Creative Export Canada program | Export Development Stream

The Export Development Stream (EDS) of the Creative Export Canada program offers funding for new and early-stage exporters to build capacity and expand into international markets. The EDS also offers funding for seasoned exporters to expand into new international markets and build business networks.

Objectives and expected results for Creative Export Canada

Creative Export Canada offers funding for projects that forecast generating export revenues and help Canadian creative industries reach more people around the world.

Ultimately, the program aims to increase export profitability for Canada’s creative industries.

Objectives and expected results for the Export Development Stream

The Export Development Stream of the program enables for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations in the creative industries with little to no experience in export to expand their sales into international markets. It also enables seasoned exporters to enter international markets where they currently have little to no sales and to develop new or existing international business networks.

Application deadline

The application deadline is June 25, 2025, for projects with expenses occurring between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

Who can apply

To be eligible for funding, your company/organization must:

• be incorporated under the laws of Canada, a province or a territory;
  • companies/organizations that are not incorporated because they are registered on First Nations reserve lands may write to the program at creativeexportcanada-exportationcreativecanada@pch.gc.ca to submit proof of their registration.

• be a for-profit company or a not-for-profit organization;
• be Canadian-owned and controlled;
• have a maximum of $10 million in annual revenues in the current or previous fiscal year; and
• have a minimum of one full-time employee (who receives a salary and works a minimum of 30 hours a week).

Ineligible entities

Ineligible entities include:

• individuals;
• other financial support programs or funds, either public or private;
• public relations agencies or marketing agencies;
• entities or subsidiaries of a parent company with more than $10 million in annual revenues in their most recent fiscal year; and
• recipients who have received three years of Creative Export Canada funding in the last five years (from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026), including entities or subsidiaries of a parent company.

Reserved Funding

A percentage of Creative Export Canada – Export Development Stream funding will be reserved for companies/organizations whereby at least 50% of the owners and/or board members self-identify as Indigenous peoples and/or members of equity-deserving communities. As such, the program encourages applicants from these communities to have owners and/or board members self-identify through the voluntary self-identification questionnaire to be eligible for this reserved funding. Only those applicants who submit completed voluntary self-identification questionnaires and meet the 50% threshold will be considered for this reserved funding.

Eligibility

The program is responsible for determining the eligibility of each applicant, its project and project-related expenses. If you are in doubt about the eligibility of your company/organization or project, please contact the program for clarification.

The Export Development Stream is highly competitive. Requests for funding typically exceed our available resources. Therefore, submitting an eligible application does not guarantee funding.

Eligible projects

To be eligible for funding, your project must:

• have creative content developed and ready for sales at the project start date:
  • the applicant must hold the intellectual property rights for the content;
  • if the project involves content with a third party's intellectual property, the applicant must demonstrate that they have secured the rights of usage for the market(s) targeted by the project;
  • if the project is a collective event that will benefit project participants/third parties, such as a collective trade event or a trade mission, the project participants/third parties must hold the intellectual property rights or have secured the rights of usage for the market(s) targeted by the project.
• allow creative industries to expand their sales into international markets and/or develop international business networks and partnerships;
• expect to generate export revenues or lead to generating export revenues for the recipient or project participants/third-parties;
• have content to export from one or more of the following creative industries:
  • artistic craft;
  • audiovisual;
  • design (limited to exhibit design, fashion design, artistic product design, public art design, urban design);
  • music;
  • performing arts;
  • publishing (books and periodicals);
  • visual art;
  • interactive digital media (in combination with at least one of the industries listed above).
• focus on a specific target export market(s) (the targeted markets can be new or existing);
• have a minimum total cost of $15,000;
• be funded at a minimum of 25% by private sources (which can include applicant’s own contribution or a loan from a financial institution, including the Business Development Bank of Canada).

Projects that, in the opinion of the Department of Canadian Heritage, involve offensive content are not eligible.

A project that only consists of travel to events or business meetings is unlikely to be competitive in this process.

Eligible expenses

Only project-related cash expenses are eligible; these may include:

• Export planning activities, limited to a maximum of $30,000 of the total requested amount per fiscal year, such as:
  • development of an export plan or market entry strategy;
  • international marketing plan;
  • export pricing strategy;
  • market research on target export markets;
  • planning of distribution and logistics;
  • help to find a broker or distributor, including international distribution channels;
  • business services and advice;
  • legal services (e.g., contract support, intellectual property);
  • tariffs, certification requirements, regulations and insurance advice;
  • e-business or online strategy (this may include an online international plan, sales or online security advice); and
  • other export planning expenses.
• Export training and mentorship activities, such as:
  • export training;
  • networking activities;
  • matchmaking services;
  • international business advisory services;
  • mentoring; and
  • other training and mentorship activities that support exporting.
• Applicants requesting funding for training and mentorship activities must clearly demonstrate how the project aligns with the program’s objectives.
• Training and mentorship activities must be offered to Canadian companies/organizations operating in the creative industries.
• Training and mentorship activities must be directed by recognized professionals in the creative industry in which training is provided (you are required to provide a copy of the diploma, biography and/or curriculum vitae for each of the principal teaching staff involved in the delivery of training and mentorship activities relating to the project).
• A minimum of 30 hours of training must be offered to participants for export training expenses.

Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed training and mentorship activities respond to industry needs (for example, studies, surveying members, letter of support).

• International market readiness activities, such as:
  • versioning expenses;
  • dubbing expenses;
  • translation and interpretation expenses;
  • fees relating to intellectual property protection (e.g., copyright licensing, patents, trademarks, industrial design, geographical indications);
  • shipping and handling expenses;
  • insurance expenses;
  • website development, including software and programming expenses and search engine optimization;
  • product photography and videography, including product styling;
  • initial e-commerce platform development; and
  • other international market readiness expenses.

Project-related translation and interpretation expenses are limited to a maximum of 10% of the total amount of funding requested from the Export Development Stream.

• Market development activities, limited to a maximum of $40,000 of the total requested amount per fiscal year, such as:
  • travel-related expenses, which must be directly related to the project and must not exceed the rates permitted for travel on government business, in accordance with the National Joint Council Travel Directive. Travel-related expenses may include:
    • bringing delegations of international buyers to events in CanadaNote*; and
    • bringing delegations of Canadian stakeholders to international events to develop business partnerships.
  • structured activities designed to develop and maintain international business-to-business relationships (i.e., one-on-one meetings, facilitated meet-and-greets and other networking activities);
  • purchase or rental of trade show or exhibition space/floor;
  • venue rentals and related expenses;
  • expenses related to showcases, markets and business-to-business meetings;
  • conference registration or participation fees;
  • marketing material (e.g., pamphlets, business cards, samples), including printing and digital marketing costs;
  • advertising costs; and
  • other market development expenses.

Market development activities notes

Market development activities note *

Applicants requesting funding for travel-related expenses to bring delegations of international buyers to events in Canada must demonstrate a benefit to multiple Canadian creative companies/organizations.

Return to Market development activities note*referrer

Applicants requesting funding for travel-related expenses may apply for single or several destinations within one (1) trip and for multiple trips within one (1) application, within costing limitations.

Applicants whose projects demonstrate strong business partnerships for creative industries, or the potential to develop and/or expand business partnerships for creative industries, will be prioritized for market development activities.

Project-related administrative costs (e.g., general office supplies, mailing, and cloud storage costs) are limited to a maximum of 15% of the total amount of funding requested from the Export Development Stream.

Salaries directly related to the project are eligible.

Ineligible expenses

Ineligible expenses include:

• ongoing operating expenditures (e.g., salaries or wages not directly related to the project), routine or recurring activities, ongoing overhead expenditures (e.g., rent, insurance, utilities);
• capital expenses related to applicant’s ongoing operating activities (e.g., computer or equipment purchase;
• creative content creation and development;
• production of creative content destined for export (e.g. printing copies of books; manufacturing fashion items; manufacturing video games for consoles; etc.);
• hospitality and related expenses (e.g., meals and beverages served at an event, catering fees);
• contingency funds;
• in-kind expenses;
• prizes, gifts and giveaways (e.g., pencil, mug, bag, t-shirt, trial version/digital product);
• creative content not related to one of the eligible creatives industries;
• travel expenses relating to government-led trade missions; and
• expenses relating to lobbying, public relations, policy development and influence.

Funding may not be used to pay dividends, bonuses or other extraordinary compensation to shareholders or owners.

If funding is approved, the program may fund expenses incurred as of April 1, 2025. However, if you incur expenses for your project before receiving written confirmation of your funding approval, you will be doing so at your own risk.

Limits of government assistance

To ensure the success of your project, you are required to have other funding sources. This may include contributions from your company/organization, the private sector (including a loan from a financial institution, such as the Business Development Bank of Canada) or other levels of government. Proof of support and partnerships are required.

The total financial assistance received from the Export Development Stream and other levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 75% for the same, eligible project-related costs. Please note that funding from FACTOR/Musicaction, the Canada Media Fund, or similar funders, are considered to be public funding. The program can fund up to $90,000 per fiscal year.

Projects eligible for funding from other programs that fund the same activities must list the requested amount from these programs in their project budget and specify whether they are forecasted or confirmed.

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