RFAs: FACTOR Collective Initiatives Program (Canada)

Every event or initiative funded under this program must be collective in nature, meaning that it is intended to benefit multiple artists or music entrepreneurs. Projects cannot predominantly benefit any one artist, company, or enterprise.

Program Components 

• The program includes three components, each encompassing a range of eligible projects and activities:
  • Industry Events: The Industry Events component supports market development opportunities for Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs by subsidizing eligible music conferences, educational initiatives, mentorships, digital initiatives, and select national award shows in Canada.
  • Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities: This component assists with the costs of organizing and producing music showcases that expose new artists who are members of an official language minority community (“OLMC-eligible”) to a larger audience through appearances at local, regional, national, or international events.
  • Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists: The activities undertaken under this component must be designed to increase awareness of Canadian music around the world by providing artists with opportunities to secure record distribution, licensing or publishing deals, tour bookings, radio/television exposure, major festival bookings, management, or other representation.

Funding Information

• Industry Events:
  • Funding under this component is a maximum of 50% of the total eligible budget to an annual limit of $200,000.
  • The amount of funding provided shall be proportionate to the scope, reach, and impact of the project.
• Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists:
  • Funding under this component is at 50% of the total eligible budget.
  • The amount of funding provided shall be proportionate to the scope, reach, and impact of the project.
• Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities:
  • Funding under this component is at 75% of the total eligible budget to an annual maximum of $100,000.
  • The amount of funding provided shall be proportionate to the scope, reach, and impact of the project.

Expected Outcomes

• Successful projects create new market development results for participating Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs. Expected results might include the following:
  • The creation of opportunities to access new markets or further expand into existing ones;
  • The increased awareness of participant artists and companies by consumers and industry personnel;
  • Increased revenue potential for participants;
  • Opportunities for artists to build their support teams and business networks; and
  • Events and initiatives that provide Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs with the business skills, know-how and tools to succeed in a global and digital environment.

Eligible Activities

• Industry Events:
  • Eligible activities may include:
    • Music conferences
    • Educational initiatives
    • Mentorship initiatives
    • Select National Award shows
    • Market development research
    • Initiatives that significantly enhance the visibility and accessibility of Canadian music on digital platforms.
• Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists:
  • This component supports international market development initiatives that benefit export-ready Canadian artists. It is intended for Applicants whose activities engage several export-ready artists in showcase opportunities of international significance.
• Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities:
  • For FACTOR’s purposes new OLMC-eligible artists must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and resident of the province of Quebec, and:
    • Speak English as their first language and record and sing in English; or
    • Speak another language other than English or French as their first language and record and sing in English; and
    • Artist’s first professional commercial release (album or single) that is supported by a team (label, manager, publisher, agent, or publicist) is no more than 4 years from the start of the fiscal year in which the Applicant is seeking funding.
    • Artist is in early stage of their career.

Eligible Costs

• Industry Events:
  • Eligible costs in this component can include:
    • Facility and equipment rentals
    • Marketing, Advertising and/or Promotional material
    • Speakers’ fees
    • Travel, Accommodation, Per diems
    • Publicist
    • Graphic design
    • Event coordinator
    • Website development, online platform fees, database etc for initiatives that promote artists across a digital platform
    • Staff salaries may be claimed if they constitute labor directly attributable to the project/event and are actual and verifiable, directly related to the activities of the initiative, and charged at real cost with no mark- up.
• Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists:
  • Eligible costs in this component can include:
    • For inbound markets, costs associated with bringing in foreign industry personnel, buyers, promoters, etc. to Canada for a conference and/or showcase (members of the press are not eligible invitees):
      • Accommodation
      • Per diems
      • Ground and air transportation
    • For outbound markets, costs associated with producing a showcase outside of Canada:
      • Venue rental
      • Production
      • Catering
      • Production personnel
      • Marketing and publicity
      • Market consultants
• Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities:
  • Eligible costs in this component include:
    • Artist fees
    • Artist travel and transport
    • Artist per diems
    • Artist accommodation
    • Facility rentals
    • Staging
    • Sound and lighting
    • Advertising or publicity
    • Promotional material

Ineligible Costs

• Industry Events:
  • Ineligible costs include expenses relating to an associated event but not directly for the conference/educational initiative (i.e., artist fees and production costs for showcase performances).
• Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists:
  • Ineligible costs for the Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists component include:
  • Artist performance fees and related artist-specific costs such as travel. Participating artists are encouraged to apply for Showcase support from FACTOR through the Live Performance program.
  • Ancillary expenses and production costs for artists that do not qualify as export-ready artists or are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
• Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities:
  • Ineligible costs for the Showcase Production OLMC component include any artist fees, per diems, travel, accommodations, and production costs related to non-OLMC artists that are also showcasing at the event.

Eligibility Criteria

• Incorporated companies
• Not-for-profit associations
• Applicants must be Canadian-owned and controlled. Not-for-profit associations must be governed by a majority
• Canadian Board of Directors, membership must be 50% Canadian or greater, and their principal business purpose is central to the career development of Canadian music artists. The event or project must have been operating for at least two years prior to the date of application; or, for new or first-time projects, the Applicant must show at least two years of significant and related experience necessary to undertake a project of that nature.
• Applicants may apply for one, two, or all components of the program.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Ineligible applicants include Copyright collectives, funding organizations, and charities.

Review Criteria

• Eligible applications are reviewed using the following criteria:
  • The project’s relevance to the program’s mandate;
  • The project’s strategic value to the participating Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs;
  • The capacity of the Applicant organization to achieve the proposed results; and
  • Appropriate and realistic budget for the project.

For more information, visit FACTOR.