New funds - frequently asked questions
For individual artists and public access activities:
How will the new money for individual artists and public access activities be allocated?
That money will be used to increase the budgets of those programs which currently provide support to public access activities, including touring, circulation, dissemination and festivals.
We recognize that many of the 2006-07 competitions in these programs have already taken place. For those competitions, we will review the list of successful and Highly Recommended applicants. In the case of successful applicants who received less than they requested, and whose grant period is still ongoing, we will award a supplementary grant equivalent to the difference between the grant and the request, up to the maximum grant amount for that particular program. We will also review the list of Highly Recommended applicants to those programs and, based on their placement in the competition, award grants to many of those applicants.
For 2007-08, the new money will be simply be added to the program budgets for individual artists and public access activities, which means that more applicants will receive the amount they request, and applicants who would have otherwise been high up on the Highly Recommended list will instead be successful.
For organizations currently receiving annual or multi-year funding:
What are the possibilities of having supplementary operating funding provided after the initial two-year period?
The 2 May 2006, federal budget announced a total of $50 million in new funds for the 2006–07 and 2007–08 fiscal years only. There is no assurance of additional funding beyond that period.
Does the fact that my organization currently receives operating funding from the Canada Council guarantee that my application will be successful?
All applications will be assessed in a competitive context, and not all applications will receive a grant. The Canada Council wishes to invest the funds where it can be demonstrated they will have the strongest positive impact.
Your guidelines and the application form speak of “uses” or “proposals.” Do such uses include ad hoc or special projects?
New initiatives can be eligible if they strengthen or enhance the overall operations of arts organizations and do not create a funding dependency after the two-year period. The intended purpose of the supplementary funds, however, is about doing better, and not necessarily more.
Are proposals that started before the deadline date eligible for supplementary funding?
Yes. The proposal can have started, however, it is ineligible for funding if it has been completed before the 15 December 2006 deadline.
The application form asks that francophone applicants provide translations of their texts into English. Are these translations mandatory?
No, translations of applications are not mandatory, since the Canada Council provides peer assessment committees with in-house translations as required. However, organizations taking advantage of this option will have more control over the terminology and content of the translation. Note that the Canada Council will reimburse applicants up to $200 for their translation costs.
May I submit extra support material?
No. Submit only the completed application. Additional material will not be presented to the assessment committee.
How will I be informed that my application has been received at the Canada Council?
The Canada Council will send you, by mail, a notice acknowledging that it has received your application. The Council will send this notice within a week after your application arrives.
Is personal information protected?
The Privacy Act protects the personal information of individuals and provides them with a right of access to such information about themselves. Personal information will be maintained in Personal Information Bank CAC PPU 130. All other information may be accessible to others under the Access to Information Act.
On a confidential basis, the Canada Council for the Arts may share information related to applications and awards with officials in other arts and cultural industry funding agencies, to assist with program planning and application evaluation.
When and how will I find out the results of my application?
You will receive the results, by letter, in late March 2007. Note that, for privacy reasons, the Canada Council does not release results by telephone or email.
If my application is successful, when will I receive the grant funds?
Supplementary grants are intended to be paid in two installments. You will receive the first installment (40 percent of the grant) once you accept the grant and its conditions. Then, pending confirmation of the Canada Council’s budget, you will receive the second installment (60 percent of the grant) once the Canada Council receives an interim report on the progress of your proposal and your interim financial report. If, for any reason, the Canada Council does not receive funding for this initiative for the 2007–2008 fiscal year, it reserves the right to not fund certain or any of the successful applications for 2007–2008.
What are the terms and conditions of grants from this program?
The terms and conditions of the grant will be specified in the grant notification letter.