Museums Assistance Program

The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) provides funding to Canadian museums and related institutions, for projects  that support the objectives of Canada's museum policy.

Applicant Eligibility:

To be eligible under MAP, the applicants must meet the criteria of one of the following three categories :

• Incorporated, non-profit Canadian museums which provide services to the public year-round, employ the equivalent of one full-time paid professional staff, sustain and/or have policies for key museological functions, and have a current three to five-year strategic/business plan;
• Incorporated non-profit heritage services organizations;
• Aboriginal governing bodies and other Aboriginal organizations with a mandate to preserve and support Aboriginal heritage.

Applicants that are governed by other levels of government, or by academic or cultural institutions are eligible but must have distinct objectives, programs and budget related to heritage. Federal organizations and federal Crown corporations are not eligible for MAP funding.

MAP Components:

MAP funding is available for five broad categories of projects under the following: Access to Heritage, Exhibition Circulation Fund, Aboriginal Heritage, Organizational Development, and the Canada-France Agreement.

Eligible Projects:

The priorities for funding under MAP are:

• Projects that tell the story of Canada's cultural and natural diverse heritage, and promote Canada-wide perspectives (travelling exhibitions, outreach activities, collaborative initiatives, partnerships, etc.);
• Projects that foster and support Aboriginal heritage activities;
• Projects which strengthen the overall management of key museological functions in heritage organizations.

The MAP provides funding for eligible projects undertaken through traditional means as well as through the application of new technologies.

MAP Funding History:

To review recently-funded projects under the MAP, please consult the following lists:

MAP Application Process:

Project proposals are reviewed competitively once each year. Applications to the Museums Assistance Program must be postmarked no later than November 01, 2007, with the exception of applications for the Exhibition Circulation Fund, which are accepted year-round.

Please note that in 2008-09, organizations are restricted to receiving funding for only one new project during the year(see page 15 of the Application Guidelines for additional details)

Direct your application package to the nearest regional office of the Department of Canadian Heritage or, for national organizations, to the national office.

Contact us

It is highly recommended to consult your regional program officer to discuss your project in advance.

Please note that all application materials for the Canada-France Agreement is also located on the Museums Assistance Program web page.

Application Guidelines

Guidelines for 2008-2009
(Version HTML)  (Version PDF)

Application Forms

Canada-France Agreement only
(MS Word)  (PDF Version)

All other components
(MS Word)  (PDF Version)

Project Budget Forms

Canada-France Agreement only
(MS Excel)  (PDF Version)

Exhibition Circulation Fund only
(MS Excel)  (PDF Version)

All other components
(MS Excel)  (PDF Version)

Application Checklists

Canada-France Agreement only
(MS Excel)  (PDF Version)

All other components
(MS Excel)  (PDF Version)