This article explains the Advance Ontario application process for students and how the indication of interest form works.
Visit our website to either apply for the upcoming cohort or indicate your interest in future cohorts.
If applications are open, you'll see an "Apply here" button. Click it to submit your application.
If applications are closed, you'll see a "Submit your interest" button. Clicking this ensures you’ll be one of the first to hear when a new cohort opens for applications.
How does the application process work?
The application form for each cohort will be added to the website once the Advance Ontario team is ready to begin accepting applications to the program for that cohort.
For more information on the cohorts, visit the Cohort Breakdown article
Once the application limit for a cohort is met, the application form will be replaced with the Indication of Interest form for the next cohort.
Students can fill out this form to be notified when the next cohort opens for applications. When the next cohort is ready, all students who submitted their interest will receive an email inviting them to complete the application.
Things to know about the indication of interest form:
Submitting the Indication of Interest form does not guarantee a spot in the upcoming cohort. It simply adds you to an email list to be notified when the application reopens.
Each student is eligible to complete only one project during the funding period January 2025 - June 2025. If a student who has already completed a project during this period submits the Indication of Interest form, they will not be invited to apply again.
This program has high demand and limited funding. When the application opens for each cohort, everyone on the Indication of Interest list will receive an email notifying them to complete their application. The process is first come, first served, with no guarantee of an opportunity to apply, as the application will close once the internal applicant limit is reached.
Things to know about the application process:
The Advance Ontario team carefully reviews each application.
Invitations to join Advance Ontario are not guaranteed and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Starting work off-platform before being officially invited to Advance Ontario and accepted into a project is not allowed and does not guarantee payment. To begin a project, you must first:
Be invited to Advance Ontario.
Apply to a project.
Have your application accepted by the employer.
Click "start project."
What can you do for now?:
While you patiently await your invitation to Advance Ontario, here are a few proactive steps you can take:
Prepare your documents: Have a copy of your government-issued ID and a Proof of Enrolment letter from your educational institution ready. These will be required for verification purposes if you gain access.
Get ready to update your payment information. If you are invited, you will need to add your banking information with the following information:
Your bank account details.
Your bank's branch address (easily found through a quick Google search).
Your SIN (Social Insurance Number).
A government-issued identification document.
Read up on Advance Ontario in our Help Centre to gain a strong understanding of the program and how it works.