How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 80% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism?

Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism is funded by Canadian Heritage

What are Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism's eligibility criterias?

Be a private-sector entity (corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship) Be majority owned and controlled by Canadians Have principal place of business in Canada

Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism

Last Update: August 4, 2025

Canada

Supports Canadian print and digital periodical journalism organizations

Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism at a glance

Eligible Funding

Min. $2,500
Up to 80% of project cost

Timeline

Closing date : July 26, 2024

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries

Grant Providers

Canadian Heritage

Program status

Closed

Overview of the Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism program

The Special Measures for Journalism component of the Canada Periodical Fund offers financial support—calculated based on editorial content expenses—to Canadian print magazines, print community (non-daily) newspapers, and digital periodicals. This program is designed to help eligible publications overcome market disadvantages, supporting activities such as content creation, production, distribution, online initiatives, and business development.

Financing terms and conditions

Funding is determined using a formula based on editorial content expenses over a 12-month period.
Publications must have spent a minimum of $2,500 on the creation of Canadian editorial content to be considered for funding.

Eligible projects & activities

Creation and development of Canadian editorial content in magazines, community newspapers, and digital periodicals.
Production and publication of print or digital periodicals with a focus on original content.
Distribution activities to ensure access to Canadian publications.
Enhancement of online presence and digital activities for eligible periodicals.
Business development initiatives for periodical publishers to overcome market challenges.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 79,000

Expanding print run and home delivery for rural subscribers

$ 95,000

Launching a digital edition with multimedia feature stories

$ 98,500

Launching a print youth magazine and building strong classroom ties

$ 66,500

Redesigning the website and creating original podcasts on culture

$ 38,000

Hiring freelance reporters to cover municipal elections extensively

$ 59,000

Developing a paywall and subscriber newsletter for revenue growth

Eligibility criteria of the Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism program

The applicant must be a private-sector entity, such as a corporation, not-for-profit organization, partnership, or sole proprietorship.
The applicant must be majority owned and controlled by Canadians.
The applicant must have its principal place of business in Canada.
The applicant must have published at least one eligible periodical by the application deadline.

Who is eligible?

Canadian print magazine publishers
Canadian print community (non-daily) newspaper publishers
Canadian digital periodical publishers

Who is not eligible

Daily newspapers.
Magazine or community newspaper titles currently receiving Aid to Publishers — Canada Periodical Fund funding.

Eligible expenses

Creation of editorial content.
Production expenses for periodicals.
Distribution costs for print or digital publications.
Online activities directly related to publishing.
Business development activities supporting the periodical.

Eligible geographic areas

Companies with their principal place of business in Canada.

How to apply to the Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism program

Read the application guidelines

Read the Application Guidelines for the Special Measures for Journalism

Gather required documents

Gather proof of the organization’s legal status (such as articles of incorporation)
Obtain proof of signing authority
Prepare a voided blank cheque or Direct Deposit Enrollment Request form (if not funded by Canadian Heritage in the last two years)

Apply online via funding portal

Create or access a Canadian Heritage Funding Portal account
Fill out the application form online

Provide additional documentation if needed

Provide additional documents if requested (e.g., audit circulation reports, financial statements, copy of the periodical)

Additional information

The application deadline for this funding component is July 26, 2024, at 23:59 local time.
Applicants may be required to provide additional documentation, such as audit circulation reports, financial statements, or a copy of the periodical, to determine eligibility.
Applicants must create or access a Canadian Heritage Funding Portal account to apply online.
Agents are available to answer questions Monday to Friday, between 8:30 am and 5 pm (local time).