Support for Projects Facilitating Access to Creative Spaces

Please note that you have until 5 p.m. on the application deadline day to submit your application.

Who is eligible to apply?

Incorporated non-profit organizations or artist cooperatives that pay no dividends.

What are the program objectives?

This program supports start-up projects that facilitate access to affordable, long-term creative spaces on the island of Montreal. Projects may concern a creative space or another ecosystem support initiative (such as a partnership or new service). The financial assistance provided contributes to Montréal’s artistic vitality by strengthening the presence of spaces suitable for professional artistic practice.

Eligible projects are in the pre–start-up phase (concept development) or start-up phase (analysis and property search).

Examples:

• Development of a business model
• Creation of partnerships
• Change in scale
• Resource-pooling
• Innovative project
• Preparation of a guide

IMPORTANT: The project may not be completed prior to September 9, 2025. The Conseil does not fund activities that take place before the end of the evaluation process.

What type of assistance is provided?

Financial assistance of up to $15,000 is granted for the realization of a project that facilitates access to affordable, long-term creative spaces on the Island of Montreal.

How long does the support last?

This is a one-time, non-recurring grant. The project must be carried out on the dates set out in the application.

Can the project be entirely funded by the Conseil?

No. Funding cannot exceed 90% of eligible project expenses.

What are the general eligibility requirements?

• Be a non-profit organization or non-profit cooperative that does not pay dividends
• Be headquartered on the Island of Montreal
• Have a board of directors whose members are mainly Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada

What types of activities are eligible?

• Research
• Creation-production
• Specialized or multidisciplinary dissemination
• Publication of cultural magazines
• Production of an event or festival
• Museum
• Service organization, association or alliance

What types of projects are eligible?

This program supports start-up projects that facilitate access to affordable, long-term creative spaces on the island of Montreal. Projects may concern a creative space or another ecosystem support initiative (such as a partnership or new service).

Examples:

• Development of a business model
• Creation of partnerships
• Change in scale
• Resource-pooling
• Innovative project
• Preparation of a guide
• What types of expenses are eligible?
• External consulting mandates (mainly legal issues, renovation, business plan, vision and strategy)
• Internal coordination costs

When must the project be carried out?

The project may begin before the application is submitted but must not be completed before a decision from the Conseil is received. All deadlines indicated in the project schedule must be met.

If the funded project cannot be carried out as planned, the organization must notify the Conseil as soon as possible.

How many applications will be approved?

The number of applications accepted by the Conseil depends on the number of applications received, the Conseil’s evaluation of the applications and its financial capabilities.

What projects, applicants, activities and applications are ineligible?

Applicants

• Organizations that do not meet the general eligibility requirements
• Organizations incorporated as general or limited partnerships
• Organizations that have failed to produce the final report(s) required for projects funded by the Conseil
• Public or para-public organizations representing governments or municipalities
• Organizations dedicated to teaching, education and professional training

Projects

• Projects completed before the Conseil’s decision is received (September 9, 2025)
• Projects involving everyday creative space operations

Expenses

Please note: The costs of renovations, equipment purchases and acquisitions are not eligible expenses.

Applications

• Incomplete applications
• Applications received after the deadline

Ineligible applications will not be considered by the evaluation committee.

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

Who should submit the application?

The organization’s duly appointed representative.

What information and documents must I include in my application?

• Form available on the ORORA platform, including a detailed description of the project
• Itemized project budget
• Executive summary presenting the project and the organization’s partners (PDF format)
• Letter of support from partners
• Any other document deemed useful for evaluating the application (PDF format, max. 10 pages)

And, if not already submitted via the organization’s ORORA profile:

• Financial statements for the last completed fiscal year, signed by two members of the Board of Directors
• The organization’s letters patent, including all pages
• The organization’s self-identification form (not mandatory)

NB: The organization must ensure that it has a complete and up-to-date profile on ORORA before submitting its application.

Can I submit an application in English?

In accordance with the government’s language policy and the Conseil’s obligations under the Charter of the French Language, all applications must be submitted in French. Only Indigenous organizations may submit an application in English. The questions on the form remain in French.

How are applications evaluated?

With the help of the evaluation committee members, the Conseil reviews and evaluates all applications based on merit and awards grants according to available budgets.

What are the evaluation criteria?

• Project feasibility and realistic budget forecasts
• Professionalism of the project team
• Impact on the Montréal arts community in terms of access to affordable, long-term creative spaces

What is the response time?

The Conseil will make its decision known after September 9, 2025.

How will I be informed of the decision?

The representative of the organization or cooperative will receive an email invitation to view the results on the ORORA platform. Decisions will not be communicated by telephone.

Can I appeal the decision?

The Conseil’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal. However, Conseil personnel are available to answer any questions regarding its decisions.

How will the grant be paid?

The grant is payable in two instalments:

• 90% of the amount after the decision letter has been sent
• 10% of the amount when the final report is submitted

What are my obligations?

For the organization, accepting payment of the grant constitutes an undertaking to complete the activities covered by the grant and to comply with the accompanying conditions, which will be communicated upon acceptance of the application.

The organization agrees to:

• Carry out the proposed project as planned.
• Notify the Conseil as soon as possible if it is unable to carry out the project for which it received a grant within the intended fiscal year. (Depending on the situation, the organization could be required to repay all or part of the grant.)
• Submit a final report.
• Include in its report photographs, videos or other relevant visuals, free of project-related royalties, that the Conseil may use for promotional purposes.