Creative BC Book Publishers Market Fund
Compared with the 241 other application forms we have read
- Has a stated policy on using AI to write your application. Only 21 say anything about it.
- Scored mainly on who you are, not what you propose. 29 lead with that.
- States real length limits, about 100 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
Can you win this grant?
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Supports BC-based book publishers across two activities: marketing plans and collateral, and attendance at domestic and international book fairs, conferences and trade events. Provides 75% cost-share up to $10,000 per fiscal year, with per-event maximums of $1,750 domestic and $2,500 international. Marketing is a standalone activity and does not have to be tied to an event.
Eligibility Requirements
- BC-based book publishers (not individual authors, distributors, or agents)
- Must be an active (voting or associate) member of Books BC, OR a publishing company that received funding from the Canada Book Fund, the BC Arts Council Operating Assistance Program for Book Publishers, or BC Arts Council Project Assistance for Book Publishers in the most recently completed fiscal year
- Must have been a legally registered corporate entity, company or society in B.C., or a federally incorporated company with its head office in B.C., for at least one year
- Must be managed and financially controlled by B.C. residents who own at least 75% of the company
- Principals, directors, officers and shareholders must be in good standing (not in default) with Creative BC
- Funding covers two activities in any combination: Marketing (no event linkage required) and Fairs/Conferences
- Up to six fairs and events may be supported per publisher, with a maximum of two delegates per event; delegates must be B.C. residents with applicable experience
- Events on the 300+ pre-approved list (Frankfurt Book Fair, London Book Fair, BookExpo America and others) are covered; events not on your slate need Creative BC approval before you attend
- Purpose must be to promote BC publishing catalogues, conduct rights sales, or market titles
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $10,000 per fiscal year across Marketing and Fairs/Conferences (75% cost-share); domestic events up to $1,750 (75% of $2,333); international events up to $2,500 (75% of $3,333)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Closed for 2026-27: Creative BC says "This program is now closed." The fund runs on a fiscal-year cycle (April 1 to March 31).
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipYou qualify through Books BC membership (books.bc.ca) OR through having received Canada Book Fund or BC Arts Council book-publishing funding in the most recently completed fiscal year — many publishers miss that second door.
Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Applicant is an individual author, distributor, or literary agent (not a publisher)
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How Creative BC judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-11.
6 of the sources
- Book Publishers Market Fund — Creative BC creativebc.com
- Book Publishers Market Fund Guidelines 2026/27 creativebc.com
- Book Publishers Market Fund Application Form 2026/27 formstack.io
- Publishers Budget Template 2026/27 creativebc.com
- Book Publishers Market Fund Final Report formstack.io
- Book Publishers Market Fund Cost Report Template 2025/26 creativebc.com
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What Creative BC favours
Check extra events are eligible before you apply◦
“It is recommended that the publisher reach out to Creative BC prior to submitting their application to determine whether the additional events will be deemed eligible.”
The form
Introduction
- 1I'm applying asselectionno limit
- 2I'm applying forselectionno limit
- 3completion dateshort answerno limit
- 4membershipselectionno limit
Publisher information
- 5Section 1 - Publisher Information: Business Informationshort answerno limit
- 6Section 1 - Publisher Information: Primary Contact Informationshort answerno limit
- 7Section 1 - Publisher Information: Publisher Informationwritten answerno limit
Please provide a description of your publisher (Max. 1-2 sentences).
- 8Section 1 - Publisher Information: Mailing Addressshort answerno limit
Marketing plan
- 9Section 2 - Marketing Plan: objectiveswritten answerno limit
Tell us about your general objectives for your marketing plan.
- 10Section 2 - Marketing Plan: detailed planwritten answerno limit
- 11Section 2 - Marketing Plan: contractorswritten answerno limit
Travel plan
- 12Section 2 - Travel Plan: Event Slatetableno limit
- 13Section 2 - Travel Plan: Delegate Biosshort answerno limit
Budget and financing plan
- 14Section 3 - Budget and Financing Plan: Requested Fundingshort answerno limit
- 15Section 3 - Budget and Financing Plan: Finance Plantableno limit
- 16Section 3 - Budget and Financing Plan: Total Budgetshort answerno limit
- 17Section 3 - Budget and Financing Plan: budget uploadshort answerno limit
Self identification
- 4Section 4 - Self Identification: Key Teamtableno limit
Supporting documents
- 5Section 5 - Supporting Documentslistno limit
Use of artificial intelligence
- 20Section 6 - Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology: applicationyes/no + writtenno limit
- 21Section 6 - Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology: project contentyes/no + writtenno limit
Employment estimates
- 7Section 7 - Employment Estimatestableno limit
Code of conduct
- 8Section 8 - Code of Conduct: Acknowledgement and Signaturecheckboxno limit
Signature declaration
- 9Section 9 - Signature Declarationcheckboxno limit
Final report
- 25Final Report (post-award) - Expense Breakdownspreadsheetno limit
- 26Final Report (post-award) - Meetings Held, Sales and Interest Generatedtableno limit
- 27Final Report (post-award) - Outcomeswritten answer · 100 words
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
- 1
Are you an eligible B.C. publisher?
Show them Show B.C. registration for at least one year, B.C. ownership and control, good standing with Creative BC, and either Books BC voting or associate membership or a Canada Book Fund / BC Arts Council book-publishing agreement from the last completed fiscal year.◦
- 2
Is the activity one Creative BC will fund?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Does the budget fit the caps?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Have you disclosed everything asked?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“Events not on the applicant's slate will require approval, and failure to obtain approval prior to attending the event may result in the event not being funded.”
“Funding will not be increased after a commitment is made, only reduced if the applicant did not attend the event indicated in their application and did not attend another approved event in its place.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 6 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
4 more rules that can reject you · 5 more criteria · 25 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
Your business
Registered in B.C. for a year
Have been a legally registered corporate entity, company, or society in B.C. or federally incorporated company with its head office in B.C., for at least one year;
Your organisation
Books BC member or funded publisher
Active (voting and associate) members of Books BC; or publishing companies who: Received funding from the Canada Book Fund, the BC Arts Council Operating Assistance Program for Book Publishers, or BC Arts Council Project Assistance for Book Publishers in the most recently completed fiscal year; and
AI use “The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology must be disclosed and outlined in the application.”
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Annual maximumUp to $10,000 across two activities
For the fiscal year 2026/27 publishers approved in the Book Publishers Market Fund program will be eligible for up to $10,000 in funding across two activities: Marketing and Conferences/Fairs.
Per-event maximum$1,750 domestic, $2,500 international
Each domestic (located in Canada) event has a maximum participation from Creative BC of $1,750 (75% of $2,333), and each international event has a maximum participation from Creative BC of $2,500 (75% of $3,333) representing no more than 75% of the applicant's final cash expenditures to attend.
Advance drawdowns75% then 25% of the advance
The advance of funds (the "Advance") is non recoupable (except as noted below under Forfeiture and Default and within the Agreement) and will be released through two drawdowns (75% and 25% of the Advance, respectively), according to the conditions laid out in the Agreement.
Your share75% of eligible expenses; publisher covers 25%
Marketing: 75% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of the total amount awarded — Publisher Minimum Contribution 25%. Fairs/conferences: 75% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $1,750 per domestic event and $2,500 per international event — Publisher Minimum Contribution 25%.
StackingFunding cannot exceed final approved eligible costs
Creative BC's contribution must not exceed final approved eligible costs.
Costs before approvalEvents back to April 1, 2026
Applications will be accepted that include attendance at events retroactive to the fiscal year start of April 1, 2026.
What it pays for · 11
- Per diem - $60 CAD per day in Canada, $80 CAD per day outside Canada
- Accommodation - up to $350 CAD per night
- Registration fees (if applicable)
- Booth costs (if applicable)
- Books/collateral shipping costs (if applicable)
- Return airfare (based on economy fare)
- Ground transportation (ride share, rental car, vehicle fuel costs, taxi, shuttle bus, transit costs, etc.)
- Design and printing of marketing materials, payable to third parties (e.g. Brochures, etc.), capped at no more than 20% of the approved direct travel costs
- Overhead allowance, capped at a maximum of 10% of the approved direct travel costs (to cover related long distance, in-house photocopying, courier costs and administrative expenses)
- Operational cost allowance, capped at a maximum of 10% of the approved direct marketing costs (to cover internal administrative expenses)
- GST is now an eligible expense and can be included in this cost report with any relevant expenses incurred
What it does not pay for · 3
- If the publisher should receive complimentary conference registration or travel from the market organizers, those amounts are outside of the final reportable eligible costs.
- You may only include cash expenses for which a receipt can be provided.
- Cash payments will not be accepted.
From application to money
- Talk to Creative BCTalk to Creative BC before applying
- Submit the applicationSubmit application by March 31, 2027
- Eligibility reviewCreative BC confirms eligibility
- Sign the AgreementSign Agreement fixing completion date
- Attend the eventsAttend events April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027
- Submit final reportSubmit cost report and invoices
In the funder’s words · 6
- Talk to Creative BC
- It is recommended that the publisher reach out to Creative BC prior to submitting their application to determine whether the additional events will be deemed eligible.
- Submit the application
- Submit the Formstack application with the budget PDF from the template, delegate bios, and any funding agreement or selection and invitation evidence.
- Eligibility review
- Creative BC checks that the applicant and the activity are eligible rather than scoring the application against a panel.
- Sign the Agreement
- Successful applicants sign an Agreement that fixes the completion date for all deliverables.
- Attend the events
- Attend any combination of the approved slate events, or run the marketing campaign, within the fiscal year.
- Submit final report
- Fill out the cost report, upload invoices and proof of payment, and report meetings, sales and outcomes.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win Creative BC Book Publishers Market Fund
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 9
Eligible Expenses 22
Ineligible Expenses 4
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow Creative BC Book Publishers Market Fund Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Creative BC Book Publishers Market Fund