Apply by June 30: Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF)

The Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) supports arts training in Canada and provides financial support for Canadian arts organizations that specialize in training artists for professional national or international artistic careers, at high-caliber levels.

Eligible applicants may receive up to 70-80% to a maximum of $6,000,000 per fiscal year.

To be eligible, activities must be directly related to professional training. The program has a quickly approaching deadline of June 30, 2020 so those who fit the eligibility criteria are encouraged to connect with Mentor Works to discuss the program in further detail.

Funding Snapshot: Canada Arts Training Fund

Eligible Applicants

Successful applicants may receive up to 70% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $6,000,000 per fiscal year. For ethnocultural and indigenous arts training institutions, they may receive up to 80% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $6,000,000 per fiscal year in Canadian government funding.

To be eligible for the Canada Arts Training fund, arts organizations should fit the following criteria:

• Incorporated in Canada as a non-profit organization;
• Offer training activities in Canada that align with program objectives;
• Receive support for at least 30% of costs related to the training work from sources other than the Canada Arts Training Fund, such as tuition, other levels of government, fundraising (20% for Indigenous and ethnocultural organizations);
• Exist primarily to provide professional arts training or have arts training as an integral component of overall activities;
• Be accessible to Canadians through a national, competitive admission process and be available in both of Canada’s official languages, including a bilingual website and information material, and a bilingual audition process (some exceptions apply);
• Have a national student body with at least 20% of its student body from regions outside the training area;
• Be known for producing significant artistic achievement;
• Be directed by recognized professionals in the discipline in which training is provided; and
• Have delivered the professional training program and maintained full time administrative operations in support of the training program for a minimum of three consecutive years.

Indigenous and ethnocultural organizations can be exempted of having a:

• National, competitive admission process in both official languages;
• Bilingual audition process;
• Bilingual website;
• National student body with at least 20% of its student body from outside the training area.

Eligible Expenses

CATF cannot fund expenses incurred before the proposed start date. Expenses eligible to receive funding for the arts include:

• Audition fees;
• Artistic and administrative salaries, fees, and benefits;
• Curriculum development and training delivery;
• Student support;
• Fundraising;
• Travel (in accordance with the National Joint Council’s Travel Directive);
• Professional development for staff;
• Marketing and publicity;
• Administrative expenses;
• Office supplies;
• Facility costs such as rent/mortgage; and
• Maintenance costs.

Ineligible Expenses

The Canada Arts Training Fund will not fund capital infrastructure and training for careers in the commercial film and video industry.

Apply for This Program

The application deadline is June 30, 2020. Only one submission per organization can be submitted before the deadline.

If your organization is interested in learning more about the Canada Arts Training Fund, please contact Mentor Works so we can set up a complimentary Funding Discovery Session.