Museums Assistance Program — Reopening Fund for Heritage Organizations

• Application form
• Applicant attestation
• Financial statements for 2019 or last pre-pandemic fiscal year
• Proof of legal status or unincorporated applicant form
• Proof of signing authority
• Direct deposit information

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated and unincorporated organizations and groups
• Not-for-profit museums, archives, and historic sites
• Indigenous organizations and official language minority community organizations
• Municipal and university museums with a distinct budget

Who is not eligible

• Organizations without a heritage collection
• Zoos, public libraries, aquaria, botanical gardens, artist-run centres, and virtual museums
• Federal, provincial, and territorial Crown corporations, agencies, and departments
• Non-profit organizations that support or manage a collection owned by a federal entity

Eligible expenses

• Ongoing operations and day-to-day collections management
• Salaries and wages
• Utilities, insurance, materials, and supplies
• Accessibility costs and Indigenous language translation
• Minor capital costs up to 10% of the amount awarded

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Expenses already covered by other government COVID-19 emergency or recovery measures
• Professional development activities and related travel
• Feasibility and market studies
• Travel and hospitality
• Taxes and other non-eligible government-covered expenses

• Organization capacity, including at least three years in operation and a basic governance structure
• Applicant attestation of COVID-19-related financial hardship and need for government funding

• Step 1: Read the application guidelines
  • Review the full guidelines before starting the application.
• Step 2: Prepare the application package
  • Complete the application form and attestation.
  • Gather the required supporting documents.
• Step 3: Submit online
  • Send the complete package through the Canadian Heritage Funding Portal.
• Step 4: Await acknowledgment and decision
  • Receive confirmation of receipt for online submissions.
  • Wait for the funding decision after review.

• Applications are first reviewed for eligibility.
• Eligible applications are assessed against the program’s evaluation criteria.
• Applicants are notified of the funding decision after review.
• If funded as a contribution, a funding agreement is signed.
• Recipients may need to submit a final report and/or participate in results evaluation.

• Applications were due November 29, 2021 and the intake is now closed.
• Applicants must have a heritage collection and public access through regular hours.
• Funding decisions are final once made.
• Recipients may need to acknowledge federal support publicly in both English and French.