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Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream

Supports export-ready projects for creative exporters

Offered by
Canadian Heritage
Official source: canada.ca

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 2,500,000
Up to 75% of project cost
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Canada
Who can apply
For-profit companies
See full eligibility

Overview

Creative Export Canada’s Export-Ready Stream offers contributions of up to $2.5 million to Canadian-owned for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations for export-ready projects expected to generate export revenues. Eligible support includes technology development or acquisition, project-related professional services and salaries, travel, marketing, and limited administrative or translation costs.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$2,500,000
Maximum share of project costs
75%
Financing goals
  • Increase performance through digital transformation
  • Develop an online presence
  • Access new markets
  • Launch or market a product/service

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Canada
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
$ 500,000,000 maximum revenue
Organisation size
1 employees minimum
Audience
All groups
Legal structures
Non-profit, For-profit business

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 1

Latest changes

CEC intake period now closed

The Creative Export Canada page now shows the Export-Ready Stream application period as closed, and the Export Development Stream deadline is also marked closed.

See more

The Creative Export Canada program page now shows the Export-Ready Stream application period for projects with expenses occurring between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027 as closed. The Export Development Stream deadline for the same intake is also now marked closed. On the Export-Ready Stream application guidelines page, the submission period for that intake is now closed, and the next period for projects with expenses starting on April 1, 2027 remains scheduled to be announced in fall 2026. The visible application-support content was also reduced on the Export Development Stream page, where webinar registration details were removed.

Official source: canada.ca
July 28, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • For-profit companies
  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Canadian creative industry organizations

Who is not eligible

  • Individuals
  • Other financial support programs or funds, either public or private
  • Public relations agencies or marketing agencies
  • Entities or subsidiaries of a parent company with more than $500 million in annual revenues in their most recent fiscal year

Eligible expenses

  • Development costs and/or acquisition of digital or other technologies.
  • Professional services and salaries directly related to the project.
  • Project-related travel, marketing, administrative, translation, and interpretation costs.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Ongoing operating expenditures not directly related to the project, including grant writing, routine or recurring activities, and ongoing overhead expenditures
  • Capital expenses related to the applicant’s ongoing operating activities, such as computer or equipment purchases
  • Content creation and development, and production of creative content destined for export
  • Hospitality and related expenses, contingency funds, and prizes, gifts, and giveaways
  • Costs to prepare a business plan, export plan, or application documentation, creative content outside the eligible creative industries, expenses relating to lobbying, public relations, policy development and influence, and Government led trade mission travel expenses

Eligible geographic areas

  • Canada
  • First Nations reserve lands in Canada

Activities funded

  • Export-ready projects expected to generate export revenues.
  • Projects exporting content from eligible Canadian creative industries.
  • Collective initiatives linked to export markets, such as trade events or trade missions.

How to apply

  • Read the Application Guidelines in their entirety before completing your application.
  • Request the application form by emailing creativeexportcanada-exportationcreativecanada@pch.gc.ca.
  • Complete, sign and date the Application Form.
  • Attach the required supporting documents listed in Part F of the Application Form.
  • Submit the complete application package electronically to creativeexportcanada-exportationcreativecanada@pch.gc.ca.
  • Send the email no later than 4:00 p.m. (ET) on the published application deadline.

Documents Needed

  • Completed, dated, and signed Application Form
  • Project budget
  • Export plan
  • Incorporation documents or proof of registration on First Nations reserve lands, if applicable
  • Two most recent financial statements and written confirmation of other funding or partnerships, if applicable

Selection criteria

  • The project’s viability and potential to generate export revenues
  • The project’s ability to generate a return on the program’s contribution
  • The impact on Canadian creative industries and the number of Canadian creators who will benefit from the project
  • The project’s growth potential in other international markets, innovation, and strategic collaborations or partnerships that strengthen the project
  • The applicant’s demonstrated need for funding, with review also considering prior non-compliance on funded projects and giving special consideration to support for Indigenous peoples or equity-deserving communities, environmental sustainability, projects funded at more than 25% by private funding sources, and applicants not previously funded through Creative Export Canada

Processing and Agreement

  • Applications are compared with other submissions by a review committee and prioritized in relation to the funds available.
  • The program acknowledges receipt within two weeks of receiving an application by email, and applicants must contact the program if no acknowledgment is received within two weeks of submission.
  • Decisions regarding eligibility and funding amounts are final.
  • If funded, payment is governed by a funding agreement signed by the Department and the company or organization, and recipients must submit a final report at the end of the project; interim reports may also be required.
  • Recipients of $250,000 or more must submit an audited financial report, submit project results up to six months after the project end date, and keep records for five years for possible audit or program evaluation.

Additional information

  • A portion of funding is reserved for organizations where at least 50% of owners or board members self-identify as Indigenous or from equity-deserving groups, eligible through a voluntary self-identification questionnaire.
  • Applications must be submitted electronically and cannot be sent via file hosting or sharing websites; packages over 16MB must be split into multiple emails.
  • Failure to submit a final report for previously funded projects may impact future application eligibility.
  • Applicants must retain project-related documentation for five years for potential audit or evaluation.

Contacts

creativeexportcanada-exportationcreativecanada@pch.gc.ca
819-997-0055

Official sources

Application Guidelines - Export-Ready Stream

Program guide

Creative Export CanadaExport-Ready Stream - Creative Export Canada

Application form

Forms - Creative Export Canada
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream Program

What is the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream?

Creative Export Canada’s Export-Ready Stream offers contributions of up to $2.5 million to Canadian-owned for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations for export-ready projects expected to generate export revenues. Eligible support includes technology development or acquisition, project-related professional services and salaries, travel, marketing, and limited administrative or translation costs.

How much funding can be received?

Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $2,500,000 per project.

Who is eligible for the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream program?

To be eligible for the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream program, you must: Be a Canadian-owned and -controlled for-profit company or not-for-profit organization incorporated under the laws of Canada, a province, or a territory Have no more than $500M in annual revenues, including the parent company’s annual revenues, and at least one full-time salaried employee working at least 30 hours a week Propose an export-ready project expected to generate export revenues, with the required intellectual property or usage rights

What expenses are eligible under Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream?

Development costs and/or acquisition of digital or other technologies. Professional services and salaries directly related to the project. Project-related travel, marketing, administrative, translation, and interpretation costs.

Who can I contact for more information about the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream?

You can contact Canadian Heritage by email at creativeexportcanada-exportationcreativecanada@pch.gc.ca or by phone at 819-997-0055.

Where is the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream available?

The Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream program is available across Canada.

Is the Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream a grant, loan, or tax credit?

Creative Export Canada (CEC) — Export-Ready Stream is a Grant and Funding