Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP)
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- The heaviest thing to produce is registration and legal paperwork. 14 ask for that.
- Scored mainly on community benefit. 17 lead with that.
- What does not disqualify you: Incorporation not required. 119 record an exemption like this.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Canadian Heritage supports not-for-profits and Indigenous groups across Canada through grants and contributions for anti-racism projects, multiculturalism events, and organizational capacity building. The Projects component runs two calls - an Anti-Racism Call and an Anti-Hate Call (currently closed). Canadian Heritage also runs the National Holocaust Remembrance Program (NHRP) under the same MARP umbrella, with its own guidelines; it is currently closed. The Projects component runs two calls - an Anti-Racism Call and an Anti-Hate Call (currently closed). Canadian Heritage also runs the National Holocaust Remembrance Program (NHRP) under the same MARP umbrella, with its own guidelines; it is currently closed. Canadian Heritage also runs the National Holocaust Remembrance Program (NHRP) under the same MARP umbrella, with its own guidelines; it is currently closed.
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian not-for-profit organizations, associations and unincorporated groups
- Indigenous not-for-profit organizations (First Nations, Inuit and Metis)
- Indigenous governments, band councils and tribal councils
- Canadian incorporated and unincorporated municipalities and townships with a population of up to 10,000 (Events component only — the Organizational Capacity Building component does not list municipalities as eligible)
- Organizations and individuals that adopt racist, antisemitic or other hateful content are not eligible
- Incorporation is NOT required — unincorporated groups are eligible, but must supply articles of association or Terms of Reference and a signed Unincorporated Applicant Acceptance of Liability form
- Events must establish concrete opportunities for positive interaction among cultural, religious or ethnocultural communities
- Events must demonstrate involvement of more than one cultural, religious or ethnocultural community, or target a single cultural community and provide opportunities to engage with and foster pride in that community's history, culture and/or identity, such as heritage months recognized by Parliament
- Events must help foster intercultural or interfaith understanding, and must be open to and intended for the general public
- Events primarily of a religious, political, commercial or private nature are not eligible
- The same activities cannot be funded twice — activities funded under the Projects component or under other Canadian Heritage funding programs cannot receive Events funding for the same activities
- Multi-year Events funding additionally requires that you successfully organized a prior edition of the proposed event within the past two years that met all Events eligibility requirements, and that the request is for a recurring event taking place once per year over two fiscal years
- Only one Organizational Capacity Building application may be submitted per organization per call for proposals
- The Projects / Anti-Racism Call is a SOLICITED process — applications are accepted only through invitation
- MARP is highly competitive: Canadian Heritage states requests for funding typically exceed available resources, and that submitting an application does not guarantee funding even if your organization is eligible
- Under the Projects component (Anti-Racism Call) and the National Holocaust Remembrance Program the eligible-applicant list is broader: it also admits non-federal Canadian public institutions (boards of education, schools, colleges and universities, chambers of commerce, law enforcement and police agencies, hospitals and other health care institutions) and provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their agencies, with no population cap.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $100K/event (Events component)Events: up to $100,000 per event per fiscal year (up to $200,000 across two fiscal years for a recurring event under multi-year funding). Organizational Capacity Building (currently closed): up to $100,000 as a grant or $250,000 as a contribution per initiative, and up to $500,000 in exceptional cases. Projects / Anti-Racism Call: no amount published.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- Open now: the Projects Anti-Racism Call runs October 8 to November 12, 2026. The Events component's fall window closed October 27, 2026; the next Events windows open in January and May 2027.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
High competition — many applicants
Complex — detailed documentation needed
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThree components with different rules: Events now runs on scheduled intake windows (and the Canadian Heritage Funding Portal for Events is currently unavailable — request the Application and Budget forms from your regional office and submit by email); the Projects / Anti-Racism Call is a SOLICITED process, so an uninvited application will not be accepted; Organizational Capacity Building is closed.
Evaluation Criteria
How Canadian Heritage judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on canada.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-03.
6 of the sources
- Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program
- Events component - Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program
- Application Guidelines - Events component, The Multiculturalism and…
- Projects Component - Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program
- Application Guidelines - Projects component, Anti-Racism Call
- Organizational Capacity Building Component - Multiculturalism and…
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What Canadian Heritage favours
Clear objectives and measurable results◦
“We fund events that have clear objectives and measurable results.”
The form
Eligible applicants
- 1Who can apply - Events componentcheckboxes
- 2Who can apply - Projects component, Anti-Racism Callcheckboxes
- 3Who can apply - Organizational Capacity Building componentcheckboxes
- 4Who can apply - National Holocaust Remembrance Programcheckboxes
Eligibility and exclusions
- 5Conduct-based exclusions (all components)checkboxes
- 6Is the event eligible - all four tests must be met (Events)checkboxes
- 7Is the project eligible (Projects, Anti-Racism Call)yes/no + written
To be eligible for funding, your project must contribute to the Program's objectives and the Projects, Anti-Racism Call's objective and expected results. Organizations must submit a project proposal that meets the objective as well as one or more of the expected results.
- 8The same activities cannot be funded twicecheckbox
- 9Multi-year funding test (Events)checkboxes
Application Form
- 10Application Form - Project information (title and description)written answer
- 11Application Form - Activitieswritten answer
- 12Application Form - Partnerswritten answer
- 13Application Form - Capacitywritten answer
Budget
- 14Budget Form - balanced, itemised, no surplus or deficitspreadsheet
- 15Budget - the four tests a donated good or service must passcheckboxes
Application package
- 16Declaration/Attestation (signed)checkbox
- 17Application Checklist (signed)checkbox
- 18Most recent financial statementscheckbox
- 19Governance documents - INCORPORATED applicants onlylist
- 20Governance documents - UNINCORPORATED applicants onlylist
Submission
- 21Submission - signature and attachment rules that void an applicationcheckboxes
Canadian Heritage states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Does this fit the program's objectives?
Show them Name the Program objective and the component's expected result your project delivers, and give the evidence that the need is real.◦
In the funder’s words · 5
- The proposal demonstrates how the event supports the program objectives and the objectives and expected results of the Events component
- The need for the event is well established and clear
- The event activities are designed to create concrete opportunities for positive interaction between different communities and/or target a single cultural community and provide opportunities to engage
- The application contains a clear description of project activities and how they contribute to the Program's objectives, as well as how activities contribute to the Anti-Racism Call's objective and expected results.
- The application identifies the need for the project and how it will address the related issues as well as its added value.
- 2
Have communities and partners shaped this?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Are the results measurable and the budget sound?
What to show, and the funder’s 6 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Can the applicant deliver on time?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“You must meet all eligibility requirements and submit a complete application package to be considered for funding. Incomplete applications will be considered rejected.”
“We cannot accept links to application forms, budgets and other documents saved on file-sharing sites (WeTransfer, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.). All application documents must be sent as attachments by e-mail.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 14 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
5 more rules that can reject you · 10 more criteria · 14 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
Your organisation
Not-for-profit or unincorporated group
Canadian not-for-profit organizations, associations and unincorporated groups
Indigenous organization or government
Indigenous not-for-profit organizations (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
Small municipality (Events)
Canadian incorporated and unincorporated municipalities and townships with a population of up to 10,000
Named public institution
Non-federal Canadian public institutions such as boards of education, schools, colleges and universities, chambers of commerce, law enforcement and police agencies, hospitals and other health care institutions
Government or its agency
Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their agencies
No discrimination by language
Discriminate on the basis of language
No intolerance or prejudice advocacy
Advocate intolerance, discrimination and/or prejudice
No support for offensive content
Provide support to organizations or individuals that share or promote offensive content or discourse
The project
No religious, political or commercial events
Events not eligible for funding are primarily those of a religious, political, commercial or private nature.
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Events maximumup to $200,000 per application
The Events component's maximum amount per event, per fiscal year is $100,000, while the maximum amount per recipient for a recurring event over two fiscal years is $200,000 per application in the case of multi-year funding. The total amount requested cannot exceed $200,000 in the case of a multi-year funding.
Anti-Racism maximum$1,000,000 per project
The Anti-Racism Call's maximum amount payable per recipient is $1,000,000 per project.
OCB maximum$100K grant, $250K contribution, $500K exceptional
The Organizational Capacity Building component's maximum grant amount payable per recipient is $100,000 per initiative, while the maximum contribution amount payable per recipient is $250,000 per initiative. In exceptional cases, we can fund up to a maximum of $500,000 of eligible expenses.
Administration ceiling15% of total project funding
administration and overhead costs (up to a maximum of 15% of total project funding before administration costs)
Public funding ceilingup to 100% of eligible expenses
The total financial assistance received from the Program and other levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal) cannot exceed 100% of your total eligible event-related expenses.
StackingNo double funding for same activities
Activities funded under other funding components of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program cannot receive funding under the Projects funding component, Anti-Racism Call, for the same activities.
Costs before approvalExpenses before applying are at your own risk
We cannot fund expenses incurred prior to receiving your application. If you incur expenses for your event before receiving written confirmation of your funding approval, you will be doing so at your own risk.
What it pays for · 12
- salaries and benefits (Events, Anti-Racism Call, OCB)
- consultant fees (Events, Anti-Racism Call, OCB)
- recruiting, training, or supporting local volunteers (e.g., childcare, uniform or transportation) (Events)
- performers' and speakers' and artists' fees and expenses (Events, Anti-Racism Call)
- domestic travel and accommodation (which must not exceed the rates for travel on government business) (all)
- liability insurance (public events funded under the Events component must be covered by liability insurance)
- translation from one of Canada's official languages to the other; translation where language comprehension is a barrier to access or participation (Events)
- communications, publicity, promotional materials (Events, Anti-Racism Call)
- facility rental, production and set-up costs; (including security costs) (Events)
- Hospitality (only for meals and refreshments for the project's participants) (Anti-Racism Call ONLY)
- Evaluation and audit costs (Anti-Racism Call); costs associated with the production of an audited financial report for the project (OCB)
- administration and overhead costs (up to a maximum of 15% of total project funding before administration costs) (all)
What it does not pay for · 12
- any type of fees for members of the board or other governing bodies
- annual general meetings or regular executive board meetings of an organization or association, including related travel
- ongoing production or development of newsletters, websites, newspapers, magazines, journals, or radio and television broadcasts
- capital costs or expenditures (e.g., the purchase of computers and tablets, renovation expenses)
- start-up and operational costs for organizations (Events)
- profit-making activities (Events)
- international travel (Events)
- food and beverages (EVENTS ONLY - the Anti-Racism Call expressly allows hospitality for participants)
- religious and/or politically partisan activities
- contingency fees and miscellaneous fees (Events)
- Contributions to fundraising campaigns or other fundraising events (Anti-Racism Call, OCB)
- expenses for initiatives covered by other funding programs at Canadian Heritage and related Crown Corporations (OCB)
From application to money
- Contact the program officeGet forms from regional office
- Email your packageSubmit between July 3 and September 8, 2026
- Acknowledgement within two weeksAcknowledgement within two weeks
- Review committee decidesCommittee reviews and prioritises by region
- Grant or contributionGrant or contribution determined
- Final activity reportFinal activity report required
In the funder’s words · 6
- Contact the program office
- Contact your Canadian Heritage regional office for the Events Application Form and Budget Form, or the Program for Projects and OCB.
- Email your package
- Sign and date the Application Form, complete the Budget Form, attach every supporting document and email the package - file-sharing links are refused. (July 3, 2026, 8:00 a.m. ET to September 8, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET)
- Acknowledgement within two weeks
- We will acknowledge receipt of your application within two weeks of receiving your application in our office.
- Review committee decides
- A review committee compares your application with others from your region and prioritises it against Program priorities and available funds.
- Grant or contribution
- We will determine if funding will be disbursed as a grant or as a contribution.
- Final activity report
- All recipients are required to submit a final activity report whether they receive a grant or contribution.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win MARP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 11
Ineligible Expenses 11
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 6 more application steps
- 6 more required documents
- 11 eligible expenses
- 11 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskHow MARP Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about MARP