 - March 227):

May 2026 Open Cohort

Projects must align with following cohort schedule:

April 8th, 2026:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the May 2026 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.

April 13th, 2026:
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 May 8th, 2026:
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.

May 11th, 2026:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.

May 11th - May 22nd, 2026:
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.

May 25th, 2026:
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.

July 3rd, 2026:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.

July 3rd, 2026:
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.

By September 4th, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

July 2026 Open Cohort

Projects must align with following cohort schedule:

May 8th, 2026:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the July 2026 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.

June 1st, 2026:
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 July 3rd, 2026:
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.

July 6th, 2026:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.

July 6th - July 17th, 2026:
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 20th, 2026:
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.

September 11th, 2026:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.

September 11th, 2026:
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.

By November 27th, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

October 2026 Open Cohort

Projects must align with following cohort schedule:

August 7th, 2026:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the October 2026 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.

August 31st, 2026:
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 October 9th, 2026:
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 13th, 2026:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.

October 13th - October 23rd, 2026:
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 26th, 2026:
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 18th, 2026:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.

December 18th, 2026:
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.

By March 5, 2027:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

January 2027 Open Cohort

Projects must align with following cohort schedule:

November 2nd, 2026:
Cohort open for Employer Projects
Employers are invited to request to match their projects to the January 2027 Cohort. Visit Getting Started with Level UP: Employers for more details.

November 2nd, 2026:
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 January 8th, 2027:
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 11th, 2027:
Students Invited
Students who are successful in the application process will receive their official invitations to join the cohort.

January 11th - 22nd, 2027:
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 25th, 2027:
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 19th, 2027:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.

March 19th, 2027:
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.

By May 28th, 2027:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

Ongoing cohorts from 2025/2026 funding year (April 2025 - March 2026)

January 2026 cohort

By April 30, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

February 2026 cohort

By April 30th, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.

March 2026 cohort

May 8th, 2026:
Project Completion
All projects must be completed by this date. Visit 4. Guide to Completing an Level UP Project for more details.

May 8th, 2026:
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.

By May 31st, 2026:
Payment Period
After the project completion, the payment process will begin for eligible students. Visit Payments for more details.