Ontario Creates Book Fund

• Articles of Incorporation or Master Business Licence
• Budget template
• Financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year
• At least two supporting documents such as resumes/CVs, marketing materials, social media metrics, letters of support, a corporate slide deck, or a business/marketing/strategic plan
• Applicant Affidavit

Who is eligible?

• Independent book publishers
• Canadian-owned and controlled book publishers
• Ontario-based book publishers
• Racially diverse, Francophone, or otherwise diversity-defined businesses, for the Diversity Enhancement Stream

Who is not eligible

• Publishers that are not independent, Canadian-owned and controlled, and Ontario-based
• Publishers not in good standing with Ontario Creates
• Businesses whose revenue is mainly from non-book publishing activities
• Publishers whose vanity title revenues exceed 25% of total revenues

Eligible expenses

• Project-specific marketing and promotional costs
• Attendance and exhibiting costs for fairs, trade shows, conferences, and virtual events
• Website redesign or upgrade costs, including e-commerce features
• Digital content, rights management, and transformation strategy costs
• Project-related capital expenses for digital components, up to 15% of the total project budget

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Ongoing operational costs
• Staff salaries and wages not directly related to the project
• Staff benefit costs
• Fixed overhead, occupancy costs, and hospitality
• Expenses incurred before the application submission or before funding notification for existing activities

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario

• Applications are reviewed by Ontario Creates for completeness, eligibility, and financial viability.
• Eligible applications are then assessed by an industry jury and Ontario Creates for final funding recommendations.
• Successful applicants are notified within 12 weeks of the deadline.
• Approved applicants must sign a funding agreement before any funding is released.
• Successful applicants must provide an interim report and a final report.

• Applicants are encouraged to attend information sessions or webinars prior to applying for guidance and clarification on program details.
• All project expenses, except for marketing and business travel, must be incurred in Ontario.
• The program may alter guidelines with public notice; all funding decisions are final and confidential.
• Information and supporting documentation submitted in the application remain strictly confidential, subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.