May 19, 2015 – The Government of Canada tabled a balanced budget on April 21. Expectations were high and CAPACOA was quick to provide a first overview of the budget. At the time, little was known about the two most interesting announcements from the perspective of the arts: the Canada 150 Fund and the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program. Here is the latest information about these two programs.
Canada 150 Fund
The Canada 150 Fund was officially announced on April 23 , and the guidelines and application forms were published today. The Canada 150 Fund will support activities that:
- Encourage participants to give back to Canada through gifts of time and energy, in ways that leave a legacy for the future;
- Provide Canadians with opportunities to actively participate and/or celebrate together, promoting and building a deeper understanding of Canada, its people and what it means to be Canadian; and
- Recognize and promote exceptional Canadian people, places, achievements and events that continue to shape our country.
The program will be administered regionally by Canadian Heritage. Existing clients of the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage should contact their regular program officer to discuss their Canada 150 projects. Organizations who are not clients of either program may contact the Regional office in their province or territory.
Of the $210 million invested in the Canada 150 Fund, $70 million is allocated to Signature Initiatives, $30 million to Anchor events, and $100 million to Community-driven projects. The remaining $10 million is the operational funding to deliver these programs and services over the next four years.
Signature Initiatives will be high impact, large-scale projects that are national in scope. For these initiatives, an expression of interest must be submitted by May 29, 2015. If you think your project may qualify as a Signature Initiative please speak with a project officer prior to applying. Projects that are national in scope are eligible under both the Signature-Initiative and also Community-driven Funding streams. To be considered under Signature, national projects should meet the following criteria:
- the activity/event will travel the country;
- activities/events will be organized across the country in many different locations; and for virtual or online projects
- the applying organization must create a space where Canadians can actively participate and not simply view static content on a website.
The Community-driven funding stream of the Canada 150 Fund will support projects that are local, regional, provincial or national in scope. This component does not have a deadline.
No details have yet been announced about the Anchor events funding stream. It is therefore not yet available for application at this time.
Clients of the Canada Arts Presentation Fund who are applying at the September 30 deadline will be asked to include their Canada 150 activities within their regular CAPF application. Clients of CAPF who already applied for the 2016-2017 fiscal year at the April 30 deadline will be given the opportunity supplement information to their application. For more information, contact your program officer.
Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program
The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program was announced on May 15. The program will provide support for the renovation, expansion and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure that provides community and cultural benefits for the public. Projects under the following categories may be eligible for funding: community centres (including Royal Canadian Legions), cultural centres and museums, parks, recreational trails, libraries, recreational facilities, tourism facilities, docks, cenotaphs and other existing community infrastructure. Eligible recipients for funding include provinces, territories, municipalities, regional governments, Aboriginal organizations and not-for-profit organizations. The program is being delivered nationally through the Government of Canada’s regional economic development agencies.
The program is anticipated to support up to 1,800 projects with funding totalling $150 million. It is therefore designed for smaller-scope projects that should be completed by the end of the 2017 construction season. Early submission of applications is encouraged (the deadline for FedDev Ontario is June 9).
Updated: May 22, 2015
Recent and Related News
Overview of the 2015 Federal Budget
The program will provide support for the renovation, expansion and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure that provides community and cultural benefits for the public. Projects under the following categories may be eligible for funding: community centres (including Royal Canadian Legions), cultural centres and museums, parks, recreational trails, libraries, recreational facilities, tourism facilities, docks, cenotaphs and other existing community infrastructure.
The program, which is anticipated to support up to 1,800 projects in communities of all sizes across the country, will be delivered nationally through the Government of Canada’s regional economic development agencies. Eligible recipients for funding include provinces, territories, municipalities, regional governments, Aboriginal organizations and not-for-profit organizations.
– See more at: http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2015/05/15/pm-announces-canada-150-community-infrastructure-program#sthash.BDypHt4V.dpuf
