
Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects
Last Update: August 1, 2025
Canada
Funding for Canadian museums to develop accessible digital storytelling projects
Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects at a glance
Eligible Funding
- Max. $250,000
Timeline
- Open Date : June 15, 2025
- Closing date : December 1, 2025
Financing Type
Grant and Funding
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Grant Providers
- Digital Museums Canada (DMC)
Program status
Open
Overview of the Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects program
The Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects stream provides up to $250,000 in funding to support Canadian museums, heritage, cultural, and Indigenous organizations in developing accessible and engaging online projects from the ground up. Eligible activities include creating virtual exhibitions, immersive experiences, online tours, web applications, educational resources, and other innovative digital products.
Financing terms and conditions
- Investment of up to $250,000 CAD per project, determined by the scope of the proposed project.
- Funds are released in phases, contingent on review and approval of deliverables at each stage.
- Only one project may be funded per applicant at a time.
Eligible projects & activities
- Creation of virtual exhibitions or immersive online experiences.
- Development of virtual tours of heritage sites accessible through a web browser.
- Production of online educational resources related to heritage, culture, or Indigenous themes.
- Design of online games or progressive web applications with a storytelling focus.
- Launch of new, narrative-driven digital projects that provide unique, curated content to targeted audiences.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 180,000
Producing bilingual online storytelling games about urban Indigenous culture
$ 205,000
Building a digital resource centre on local natural history collections
$ 190,000
Developing an immersive digital tour of community railways history
$ 185,000
Creating a web application for virtual art gallery experiences
$ 150,000
Design and launch of a virtual walking tour of historic districts
$ 185,000
Developing an accessible online education hub about Acadian heritage
Eligibility criteria of the Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects program
- The applicant must be a museum, heritage, cultural, or Indigenous organization established and operating in Canada, with a physical establishment, site, or public programming (including online).
- The applicant organization must have been in existence for at least one year with its current legal status at the time of application.
- The applicant must be a registered charity, a federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit, an Indigenous nation/group/organization operating similarly to a not-for-profit and supporting Indigenous heritage and culture, or a municipal, provincial, band heritage, or university-affiliated organization.
- The proposed project must be a distinct, accessible online product developed from the ground up (not a replica of existing onsite or online products), and must be accessible at no cost through a web browser without requiring special equipment.
- The project must be professionally produced and translated in both English and French, and meet web accessibility standards.
Who is eligible?
- Museums
- Heritage organizations
- Cultural organizations
- Indigenous organizations focused on cultural heritage preservation (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit)
- Galleries, science centres, historic sites, historical societies, botanical gardens, planetariums, artist-run centres, archives, zoos, aquariums
Who is not eligible
- Organizations that are members of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio.
- Museum associations and professional associations.
- Membership organizations.
- Community centres and recreation centres.
- Magazines and publishing organizations.
Eligible expenses
- Web development services provided by a web development agency.
- Professional translation and comparative editing for both English and French versions of the online project.
- Project management and coordination expenses directly linked to the development of the digital product.
- Content creation, including research, writing, and production for online dissemination.
- Costs related to ensuring web accessibility and compliance with digital accessibility standards.
Eligible geographic areas
- Organizations established and operating in Canada.
Eligibility criteria of the Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects program
- Clarity and strength of the digital storytelling approach and narrative structure targeting a specific audience.
- Quality and completeness of the project plan, including adherence to web accessibility standards.
- Demonstrated respect for equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) principles within the project and organization.
- Distinctiveness and originality of the proposed online product, ensuring it is not a mere replica or digitization of existing content.
- Readiness and capacity of the organization to deliver the project in compliance with program requirements and timelines.
How to apply to the Digital Museums Canada — Digital Projects program
1
Review program eligibility and guidelines
- Read the complete DMC program guidelines and eligibility criteria on the official website
- Ensure your organization meets the requirements for primary purpose, mandate, and legal status
- Verify that your project type is eligible
2
Access application support resources
- Attend optional Application Assistance sessions for more information about the process
- Join information sessions or office hours for guidance on eligibility and criteria
- Consider a one-on-one mentorship chat if eligible
3
Complete eligibility application
- Create an account on the DMC online application platform (new applicants) or log in (returning applicants)
- Complete and submit the Eligibility Questionnaire
- Wait for an eligibility decision from DMC (approx. 10 business days)
4
Start and structure your proposal
- Start the proposal once eligibility is confirmed
- Select the investment stream (only one per organization per Call)
- Optionally, fill in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Assessment Questionnaire
5
Complete proposal and upload documents
- Answer all proposal questions on the platform
- Prepare and upload the required documents: project schedule, detailed budget (using the template), letter of support, and estimates if applicable
- Ensure compliance with eligibility and mandatory project requirements
6
Submit your online application
- Submit your complete proposal through the DMC online platform by 5 p.m. EST, December 1, 2025
- Make sure all forms and attachments are included and accurate
- Late proposals will not be accepted
7
Await evaluation results
- Wait for the Advisory Committee evaluation and decision
- Applicants will be notified of results (Letter of Award or Letter of Regret) by end of April 2026
Additional information
- DMC provides support and guidance to organizations throughout the development and launch of funded projects.
- Projects must acknowledge DMC support using the required credit line and logo in all communications and on the project website.
- Unsuccessful applicants can request a feedback call (video conference only, no written summaries) within a month of receiving a regret letter.
- Selected projects must be launched by June 30, 2030 at the latest, but a typical project may take 2 to 3 years to complete.
Contact Digital Museums Canada (DMC)
proposals@digitalmuseums.ca
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