Literary Individual Project Funding (Canada)

Funding Information

• Grant amount up to $18,000.

Eligible Costs

• Artist fees
• Commission fees
• Promotion and publicity
• Transportation and accommodation
• Tuition or training fee
• Royalties
• Administration and contract fees
• Basic living/subsistence expenses (housing, local transportation, food, child care, dependent care) up to $3,000/month
• Other expenses and supplies considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible Costs

• Expenses for capital purchases, such as computers, printers, software, buildings or property, or for capital development and studio construction or renovations
• Recreational training projects
• Specific component activities undertaken as part of a course of study
• Expenses already incurred prior to application submission, including grant writer fees

Eligible Projects

• Promotional reading tours and book launches
• On-line marketing initiatives such as book trailers
• Attendance at literary festivals, non-academic conferences, or award presentations by invitation
• Experimentation
• Exploration
• Research of primary materials
• Workshops
• Master classes
• Retreats
• Mentorship programs
• Professional development
• Professional courses of study in literary arts

Eligibility Criteria

• Individual
  • The AFA celebrates and supports diversity and is committed to creating equitable, inclusive, and accessible programs for all, free of barriers and discrimination. They recognize the unique contributions all artists make towards their community, and encourage applicants representing diverse communities, including Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, women, people with disabilities, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
  • To be eligible for individual project funding, you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:
    • Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person with an open work or study permit from inside Canada
    • Have had your primary residence in Alberta for at least one full year before applying
    • Ordinarily live in Alberta for a least six months of each year with the exception of attending a formal program of study
  • You must be in good standing with the AFA with no open or outstanding projects or reporting to apply. Previous grant recipients must ensure all final reporting has been approved by the AFA before new applications are accepted.
  • Applicants, including ensembles or collectives, must not be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation.
• Collaborating Artists, Ensembles, and Collectives
  • Collaborating artists, ensembles, and collectives are eligible to apply to this program if all project co-owners meet the individual eligibility criteria as defined above.
  • The AFA defines project co-owners as:
    • Those who share in the ownership or copyright of the created work
    • Those who have a significant financial stake in the project
  • For the purposes of this funding opportunity, in addition to the lead applicant, co-owners include, but may not be limited to, the following:
    • Writers
    • Writers/illustrators
  • Unless identified as retaining ownership or copyright of the work, contributors who are not normally considered co-owners include, but may not be limited to, the following:
    • Story/script editors
    • Contracted illustrators/visual artists
    • Beta readers
    • Interview subjects
    • Mentors, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers
  • Project co-owners must select a lead applicant to submit the application. The lead applicant must ensure all co-owners are listed in the application and is responsible for submitting the complete application before the program deadline.
  • If the project is approved for funding, the lead applicant is also responsible for receiving and managing any funds and completing any related reporting for the project.

For more information, visit Alberta Foundation for the Arts.