OAC — Music Organizations: Operating

• Applicants must demonstrate at least $75,000 in total annual revenue ($100,000 for opera companies and $200,000 for orchestras) for the last fiscal year and projected years to be eligible, which may inform the scale of financial support.

• The applicant must be an Ontario-based, not-for-profit corporation, or a national not-for-profit corporation with a head office in Ontario.
• The organization must have at least two years of sustained, regular, ongoing programming by the application date.
• The organization must have an active board of directors or governing body.
• The primary mandate must be music programming, with curated programming that reflects a defined artistic mandate.
• The organization must actively support Canadian music by hiring professional Ontario and Canadian performers and presenting the work of professional Canadian composers or songwriters (unless restricted by mandate).

Who is eligible?

• Not-for-profit opera companies
• Not-for-profit orchestras (including semi-professional and youth training organizations)
• Not-for-profit choral organizations (including community choirs and training organizations)
• Music-mandated producers and presenters (such as music series, festivals, and contemporary music organizations)

Who is not eligible

• Non-arts organizations.
• Municipalities, colleges, or universities.
• Organizations that operate only as presenting facilities.
• Organizations or programming affiliated with or directly operated by religious institutions.
• Organizations without music programming as their primary mandate.
• Entertainment or variety presenters, trade shows, and conferences.
• Music competitions and youth orchestras.
• Organizations operating under a parent organization already funded by another OAC operating program.

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario

• Step 1: Review Program GuidelinesRead the Guide to OAC Operating Programs and the Guide to OAC Assessment.
• Consult additional resources as needed for clarification.
• Step 2: Contact Program Officer (New Applicants Only)Reach out to the program officer at least one month before the deadline.
• Discuss your eligibility, the suitability of your organization and program, and the grant amount you should request.
• Step 3: Register and Prepare Organizational ProfileCreate or update your organization's profile in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system.
• Register for an account with Canadian Arts Data / Données sur les arts au Canada (CADAC) if you are a new applicant.
• Step 4: Gather Required DocumentationPrepare answers to all application questions.
• Submit financial and statistical information through CADAC.
• Upload your organization’s financial statements for the last completed year to CADAC.
• Prepare and select artistic examples (audio or video).
• Step 5: Complete Application in NovaAccess the application approximately two months before the deadline.
• Enter all required information and upload necessary documents in Nova.
• Step 6: Submit ApplicationReview your application for completeness and accuracy.
• Submit your completed application in Nova before the stated deadline.
• Step 7: Post-SubmissionAwait grant notification, which is typically available about five months after the deadline.

• Grant notification is provided approximately five months after each deadline.
• Applications are available in the Nova system about two months before each deadline.
• Financial and statistical reports must be submitted through the Canadian Arts Data (CADAC) system before the deadline.
• In 2025, the program is in the first year of a three-year funding cycle and is open to new applicants.