British Columbia Arts Council Accelerate Program (Canada)

Funding Information

• Maximum request amount is $30,000 per year for two years, up to a maximum of $60,000 over two years. Applicants may request less than the maximum.
• Organizations that currently receive BC Arts Council Operating Assistance can also apply for Accelerate funding, to a combined maximum of $30,000 per year between the two grant programs (based on the 2023/24 (S-2024) Operating Assistance grant amount received).
• Funding for successful applicants will be the same each year. The BC Arts Council intends to fund the full request amount for all successful applicants. However, in some cases grants may be awarded for less than requested.

Eligible Expenses

• Funding is intended to offer stability while being flexible in supporting a range of expenses including, but not limited to:
  • General operating costs
  • Organizational development
  • Capacity building
  • Project expenses
  • Community engagement initiatives

Ineligible Expenses

• Funding through the Accelerate Program is not available to support:
  • Budget deficits or contingency funds.
  • Capital expenditures above $2500 (for example, construction, renovation, or purchase of property or equipment). Small purchases with a combined value under $2500 total per year are eligible.
  • Activities already funded through other BC Arts Council grant programs.
  • Activities funded with BC Arts Council funds received through third-party delivery partners:
    • ArtStarts, First Peoples’ Cultural Council, BC Live Performance Network, or Creative BC.
  • Projects or activities that are not based on artistic or curatorial decision making, or where arts and culture is not the primary focus such as fundraising activities, competitions, family, religious, anniversary, or community celebrations.

Eligibility Criteria

• This program is limited to organizations and collectives who:
  • Identify as representing an equity-deserving group(s), that dedicate the majority of their activities, programming content, and financial and human resources to supporting the arts and culture practices of their specific equity-deserving group(s). This may be demonstrated in the following areas: purpose statements, practices, practitioners, staffing, leadership, governance and engagement or
  • Are located in areas outside of greater Vancouver or the capital region and
  • Provide public arts and culture programming and engagement (or service to the arts and culture sector) in B.C. as a primary activity and
  • Are not currently receiving BC Arts Council Operating Assistance or
  • Receive less than $30,000 per year through BC Arts Council Operating Assistance.
• Equity-deserving groups are those who have collectively experienced systemic and attitudinal discrimination based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation, and transgender status, etc. These groups may include:
  • Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) Peoples
  • Artists who are Deaf or experience disability
  • Black people or people of color
  • LGBTQ2S+ communities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit, and other)
  • Women and gender diverse people
  • Linguistic minorities and official language minorities
  • Immigrants, newcomers and refugees
  • Socio economic disadvantaged groups
  • Youth and next generation (under 25)
  • Ethnic minorities

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are not eligible to apply to the Accelerate program:
  • Private or for-profit entities (except in the case of for-profit book publishing companies)
  • Industrial sites, archaeological sites, heritage sites or historic places
  • Organizations dedicated to archives
  • Member-funded societies
  • Social service organizations
  • Collectives with less than 3 members or ad hoc collectives
  • Organizations currently receiving $30,000 or more per year through the BC Arts Council Operating Assistance grant program
  • Organizations that solely operate venues or facilities without the primary purpose of artistic production or presentation.

For more information, visit British Columbia Arts Council.