Closed
Source verified August 10, 2026
Company Envelope: Top-Tier
Annual support for Canadian music companies
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
Funding available
$ 600,000
Deadline
Closed
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Canadian companies that invest in the production and promotion of sound recordings by Canadian artists, tours and showcases by Canadian artists, publishing of Canadian musical works, and the management of Canadian artists.
See full eligibility
Overview
Company Envelope: Top-Tier supports Canadian music companies, including record labels, music publishers and artist managers, to develop Canadian artists in Canada. It funds production and marketing of sound recordings, touring and showcasing, concert production, music publishing and artist management.
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Improve governance or administrative structure
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Access new markets
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 600,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- From $ 250,000 to $ 20,000,000 in revenue
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Canadians
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Production of sound recordings that meet FACTOR’s definition of “Active”
- Marketing of sound recordings
- Concert Production
- Music Publishing
- Artist Management
Documents Needed
- Portal Application Form
- Business Plan
- Financial statements for the past 3 fiscal years
- Policy on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion for management positions and/or Board of Directors, including representation of various equity-deserving groups in those leadership positions
- Agreements confirming control of the Canadian rights related to planned investments
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian companies that invest in the production and promotion of sound recordings by Canadian artists, tours and showcases by Canadian artists, publishing of Canadian musical works, and the management of Canadian artists.
- Record labels
- Music publishers
- Artist managers
- Companies undertaking concert production activities that are responsible, artistically and financially, for all aspects related to the live activities of their artists
Who is not eligible
- Companies streamlined to the Company Envelope: Top-Tier program are not eligible for FACTOR’s Support for Eligible Music Companies, juried, and standalone Video programs.
- Companies streamlined to the Company Envelope: Top-Tier program are ineligible for FACTOR’s Promoter Program.
Eligible expenses
- Sound recording production expenses, including salaries and benefits and/or professional fees, artist, musician and backing vocals fees, arrangers, artistic director, cover art, equipment rental, executive producer, manufacturing expenses, mastering, music producer, participation expenses, studio charges, and travel expenses as per the Government of Canada’s Travel Directive.
- Touring and showcasing expenses, including salaries and benefits and/or professional fees, artist, musician and technician fees, equipment rentals, production expenses, promotion expenses, and travel expenses as per the Government of Canada’s Travel Directive.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Sound recordings produced for fundraising, advertising or promotional campaigns, and sound recordings produced for educational purposes.
- Tour-related activities that are not for a particular artist and their career development, including musicals, retrospective or tribute shows, large scale shows, charity or corporate shows.
- Tour-related activities that are not intended to promote an artist’s new sound recordings, and related revenues from booking, distribution or ticketing activities cannot be accounted for in the funding request.
- Publishing activities related to commissioned works for the audiovisual sector, and other activities aimed at the creation of musical works intended solely as soundtracks or background music.
- Any activity that contains or promotes hate propaganda, obscene or child pornography, pornography without an overriding educational or similar purpose, excessive or gratuitous violence, material denigrating to an identifiable group, or any other similarly offensive material.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- The company’s ability to reach audiences, assessed based on recent revenues and recent investments.
- The company’s efforts to develop the careers of Canadian artists, promote their music, and develop their audiences, based on the business plan, planned investments across CMF priority areas, and the feasibility of the investment strategy.
- Business plans and planned investments are weighted at 60% of the total budget.
- Revenues are weighted at 20% of the total budget, and recent investments are weighted at 20%.
- Ranking also considers investments in new artists, artists from CMF priority groups, and international investments.
How to apply
- Submit the Portal Application Form through FACTOR’s portal.
- Complete the Business Plan in response to the portal application questions, including company history, short- and medium-term strategy, AI disclosure, and artist strategy and tactics.
- Upload financial statements for the past 3 fiscal years to the Gross Revenue section of the Applicant Profile.
- Submit the policy on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion for management positions and/or Board of Directors.
Processing and Agreement
- The program awards funds competitively among eligible applicants depending on the available budget.
- Applicants will be notified of their results in May.
- Recipients may redirect funding between expenditure categories within certain limits, particularly if the new activities are similar to those proposed in the original application.
- After approval, changes to proposed artist activities with a negative budget impact of 20% or more of planned direct artist investments must be reported and discussed immediately.
- Recipients of sound recording funding must notify FACTOR for two years after commercial release before selling, assigning, licensing or otherwise transferring control of the sound recording, and repayment may be required in some cases if it is transferred to a non-Canadian label.
Additional information
- FACTOR welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities and offers accommodations throughout the application process, as well as an Application Accessibility Support Fund.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Company Envelope: Top-Tier Program
What is the Company Envelope: Top-Tier?
Company Envelope: Top-Tier supports Canadian music companies, including record labels, music publishers and artist managers, to develop Canadian artists in Canada. It funds production and marketing of sound recordings, touring and showcasing, concert production, music publishing and artist management.
How much funding can be received?
Company Envelope: Top-Tier Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $600,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Company Envelope: Top-Tier program?
To be eligible for the Company Envelope: Top-Tier program, you must:
Canadian-owned and controlled company headquartered in Canada.
At least 3 years of continuous operations as a Canadian music company.
Minimum $250,000 eligible annual gross revenues in the most recent fiscal year.
What expenses are eligible under Company Envelope: Top-Tier?
Production of sound recordings that meet FACTOR’s definition of “Active”
Marketing of sound recordings
Concert Production
Music Publishing
Artist Management
Who can I contact for more information about the Company Envelope: Top-Tier?
You can contact Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTR) by email at info@factor.ca or by phone at 514 861-8444 | 1 800 861-5561.
Where is the Company Envelope: Top-Tier available?
The Company Envelope: Top-Tier program is available across Canada.
Is the Company Envelope: Top-Tier a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Company Envelope: Top-Tier is a Grant and Funding