How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $20000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program?

CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program is funded by Canada Media Fund (CMF)

What are CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program's eligibility criterias?

Must be a for-profit Canadian corporation, controlled by Canadians Head office located in Canada All stakeholders must be 18 years or older

CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program

Last Update: June 18, 2025

Canada

Pilot Program for Mid-career Digital Content Creation

CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $20,000
Up to 75% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : July 1, 2024
Closing date : March 30, 2024

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries
Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grant Providers

Canada Media Fund (CMF)

Status

Closed

Overview of the CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program program

The Program Pilot for Digital Creation offers up to $20,000 in funding, aimed at supporting mid-career digital content creators in Canada who produce short videos for social media platforms. Eligible activities include video content creation, business growth, and marketing initiatives.

Financing terms and conditions

Maximum non-repayable contribution of $20,000 per beneficiary.
Funding from the program may cover up to 75% of eligible project expenses.
Contribution is disbursed in two instalments: 80% upon contract signature, and 20% upon acceptance of final report and cost statement.
Purchase of equipment is eligible but limited to a maximum of 20% of total expenses.

Eligible projects & activities

Creation and publication of a minimum of four new, original, edited videos designed primarily for social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, within recognized genres (drama, documentary, children’s/youth programming, or performing arts/variety).
Implementation of activities to grow social media audience reach and engagement over a six-month period.
Business development initiatives aimed at increasing monetization opportunities and professionalizing digital content operations.

Eligibility criteria of the CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program program

The applicant must be a Canadian for-profit corporation, controlled by Canadians, with its head office in Canada.
All shareholders and controllers of the applicant company must be at least 18 years old and have a PERSONA-ID account linked to the application.
If not already incorporated, selected applicants must incorporate before signing a contract.
The company and project must be in good standing with all relevant industry guilds and associations.
The applicant must control at least one eligible social media channel or account (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok), active for at least 12 months with regular posting, and meet defined audience engagement thresholds.

Who is eligible?

Canadian for-profit corporations active in digital content creation for social media

Who is not eligible

Individuals, groups of individuals, or sole proprietorships that have not incorporated as a company prior to contract signing.
Applicants who received funding from the Digital Creators Pilot Program (PPCN) in 2023-2024.
Companies not controlled by Canadians or not headquartered in Canada.

Eligible expenses

Labour costs for content creation, including scriptwriting, filming, editing, and post-production.
Rental of equipment or shooting locations.
Purchase of equipment (up to 20% of total eligible expenses).
Reasonable expenses related to environmentally sustainable practices or hiring staff dedicated to such activities.
Incorporation costs if the company is not already incorporated.
Labour costs for company operations, such as hiring a production assistant or social media manager.
Fees for marketing or branding consultants.
Legal and accounting service fees.
Software subscription fees.
Marketing and promotion expenses.

Eligible geographic areas

Companies based in Canada

Eligibility criteria of the CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program program

Previous experience of the creator (26 points)
- Knowledge and experience of the applicant and collaborators.
- Proven success in content distribution, audience building, and engagement on social media platforms.
- Quality and reach of previously published content.
Parity – Majority control by individuals identifying as women (2 points).
Diversity – Majority control by members of a diversity-reflecting community (2 points).
Business plan and growth strategy (40 points)
- Structure and clarity of the business plan and growth strategy.
- Relevance and timeliness of proposed activities for supporting the applicant's professional trajectory.
- Likelihood of achieving proposed objectives or target audience within the period.
- Capacity to successfully carry out activities within the proposed budget.
- Potential contribution to the dynamism and resilience of Canada’s creative economy.
Content – Creativity and potential (30 points)
- Strength and quality of proposed content.
- Originality or uniqueness within the ecosystem.
- Canadian character of themes, issues, and demographics.
- Alignment of proposed content with eligible content types of the CMF.

How to apply to the CMF — Digital Creators Pilot Program program

Preliminary Registration

Create an account in the Dialogue portal.
Prepare a Persona-ID for everyone controlling the applicant company.

Prepare Application Contents

Compile a brief profile of current online presence.
Provide a list of platforms with current audience engagement data.
Create a general content presentation document including a publication schedule.
Draft an audience engagement plan/business plan and growth strategy.
Prepare the proposed budget for planned activities.
Prepare an optional video presentation showcasing the applicant's personality, style, and growth plan.

Submit Application

Access the Dialogue portal when it opens approximately two weeks before the deadline.
Upload all required application documents to the portal.

Additional information

Beneficiaries are required to submit a final report and a cost report at the end of the publishing period.
Interim success reports must be provided for two years following the submission of the final report.
1/3 of program funds are allocated to French-language applicants or content.
The contribution agreement must be signed by the applicant directly and not by an agency or third party.