Closed
Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund
Innovation funding for Canadian community newspapers
Record updated
- Funding available
- $ 500,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Deadline
- Unspecified
- Location
- Canada
Overview
This program supports innovation for Canadian community newspapers through the Canada Periodical Fund. Funding may cover eligible activities such as business model improvements, digital tools, redesigns, market expansion, and promotional campaigns, with up to $500,000 per project or up to $10,000 for start-up projects.
At a glance
Funding available
- Maximum funding
- $500,000
- Maximum share of project costs
- 75%
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop a new program or service
- Increase social or community impact
- Enhance an existing program
- Increase production or service capacity
- Develop a new product or service
- Develop an online presence
- Increase operational productivity
- Conduct research and development activities
- Optimize production processes
- Strengthen organizational capacity
- Access new markets
- Digitize or modernize organizational tools
- Start a business
- Reach a new target audience
- Launch or market a product/service
- Raise awareness or mobilize a population
- Ensure financial sustainability
- Conduct research or evaluation activities
Eligible candidates
- Location
- Canada
- Eligible Industries
- All industries
- Annual revenue
- From $ 2,500 to $ 500,000 in revenue
- Organisation size
- All organization sizes
- Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Language Minorities
- Other Racialized Persons
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Canadians
- Startups
- Women
- Legal structures
- All legal structures
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
Availability timeline
2025
Periods: 1
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Publishing firms producing community newspapers
- Print community newspapers
- Digital community newspapers
- Start-up digital-only periodical publishers
Who is not eligible
- Daily newspapers
- Newsletters
- Websites, blogs, and personal-branded digital periodicals
- Publications mainly promoting a business’s goods or services
- Publications with offensive content
Eligible expenses
- Venue and equipment rental
- Specialized software licensing
- Promotion and marketing costs
- Professional fees, training, and paid internships
- Project-related travel, salaries, translation, and limited overhead
- Audited financial report costs, when required
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Ongoing operational costs, including regular editorial and production expenses
- Capital purchases such as computers or equipment
- Hospitality, meals, incidentals, and per diems
- Recoverable taxes, contingency funds, prizes, and advertising swaps
- Dividends, bonuses, and extraordinary compensation
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Activities funded
- New business models, methods, or processes
- New or improved products, services, systems, or tools
- Digitization of back issues
- Rebranding or redesign
- Mobile applications and web development
- Expansion into new markets
- Advertising and promotional campaigns
- Market research or business/marketing plans
How to apply
- Step 1: Review the guidelines
- Read the application guidelines carefully.
- Check all definitions and criteria before applying.
- Step 2: Prepare the application package
- Complete the application form.
- Gather supporting documents required by the program.
- Step 3: Apply online
- Create or access a Canadian Heritage Funding Portal account.
- Submit the application and documents through the portal.
- Step 4: Await confirmation
- Receive an acknowledgement of receipt by email after submission.
Documents Needed
- Application form
- Proof of legal status
- Consultant quotes, if applicable
- Written confirmation of in-kind contributions and other funding sources, if applicable
- Board resolution for not-for-profit applicants
Selection criteria
- Alignment with the Canada Periodical Fund and Business Innovation objectives
- Financial need and fit with the publisher’s scale
- Innovation and short-term measurable results
- Support from other funding sources
- Capacity to carry out the project and relevance of the budget
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed for eligibility and assessed against the program criteria.
- Applications are compared and prioritized based on available funding.
- An acknowledgement of receipt is sent by email after submission.
- Funding decisions and eligibility decisions are final.
- If funded as a contribution, a funding agreement is signed before payment.
- Interim and final reports may be required, and audits may apply.
Additional information
- Only one application is allowed per periodical per fiscal year.
- Applications are highly competitive and funding is not guaranteed.
- Decisions on eligibility and funding amounts are final.
- Applicants may need to acknowledge Government of Canada support publicly in English and/or French.
Contacts
Official sources
Frequently Asked Questions about the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund Program
What is the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund?
This program supports innovation for Canadian community newspapers through the Canada Periodical Fund. Funding may cover eligible activities such as business model improvements, digital tools, redesigns, market expansion, and promotional campaigns, with up to $500,000 per project or up to $10,000 for start-up projects.
How much funding can be received?
Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $500,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund program?
To be eligible for the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund program, you must:
Majority Canadian-owned and controlled.
Private-sector publisher with BN.
Principal place of business in Canada.
What expenses are eligible under Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund?
Venue and equipment rental
Specialized software licensing
Promotion and marketing costs
Professional fees, training, and paid internships
Project-related travel, salaries, translation, and limited overhead
Audited financial report costs, when required
Who can I contact for more information about the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund?
You can contact Government of Canada by email at fondsdesperiodiquescanada-canadaperiodicalfund@pch.gc.ca or by phone at 1-866-811-0055.
Where is the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund available?
The Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund program is available across Canada.
Is the Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Community Newspapers — Business Innovation — Canada Periodical Fund is a Grant and Funding