Request for Applications: Export Development Stream Program (Canada)

Creative Export Canada offers funding for projects that forecast generating export revenues and help Canadian creative industries reach more people around the world.

Aims

• Ultimately, the program aims to increase export profitability for Canada’s creative industries.

Objectives

• The Export Development Stream of the program enables for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations in the creative industries with little to no experience in export to expand their sales into international markets. It also enables seasoned exporters to enter international markets where they currently have little to no sales and to develop new or existing international business networks.

Funding Information

• The total financial assistance received from the Export Development Stream and other levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 75% for the same, eligible project-related costs. Please note that funding from FACTOR/Musicaction, the Canada Media Fund, or similar funders, are considered to be public funding. The program can fund up to $90,000 per fiscal year.

Eligible Expenses

• Only project-related cash expenses are eligible; these may include:
  • Export planning activities, limited to a maximum of $30,000 of the total requested amount per fiscal year, such as:
    • development of an export plan or market entry strategy;
    • international marketing plan;
    • export pricing strategy;
    • market research on target export markets;
    • planning of distribution and logistics;
    • help to find a broker or distributor, including international distribution channels;
    • business services and advice;
    • legal services (e.g., contract support, intellectual property);
    • tariffs, certification requirements, regulations and insurance advice;
    • e-business or online strategy (this may include an online international plan, sales or online security advice); and
    • other export planning expenses.
• Export training and mentorship activities, such as:
  • export training;
  • networking activities;
  • matchmaking services;
  • international business advisory services;
  • mentoring; and
  • other training and mentorship activities that support exporting.
• International market readiness activities, such as:
  • versioning expenses;
  • dubbing expenses;
  • translation and interpretation expenses;
  • fees relating to intellectual property protection (e.g., copyright licensing, patents, trademarks, industrial design, geographical indications);
  • shipping and handling expenses;
  • insurance expenses;
  • website development, including software and programming expenses and search engine optimization;
  • product photography and videography, including product styling;
  • initial e-commerce platform development; and
  • other international market readiness expenses.
• Market development activities, limited to a maximum of $40,000 of the total requested amount per fiscal year, such as:
  • travel-related expenses, which must be directly related to the project and must not exceed the rates permitted for travel on government business, in accordance with the National Joint Council Travel Directive. Travel-related expenses may include:
    • bringing delegations of international buyers to events in CanadaNote; and
    • bringing delegations of Canadian stakeholders to international events to develop business partnerships.
  • structured activities designed to develop and maintain international business-to-business relationships (i.e., one-on-one meetings, facilitated meet-and-greets and other networking activities);
  • purchase or rental of trade show or exhibition space/floor;
  • venue rentals and related expenses;
  • expenses related to showcases, markets and business-to-business meetings;
  • conference registration or participation fees;
  • marketing material (e.g., pamphlets, business cards, samples), including printing and digital marketing costs;
  • advertising costs; and
  • other market development expenses.

Eligible Projects

• To be eligible for funding, your project must:
  • have creative content developed and ready for sales at the project start date:
    • the applicant must hold the intellectual property rights for the content;
    • if the project involves content with a third party’s intellectual property, the applicant must demonstrate that they have secured the rights of usage for the market(s) targeted by the project;
    • if the project is a collective event that will benefit project participants/third parties, such as a collective trade event or a trade mission, the project participants/third parties must hold the intellectual property rights or have secured the rights of usage for the market(s) targeted by the project.
  • allow creative industries to expand their sales into international markets and/or develop international business networks and partnerships;
  • expect to generate export revenues or lead to generating export revenues for the recipient or project participants/third-parties;
  • have content to export from one or more of the following creative industries:
    • artistic craft;
    • audiovisual;
    • design (limited to exhibit design, fashion design, artistic product design, public art design, urban design);
    • music;
    • performing arts;
    • publishing (books and periodicals);
    • visual art;
    • interactive digital media (in combination with at least one of the industries listed above).
  • focus on a specific target export market(s) (the targeted markets can be new or existing);
  • have a minimum total cost of $15,000;
  • be funded at a minimum of 25% by private sources (which can include applicant’s own contribution or a loan from a financial institution, including the Business Development Bank of Canada).

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for funding, your company/organization must:
  • be incorporated under the laws of Canada, a province or a territory;
  • be a for-profit company or a not-for-profit organization;
  • be Canadian-owned and controlled;
  • have a maximum of $10 million in annual revenues in the current or previous fiscal year; and
  • have a minimum of one full-time employee (who receives a salary and works a minimum of 30 hours a week).

For more information, visit Government of Canada.