How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 125000% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the Development program — Prequalified stream?

Development program — Prequalified stream is funded by Telefilm Canada, Government of Canada

What are Development program — Prequalified stream's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must be a Canadian feature film production company. The company must have its head office in Canada. The company must carry out its activities in Canada.

Development program — Prequalified stream

Last Update: July 22, 2025

Canada

Financing for feature film production companies

Development program — Prequalified stream at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $125,000

Timeline

Open Date : September 3, 2024
Closing date : September 24, 2024

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries
Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grant Providers

Telefilm Canada
Government of Canada

Program status

Closed

Overview of the Development program — Prequalified stream program

Get funding in 1 of 3 tiers; up to $37,500, 75,000 and $125,000, respectively, if you have produced a fiction or documentary feature film financed by Telefilm with a theatrical release in the last 6 years.

Eligible projects & activities

The Development Program under the Prequalified Stream finances Canadian feature films at various stages of development. Eligible projects involve the creation and refinement of feature-length film scripts and associated activities.

Development of feature-length film scripts that are 75 minutes or longer.
Script drafting including first, second, third, or subsequent drafts.
Packaging of feature film projects to prepare for production stages.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 75,000

Historical documentary about Canadian railroad construction

$ 65,000

Documentary about Canadian artists in the 21st century

$ 67,500

Drama feature film about the struggles of urban immigrants

$ 75,000

Development of a feature film exploring indigenous folklore

$ 75,000

Animated feature film for children promoting environmental awareness

$ 75,000

Sci-fi feature film exploring artificial intelligence concepts

Eligibility criteria of the Development program — Prequalified stream program

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's business profile and location.

The applicant must be a Canadian feature film production company.
The company's head office must be located in Canada.
The company's activities must be carried out within Canada.

Who is eligible?

Canadian feature film production companies who:- Have their head office in Canada.- Carry out their activities in Canada.

Eligible expenses

The Development Program supports the creation of Canadian feature-length films during the development stage. This includes drafting scripts and packaging projects for further production stages.

Development of first, second, third, or subsequent draft scripts for feature-length films.
Packaging of feature-length film projects to enhance production readiness.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to Canadian feature film production companies with specific eligibility criteria regarding their geographical location. Eligible companies must have their head office and conduct their activities within Canada.

Companies with their head office located in Canada.
Entities conducting their activities within Canada.

Eligibility criteria of the Development program — Prequalified stream program

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant.

Artistic and financial objectives alignment
Originality and creativity of the project
Balance between creators, production team, and target audience
Potential for domestic and international distribution

How to apply to the Development program — Prequalified stream program

Review Guidelines

Access and carefully read the "Guidelines" and "Essential Information Guide."
Ensure that your project and company meet the eligibility criteria.

Gather Documents

Prepare the documents listed in "List of required documents" relevant to your stream.
Complete templates such as "Declaration Form Regarding the Producer’s Previous Experience" and others as applicable.

Create Dialogue Account

If not already done, create an account on the Dialogue platform provided by Telefilm.

Prepare Application

Log into the Dialogue platform to access the application form.
Input required information, ensure accuracy and detail about your project, including a development plan.

Submit Application

Upload all prepared documents and complete the application form on Dialogue.
Submit the complete application by the deadline of September 23, 2024, 11:59 PM EST.

Confirmation of Receipt

Receive confirmation of submission through Dialogue.
Keep the confirmation as a proof of application submission.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

IT support is only available on business days until 5:00 pm EST.
Notification to production companies eligible to the Prequalified Stream will occur on June 21, 2024, via Dialogue.
The Springboard Initiative will start in the summer of 2024, allowing unsuccessful Production Program projects to apply for development funding.
Applicants can receive updates directly through email by subscribing to program updates.