CKAF Festival Grants (City of Kingston Arts Fund)

• Application Form (signed)
• Budget Form
• Supplementary Material (5 pieces)
• Partnership Letters, if applicable
• Year-End Financial Statements

Who is eligible?

• Non-profit organizations and collectives may apply for Emerging Festivals.
• Incorporated non-profit arts organizations may apply for Established Festivals.
• Organizations registered in nearby areas, including First Nation or Indigenous communities, may be considered eligible at the discretion of the Kingston Arts Council and the City of Kingston, provided the majority of festival activities occur within the City of Kingston.

Who is not eligible

• Commercial, for-profit businesses and/or festivals are not eligible.
• Organizations or collectives based on fundraising or building awareness for a third party, focused on religious practice, or aimed at changing religious belief are not eligible.
• Organizations that directly deliver curriculum-based education or are based on the pursuit of a postsecondary diploma or degree are not eligible.
• Organizations already receiving funding from the City of Kingston through other sources, including grants or Service Level Agreements, are not eligible.

Eligible expenses

• Artists fees
• Travel and accommodations
• Production and technical costs, including equipment and venue rental
• Marketing, promotion, and audience development
• Administration, insurance, staffing, accessibility, security and policing, and volunteer program development and training

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Capital projects
• Furthering a for-profit venture or to advantage a for-profit partner
• Alcohol
• Major equipment purchases
• Fundraising or recovering the costs of an applicant’s financial deficits

• Artistic Merit
• Artistic Programming and Service Quality
• Impact and Benefit to Kingston Residents
• Financial Management and Viability
• Leadership, Administration, and Governance

• Review the 2026 CKAF Festival Grant Guidelines for the relevant stream.
• For Established Festivals, book a consultation with KAC staff before 23 April 2026 unless the organization received a CKAF 2025 Operating Grant.
• Complete the application and required forms.
• Submit all files by email to grants@artskingston.ca in one single email, or as a ZIP folder if attachments are too large.

• If successful, a contract will be entered into between the applicant and the Kingston Arts Council.
• All funding decisions are final and rest with the Jury of the CKAF Grants Committee as ratified by the Kingston Arts Council and Kingston City Council.

• Applications are reviewed by a jury of artists and arts professionals.
• Jurors assign each assessment criterion a score on a scale of 1 to 5.
• All funding decisions are final and rest with the Jury of the CKAF Grants Committee as ratified by the Kingston Arts Council and Kingston City Council.
• Successful applicants enter into a contract with the Kingston Arts Council.