PaulThe City of Toronto Music Office has been doing a great job putting out information about grant opportunities available for musicians and music-related businesses.
Here’s two opportunities they just shared with upcoming deadlines:
1. The FACTOR Support for Live Concerts program supports Canadian music companies, organizations, and artists-entrepreneurs, who are current Canada Music Fund recipients as well as managers, booking agents, concert promoters and producers, for-profit festivals, and live music venues. Funding will be granted competitively among applicants, and funding maximums and minimums are based on the industry needs. Applications for this program close on October 21. For more information see the link above or email live@factor.ca.
2. The Ontario Tourism Recovery Program supports eligible tourism businesses that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. This program targets for-profit businesses and can cover reopening and operating expenses, including staff salaries and maintenance, and health and safety measures. The list of eligible businesses includes performing arts, music and entertainment venues (but not promoters, presenters, or festivals). The amount of funding available is laid out in four tiers based on an applicant’s payroll; for example, an applicant that paid out less than $1.3m in salary and wage expenses in 2019 would be capped at $100,000 in funding support. Program applications will be assessed competitively and open on October 13 (our understanding is that the application period closes November 10). For more information see the link above or email otrp@ontario.ca.
Both of these programs are aimed at the badly hurting live music sector. The FACTOR program has particularly broad eligibility, with the goal of promoting the safe resumption of live shows. Funding-eligible activities include:
• Fees and services of artists and related costs
• Fees and services of other cultural workers and related costs (e.g. techs)
• Recording and streaming costs of the performance (audio and visual)
• Venue rental
• All related staging costs
• Rental of equipment, including equipment required for digital dissemination
• Transport and storage of equipment, including equipment required for digital dissemination
• Travel expenses (transportation, accommodation and meals, etc.) as per the Government of Canada’s
Travel Directive
• Non-capital goods and services necessary to ensure public safety and compliance with local public health
guidelines, including personal protective equipment and sanitation materials
• Insurance
• Administrative expenses (15% maximum of the amount of the contribution)
• Purchase or rental of specialized equipment, such as, for examples and not limited to cameras, sound
equipment and related accessories; lighting needs specific to hybrid/virtual concerts, etc.)
Even if these don’t apply to you, if you’re a music-related business (musicians included), check your eligibility across the large variety of available grant programs.