Business Intelligence Program

Ontario Creates offers financial support to incorporated not-for-profit industry organizations undertaking business intelligence initiatives aimed at gathering, formulating and disseminating business intelligence relevant to the growth of one or more content creating sectors in Ontario.

FUNDING DEADLINES

Proposed projects should achieve one or more of the following goals in the creative industries:
 

• provide information needed by an industry to further industry development or growth
• provide analysis or interpretation of existing data and statistics
• offer intelligence regarding a consumer base, segment or geographic market
• provide insight, analysis or strategic direction aimed at helping content creating companies counter challenges and pursue opportunities
• be of benefit to content creating companies in one or more creative sectors.

The projects should address an existing information gap or gaps.
 

Full eligibility requirements and guidelines are outlined in the Ontario Creates Business Intelligence Program (BIP) Guidelines.

Research Standards Guide *NEW*

• New for the 2025-26 Business Intelligence Program is a Research Standards Guide.
• The Research Standards Guide is intended to provide Business Intelligence Program applicants and recipients with additional guidance on how applicants can ensure their proposed projects meet our quality expectations.
• The Research Standards Guide supplements (but does not replace) the Ontario Creates Business Intelligence Program Guidelines.
• Before submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to review both the Program Guidelines and Research Standards Guide.

Application Process

All applications must be submitted electronically through the Ontario Creates Online Application Portal (OAP) at https://apply.ontariocreates.ca.
 

If you do not have a user account on the Ontario Creates OAP, please go to https://apply.ontariocreates.ca and click on “Register”. 
For assistance, please see Ontario Creates' website for a “How to Get Started” guide to the OAP. To start the application, click on “Start new application” and follow the directions through the five step wizard to access the application form.

For technical assistance, please contact the OAP Helpdesk at applyhelp@ontariocreates.ca.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the application process early to allow ample time to compile the necessary information and complete the application. You may start an application at any time and save changes to it up until the time you submit.

 

Upcoming Application Deadlines

There are two deadlines in 2025/26. The deadlines will be at 5:00 p.m., Toronto time, on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 18, 2025
• Friday, August 15, 2025

Please note: Business Intelligence Program (BIP) Application deadlines are posted in advance subject to the availability of funds. Ontario Creates reserves the right to cancel a deadline in advance of the submission date if there are not sufficient funds available to fund one or more eligible applications.
 

2. Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be incorporated not-for-profit Ontario organizations or incorporated not-for-profit national organizations offering significant benefit to the Ontario creative industries (book, film, interactive digital media, magazine, music or television industries). In order to ensure that the projects funded best meet the needs of the industries, preference will be given to creative industry trade organizations.

Applicants are welcome to partner or collaborate with other organizations (whether eligible or ineligible as applicants) if doing so would further the goals of the project. If the application is successful, Ontario Creates will contract with a single lead applicant which must be an eligible organization.

Applicants proposing projects/activities that support, reflect, and strengthen diversity and gender parity in Ontario are expected to tangibly demonstrate a genuine and sustained commitment to these equity-seeking communities.*** Organizations without a specific mandate to support equity-seeking communities will be expected to demonstrate how their business intelligence project reflects their ongoing commitment to equity-seeking communities through meaningful consultation and project participation.

Colleges and universities are not eligible to apply directly to the BIP program but may be partners in a project.
 

*** Equity seeking communities are those that face significant collective challenges in participating in society. This marginalization may be caused by, but not limited to, attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status. Equity-seeking communities identify barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination and actively seek social justice and reparation.

Back to top

3. Project Eligibility

Projects proposed should achieve one or more of the following goals in the creative industries:

• provide information needed by an industry to further industry development or growth (e.g., regarding markets, consumer information, business models, product trend information, etc.)
• provide analysis or interpretation of existing data and statistics
• offer intelligence regarding a consumer base, segment or geographic market
• provide insight, analysis or strategic direction aimed at helping content creating companies counter challenges and pursue opportunities
• be of benefit to content creating companies in one or more creative industry sectors.

Projects must address an existing information gap or gaps.

The following types of projects are not eligible for Ontario Creates BIP funding:

• Strategic planning for an organization
• Feasibility studies

Applicants should note that this is a competitive application process and submitting an application does not guarantee that your project will be funded. For more information, please visit the Research Funded by Ontario Creates page on our website to view recently-funded projects.

Log in with Google

OR

Get Started to Apply