Update: see the video of Dave’s presentation and the Q&A session here.
David Harkness, Manager, Collective Initiatives & Business Innovation, CPF, will present information and answer questions about this federal funding program for magazines on July 7, 2021 at 12 noon PDT.
Register here for free to attend this session via Zoom.
About the funding
The Business Innovation component of the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) provides financial support to eligible small and mid-sized printed magazine and digital periodical publishers.
The goal of the fund is to encourage Canadian magazines to innovate to adapt to changing market conditions and contribute to the diversity of content sought by Canadian readers. This funding is project-based, so cannot be used for operational expenses.
Business Innovation funding of up to 75% / $50,000 in eligible expenses is allocated to innovative projects proposed by eligible Canadian print and digital magazines on an ongoing basis until spent, and always has many more applications than it can fund. (Note: free print publications–with certain exceptions such as indigenous or ethnocultural magazines–must have at least 50% request circulation, supported by a circulation audit, in addition to other eligibility criteria.)
We encourage you to attend this session to give you a better chance to craft your request, apply sooner, and receive funding for projects starting at least 8 weeks after applying and ending by March 31, 2022.
Aspiring or emerging publishers can apply instead for up to $5,000 or 50%, whichever is less, in start-up funding to plan, launch or further develop a new company that publishes a digital periodical.
The final application deadline is September 15, 2021. Funding is not guaranteed.
The objectives of the fund are to:
- support innovation and the use of new technologies;
- strengthen the financial viability of Canadian print magazines and digital periodicals;
- increase access to the market by Canadian print magazines and digital periodicals;
- encourage the development of the next generation of Canadian periodical publishing professionals; and
- enhance the diversity of titles and Canadian editorial content available to readers and advertisers.
Examples of eligible projects:
- new or improved business models, methods, or processes;
- new or improved products or services;
- new or improved systems or tools;
- digitization of back issues;
- rebranding or redesign;
- a special issue outside of the regular publishing schedule;
- adoption or use of new media;
- mobile applications;
- web design and development;
- expansion into new markets; and
- advertising and promotional campaigns.
If you have never applied to the BI program before, we recommend you review the overview, guidelines and eligibility requirements closely and talk to a program officer to determine whether both your magazine and your project idea are eligible to apply for funding.
