Museum Assistance Program - Exhibition Circulation Fund

• Project funding for hosting a travelling exhibition or borrowing artefacts will not normally exceed 70% of eligible expenses, with a maximum of $15,000 per project.
• For museums with annual operating budgets under $500,000, up to 100% of eligible expenses may be funded, capped at $15,000 per project.
• In exceptional circumstances (such as projects benefiting remote or underserved communities), up to 85% of eligible expenses may be covered.
• The total government financial assistance (federal, provincial/territorial, municipal) must not exceed 100% of total project costs.

• The applicant must be an incorporated, non-profit Canadian museum with policies for key museum functions.
• For hosting a travelling exhibition, the museum must employ at least one paid professional staff (full-time, part-time, or seasonal, excluding students).
• For borrowing artefacts, the museum must have a loan agreement or letter of intent with a federal institution.
• Indigenous governing bodies or Indigenous organizations with a mandate to preserve and support Indigenous heritage are eligible.
• Projects must involve hosting a travelling exhibition from another Canadian non-profit, Indigenous, or federal heritage institution, or borrowing artefacts from a federal institution for exhibition purposes.

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated, non-profit Canadian museums
• Indigenous governing bodies with a mandate to preserve and support Indigenous heritage
• Indigenous organizations within Canada focused on heritage preservation

Who is not eligible

• Federal departments, Crown corporations, and agencies.
• Organizations whose principal mandate is not related to heritage.
• Contemporary visual art organizations seeking funding for exhibitions primarily featuring current works of living artists (unless the exhibition is retrospective or has a historical perspective).

Eligible expenses

• Rental fees related to exhibitions or borrowing artefacts.
• Pro-rated salaries and wages specific to project activities.
• Transportation, packing, and crating costs for exhibitions or artefacts.
• Installation and dismantling expenses, including temporary storage when necessary.
• Additional security and insurance expenses required for the project.
• Equipment rental and incremental project administration costs.
• Promotion, communication, and marketing costs.
• Translation of public-facing materials into both official languages and other relevant languages.
• Creation of educational materials, media kits, and marketing materials linked to the exhibition.

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations located anywhere in Canada.

• Relevance and community engagement, including alignment with the organization’s mandate and documented support or interest from funders or partners.
• Project planning and management, assessing the organization’s capacity and the adequacy of the timeline and resources.
• Project budget, evaluating justification of expenses, comprehensiveness, and identification of all contributions.
• Impact and evaluation strategy, ensuring outputs and outcomes are clear, measurable, and linked to an articulated evaluation method.
• Organization’s capacity, such as demonstrated financial stability and professional management structure.

• Applicants are encouraged to contact a regional program advisor before submitting due to limited funds available.
• There is no set deadline; applications are reviewed on a continuous basis.
• Funding may be provided either as a grant or a contribution, depending on project specifics.
• Products and communications developed with funding must be available in both official languages.