OAC — Music Production and Presentation Projects

• Individual professional musicians and programmers may receive up to $20,000 per project.
• Professional ad hoc music groups, collectives, and music organizations may receive up to $20,000 per project.
• Semi-professional, community, and choral training organizations may receive up to $5,000 per project.
• Northern semi-professional and community orchestras are eligible for up to $20,000; other semi-professional and community orchestras can receive up to $15,000.
• Grant requests should be proportional to the scope of the project; awarded amounts may be less than requested due to available funds.

• The applicant must be a professionally-led, incorporated non-profit music organization with a head office in Ontario, or a not-for-profit professional ad hoc group, collective, or music producer/presenter operating on a not-for-profit basis.
• Projects must support the production and presentation of live or virtual music in Ontario, involving professional musicians.
• For non-music arts organizations, the project must feature a primary music curatorial leadership role and a curated artistic vision for a music series or festival.
• Projects must pay professional fees to musicians and ensure most participants are professional artists, except for community orchestras and choirs led by a professional artistic leader.

Who is eligible?

• Professional musicians and music programmers based in Ontario
• Not-for-profit bands, ensembles, orchestras, opera companies, choirs, and other music producers or presenters
• Music festivals operating on a not-for-profit basis
• Professionally-led music presenters and producers of concerts, series, and festivals
• Non-music arts organizations requesting support for music presenting activities, with music curatorial leadership

Who is not eligible

• Colleges, universities, schools, and municipalities.
• Religious institutions.
• Record companies, music labels, managers, agents, and lawyers.
• Organizations that receive ongoing operating grants from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), except those mandated to serve OAC priority groups.
• Youth orchestras and volunteer-run series or festivals not led by professional artists or curators.

Eligible expenses

• Artistic fees (for example, conductor, accompanist, section lead, royalty fees for professional musicians and similar roles)
• Production costs
• Venue and equipment rental
• Purchase of small-scale equipment, software, electronics, and similar materials required for the project (up to $500)
• Marketing, publicity, promotion, and administrative costs
• Audio/visual recording costs directly associated with virtual presentations that are part of the project
• Modest audio/visual recording costs for documenting live presentation activities (archival recording)
• Childcare and other dependant care fees enabling participation in the project (excluding regular, ongoing expenses)
• Expenses related to making the project accessible to audience members and participants who are Deaf or have a disability

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario
• Northern Ontario, including Far North, Northwest, and Northeast regions, as well as Manitoulin, Parry Sound and Nipissing districts, and all regions north of these

• Step 1: Review Program GuidelinesRead the Guide to OAC Project Programs to understand eligibility requirements and restrictions.
• Consult program deadlines and ensure your project aligns with timing requirements.
• Step 2: Register or Update Profile in NovaCreate or update your personal or organizational profile in Nova, the Ontario Arts Council’s online grant application system.
• Step 3: Prepare Application MaterialsGather essential project information such as project description, budget, and timeline.
• Prepare answers to application questions regarding your project.
• Compile artistic examples: upload a minimum of one and maximum of three audio and/or video examples.
• Collect supporting documents, including CVs, résumés or bios of artists and programmers, score excerpts and/or lyrics/libretto (for Opera projects), and a programming/repertoire list.
• Step 4: Complete Application in NovaLog in to your Nova profile when the application becomes available (approximately two months before the deadline).
• Fill out all required fields in the application form, including project budget and supporting documents.
• Step 5: Submit ApplicationReview your application for completeness and accuracy.
• Submit the completed application through Nova before the posted deadline (March 26 or September 25, 2025, 1 p.m. ET).
• Step 6: Receive Confirmation and Await ResultsConfirmation of your submission will be provided via Nova.
• Await notification of grant results, which occurs approximately four and a half months after the deadline.

• Program deadlines may change before it opens in Nova, so applicants should check the page for updated information.
• Acknowledgement of OAC support with logo placement or verbal recognition is required for all funded projects.
• If a project's final budget shows a surplus over $250, repayment of the surplus to OAC may be necessary.
• Applicants identifying as Deaf or having a disability may access supplementary funds for their own accessibility expenses via the Accessibility Fund: Project Support.