Canada Periodical Fund – Business Innovation
Canada
Funding for innovation in periodical publishing
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|maxCount
- grant_single|projectCostPercent
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|openingDateJuly 27, 2023
- grant_single|closingDateSeptember 15, 2023
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Information and cultural industries
grant_single|grantors
- Government of Canada
- Canadian Heritage
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|closed
grant_single_labels|preview
Financial assistance of up to $500,000 or 75% of the total eligible project-related cost, whichever is less, for business innovation projects. For start-up projects, you can get funds up to 50% of total eligible project-related costs to a maximum of $10,000.
grant_single_labels|projects
The Business Innovation component supports innovative projects that increase productivity, diversity of content, and sustainability for Canadian print magazines, print community newspapers, and digital periodicals.
- New or improved business models, methods, or processes
- New or improved products or services
- New or improved systems or tools
- Digitization of back issues
- Rebranding or redesign
- A special issue outside of the regular publishing schedule
- Adoption or use of new media
- Mobile applications
- Web design and development
- Expansion into new markets
- Advertising and promotional campaigns
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$39,750
Montreal
Digitize back issues for an online periodical archive
$52,500
Calgary
Develop a web platform for community-generated news content
$45,000
Toronto
Develop a mobile app for e-commerce magazine subscriptions
$75,000
Ottawa
Rebrand a tech magazine to attract a younger demographic
$93,750
Edmonton
Create an advertising campaign to expand into new markets
$33,750
Vancouver
Launch a special issue of a local community newspaper focused on sustainability
grant_single_labels|admissibility
The eligibility criteria for the Business Innovation component of the Canada Periodical Fund grant include the following key points: - Publishing firms producing print magazines, digital periodicals, or print community newspapers (non-daily) are eligible to apply. - The publishing firm must be a private-sector entity majority owned and controlled by Canadians. - The firm must have its principal place of business in Canada. - Eligible periodicals must be majority owned and controlled by Canadians and meet specific criteria related to editorial content, advertising percentages, and circulation. - Print magazines must be published at a frequency of between two and 56 issues per year, with specific requirements for circulation and pricing. - Digital-only magazines must meet various criteria related to content, circulation, revenue, and editorial functions. - Ineligible publications include daily newspapers, inserts, websites, blogs, loose leaf magazines, newsletters, and others listed in the guidelines. - Eligible projects must be new activities designed to achieve specific goals over a fixed time period. - Applicants must submit a complete application package, including proof of legal status, in-kind contributions, and other required documents. These are some of the key eligibility criteria for the Business Innovation component of the Canada Periodical Fund. For full details and specific requirements, applicants should refer to the official guidelines provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
Yes, there are eligible types of companies that can apply for this grant. Publishing firms producing magazines in print or digital formats are eligible for funding.
- Private-sector entities including corporations
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Partnerships
- Sole proprietorships
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
The grant has specified that certain types of companies and publications are not eligible for funding. These include but are not limited to newspapers, blogs, academic journals, and publications that promote offensive content.
- Newspapers (daily or non-daily), in print or digital formats
- Inserts to daily or non-daily newspapers
- Websites, blogs, or digital periodicals branded to an individual
- Loose leaf magazines
- Free print magazines
- Digital periodicals published by daily newspaper publishers, book publishers, or broadcasters
- Newsletters
- Academic journals
- Magazines or digital periodicals produced by or for an organization that report primarily on the activities, or promote the interests, of the organization
- Magazines or digital periodicals produced under contract by a non-Canadian organization on behalf of a Canadian client, or produced under contract by a Canadian organization for a non-Canadian client
- Magazines or digital periodicals produced by or for an organization providing goods or services, where the main goal of the magazine is to facilitate or promote the sales of such goods and services
- Professional association periodicals
- Magazines or digital periodicals produced by or for a government, a Crown corporation or a government agency
- Magazines or digital periodicals whose editorial content is more than 50% reproduced or repeated from current or previous issues of the same publication or other publications
- Magazines or digital periodicals with editorial content made up of more than 50% of listings, catalogues, magalogues, directories, guides, financial reports, schedules, calendars, timetables, comic books, cartoons, puzzles, games, horoscopes, or almanacs
- Magazines or digital periodicals that contain or promote offensive content as defined by Canadian Heritage
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
Yes, there are eligible expenses for this grant which include specific project-related costs. These can be both cash and in-kind contributions as outlined below:
- Venue and equipment rental
- Specialized software licensing during the project period
- Promotion and marketing costs
- Professional fees (e.g., contractors)
- Training
- Paid internships
- Project-related travel expenses, which must not exceed government-permitted rates
- Translation costs
- Project-related salary costs of employees of the organization (must be less than 25% of the total eligible project expenses)
- Project-related overhead costs (e.g., mailings, courier, telephone long distance) limited to a maximum of 10% of the total recommended amount
- Costs of an audited financial report for the project (for contributions of $250,000 and over, or when required by the Program)
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
The eligible geographic zone for this grant is Canada. The publishing firms must have their principal place of business in Canada.
- The publishing firm must be majority owned and controlled by Canadians.
- The publishing firm must be edited, designed, assembled, and published in Canada.
- The publishing firm must have its principal place of business in Canada.
grant_single_labels|criteria
Yes, there are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. Your application will be evaluated based on how well your project meets the objectives of the Canada Periodical Fund and the Business Innovation component, the financial need for the project, and several other factors outlined below.
- How the project meets the objectives of the Canada Periodical Fund and the Business Innovation component
- Applicant financial need for the project
- Suitability of total project costs to the publisher’s scale of operations
- Innovation involved in the project
- How the project can demonstrate short-term results, measurable improvement, added value from previous projects or activities, and/or a sustainable strategy
- Involvement and assistance or financial commitment from other sources
- Demonstrated capacity of the organization to undertake the project
- Suitability of the budget to the scale of the project
- Clarity and relevance of expected results and performance measures, including indicators that will be used to assess the success of the project
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1:
- Read the Application Guidelines in their entirety
- Step 2:
- Ensure you meet all eligibility requirements
- Step 3:
- Gather all required supporting documents
- Step 4:
- Submit a completed application package online through the Canada Periodical Fund – Business Innovation portal
- Step 5:
- If unable to access the online system, contact the fund administrators using the provided contact information
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
Here are some additional miscellaneous information about the grant:
- Organizations receiving funding must respect the values underlying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy.
- All applications must be submitted electronically through the Business Innovation online application form.
- Your application, including all supporting documents, must be submitted by the specified deadline.
- Only project-related expenses incurred between April 1, 2023, and the end date of your project will be considered eligible for funding.
- Applications are evaluated based on various criteria, such as alignment with program objectives, financial necessity, and innovation.
grant_single_labels|contact
1-866-811-0055
Apply to this program
Canada Periodical Fund: Business Innovation Component
The Canada Periodical Fund’s Business Innovation component provides financial support to Canadian small- and mid-sized print magazine, print community newspapers, and digital periodical publishers. This grant aims to foster innovation, enhance financial viability, and increase market access for Canadian periodicals, ensuring the diversity of editorial content for Canadian readers.
Detailed Overview of the Canada Periodical Fund's Business Innovation Component
The Business Innovation component of the Canada Periodical Fund is designed to provide substantial support to eligible small- and mid-sized Canadian print magazines, print community newspapers (non-daily), and digital periodical publishers, including those focused on start-up pilot projects for digital-only periodicals. This initiative plays a vital role in helping these periodicals overcome market disadvantages, enabling them to innovate, and thus thrive in the continuously evolving media environment. The following comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of the Business Innovation component, including its objectives, eligibility criteria, application process, evaluation criteria, and funding details.
Objectives and Expected Results
The primary objectives of the Business Innovation component are to support innovation, strengthen financial viability, increase market access, encourage the development of publishing professionals, and enhance the diversity of Canadian editorial content. Innovation can involve adopting new technologies, altering business models, or adapting to environmental changes to deliver better products or services. Ultimately, the fund aims to ensure that Canadian readers have access to a variety of diverse and high-quality editorial content in print and digital formats.
Eligibility Criteria
Who Can Apply
Eligible applicants are publishing firms that produce magazines in print or digital formats. To qualify, the publishing firm and any affiliated companies must meet the following criteria:
- Be a private-sector entity, including corporations, not-for-profit organizations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships;
- Be majority-owned and controlled by Canadians;
- Have their principal place of business in Canada; and
- Have published one or more eligible periodicals by the application deadline.
Eligible Periodicals
For print magazines and digital periodicals to be eligible, they must:
- Be majority-owned and controlled by Canadians;
- Be edited, designed, assembled, and published in Canada;
- Contain an average of at least 80% Canadian editorial content (50% for ethnocultural periodicals);
- Contain no more than 70% advertising in all issues published during the reporting period;
- Contain at least 50% original content in the issues published during the reporting period.
Additional specific guidelines apply to print magazines and digital-only magazines regarding their format, frequency, circulation, and pricing.
Ineligible Publications
Certain publications are not eligible under this component, including daily or non-daily newspapers, inserts, blogs, free print magazines, newsletters, academic journals, and publications produced primarily for organizational promotion, among others.
Eligible Projects and Expenses
Eligible Projects
Projects must align with the Canada Periodical Fund’s objectives and at least one of the objectives of the Business Innovation component. Projects should be new activities with specific goals and measurable results, outside regular operations. Examples include new business models, products, services, systems, or tools; digitalization; rebranding; special issues; adoption of new media; mobile apps; web development; market expansion; and promotional campaigns.
Eligible Expenses
Only project-related expenses, both cash and in-kind, are eligible. These include venue and equipment rental, specialized software licensing, promotional costs, professional fees, training, paid internships, travel expenses, translation costs, project-related salaries, overhead costs, and the costs of an audited financial report for large contributions.
Ineligible expenses encompass ongoing operational expenses, capital expenditures, hospitality costs, taxes, costs related to incentives and prizes, business reply mail postage, service exchanges, meals, incidentals, contingency funds, and shareholder bonuses.
Funding Limits and Assistance
Successful projects must secure funding from other sources, including the private sector or other government levels. Business Innovation component funding combined with other government assistance cannot exceed 75% of total project-related costs. The maximum annual funding is $500,000 or 75% of project costs, whichever is less. For start-up projects, the fund can cover up to 50% of project costs, with a maximum of $10,000 per project.
Application Process
Application Components
Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and provide a complete application package through the Canada Periodical Fund – Business Innovation online portal. Required documents include proof of legal status, consultant quotes, in-kind contribution confirmations, a not-for-profit board resolution (if applicable), and additional financial or circulation documentation for print and digital magazines.
Submission and Evaluation
Applications are evaluated based on how well they meet fund objectives, financial need, project cost suitability, innovation level, short-term results, involvement from other sources, organizational capacity, budget suitability, and clarity of expected results. The competitiveness of applications is high due to limited resources and potentially high demand.
Funding Decision and Conditions
Decisions regarding funding amounts and eligibility are final. Funds are disbursed either as grants or contributions. Grant recipients may be required to submit progress and final reports. Contribution recipients must adhere to a funding agreement’s terms and conditions, including interim reports and a final audited financial report for contributions of $250,000 or more. Projects must comply with anti-racism, anti-hate, workplace well-being, and official languages requirements.
Contact Information
For further assistance or inquiries, applicants can contact the Department of Canadian Heritage using the following details:
Canada Periodical Fund – Business Innovation
25 Eddy Street
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4B5
Telephone: 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free)
TTY: 1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)
This in-depth examination of the Canada Periodical Fund’s Business Innovation component reveals its pivotal role in fostering innovation within the Canadian periodical publishing industry. By supporting diverse, high-quality Canadian editorial content, the fund ensures that the evolving needs and preferences of Canadian readers are met, while also assisting publishers in navigating market challenges and enhancing the sustainability of their operations.
