This program is currently between intakes. Annual — one intake per year, typically opening in September and closing in November. No mid-year or supplementary intakes are offered. Confirm on the official site ↗
Updated June 2026 · Verified against Department of Canadian Heritage guidelines
Reimbursement Est. 1972
Grant Federal Between Intakes

Museums Assistance Program — Access to Heritage

Department of Canadian Heritage
Maximum Funding
Up to $200,000
Annual fall intake — 2025 intake closed November 3, 2025; next intake expecte...
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
50%
Museums Assistance Program — Access to Heritage provides Up to $200,000 per project (up to $100,000 per fiscal year); covers up to 50% of eligible expenses. Funds Canadian non-profit museums and museum service organizations to develop and circulate travelling exhibitions across different geographic regions, promoting broader public access to Canada's cultural and natural heritage collections. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Annual fall intake — 2025 intake closed November 3, 2025; next intake expected September 2026 (not yet announced).
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

69 organizations received this funding in 2025 — 3,020 awards since 2018. Typical award: $15.2K. Half of all awards fall between $9.7K and $49.5K. The advertised maximum is $200K — most awards land closer to $15.2K. Top provinces: Ontario 28% · Quebec 16% · British Columbia 14%. Covers: PCH Museums Assistance Program, Access to Heritage stream (reported together with the wider Museums Assistance Program). Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q4 2026.

The typical Museums Assistance Program award is $15.2K — the median of 3,020 awards since 2018, even though the program advertises up to $200K. In 2025, 69 organizations were funded.

69funded in 2025
$15.2Ktypical award
3,020awards since 2018

Most awards fall between $9.7K and $49.5K, with a typical (median) award of $15.2K. The program funds up to $200K for the largest projects — about 13 times the typical award.

Where awards land
typical $15.2K $9.7K $49.5K
up to $200K

Most awards land between $9.7K and $49.5K, with a typical award of $15.2K — and this program funds up to $200K for the largest projects.

Top provinces ON 28%QC 16%BC 14%

Named recipients

Recent recipients include Province of Alberta - Royal Alberta Museum (Edmonton, AB, 2026), Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, ON, 2026) and Manitoba Museum (Winnipeg, MB, 2026).

  1. 2026Province of Alberta - Royal Alberta MuseumEdmonton, AB
  2. 2026Royal Ontario MuseumToronto, ON
  3. 2026Manitoba MuseumWinnipeg, MB
  4. 2026Royal British Columbia MuseumVictoria, BC
  5. 2026Art Gallery of Nova ScotiaHalifax, NS
  6. 2026Province of Nova Scotia - Nova Scotia MuseumHalifax, NS
  7. 2026Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and LabradorSt. John's, NL
  8. 2026Beaverbrook Art GalleryFredericton, NB
  9. 2026Winnipeg Art GalleryWinnipeg, MB
  10. 2026Kings Landing CorporationPrince William, NB
Show 30 more recipients
  1. 2026Art Gallery of OntarioToronto, ON
  2. 2026St. Lawrence Parks CommissionMorrisburg, ON
  3. 2026Province of Alberta - Royal Tyrrell MuseumDrumheller, AB
  4. 2026Centennial Centre of Science and TechnologyToronto, ON
  5. 2026Royal Botanical GardensBurlington, ON
  6. 2026Province of Alberta - Head-Smashed-in Buffalo JumpFort Macleod, AB
  7. 2026Western Development Museum BoardSaskatoon, SK
  8. 2026Province of New Brunswick Tourism and Parks - Village Historique AcadienBertrand, NB
  9. 2026Province of Alberta - Oil Sands Discovery CentreFort McMurray, AB
  10. 2026Province of Alberta - Ukrainian Cultural Heritage VillageEdmonton, AB
  11. 2026Province of Alberta - Reynolds-Alberta MuseumWetaskiwin, AB
  12. 2026Government of Yukon - Yukon Beringia Interpretive CentreWhitehorse, YT
  13. 2026Lougheed House Conservation SocietyCalgary, AB
  14. 2026Niagara Parks CommissionNiagara Falls, ON
  15. 2026Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island Inc.Ministers Island, NB
  16. 2026Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming - Fort William Historical ParkThunder Bay, ON
  17. 2026Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming - Huronia Historical ParksMidland, ON
  18. 2026Fort la Tour Development AuthoritySaint John, NB
  19. 2026Société du Jardin Botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick Inc.Saint-Jacques, NB
  20. 2026Province of Alberta - Fort George and Buckingham House Provincial Historic SiteCounty of St. Paul, AB
  21. 2026Government of Newfoundland and Labrador - Provincial Historic SitesSt. John's, NL
  22. 2026Vimy Foundation / Fondation VimyMontreal, QC
  23. 2026Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 001, Regina, Inc. - Regina Legion MuseumRegina, SK
  24. 2026Musée de la Nature et des Sciences Inc.Sherbrooke, QC
  25. 2026Écomusée de la Maison du Fier MondeMontréal, QC
  26. 2026Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC
  27. 2026Nova Scotia Highland Village SocietyIona, NS
  28. 2026New Brunswick Black History Society Ltd.Saint John, NB
  29. 2026Province of Nova Scotia - Museum of IndustryStellarton, NS
  30. 2026Musée de la Mémoire VivanteSaint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC
See how much each recipient received, and how each award compares to the typical one. Included in Premium ↓

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

See all Museums Assistance Program winners →

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

Funds Canadian non-profit museums and museum service organizations to develop and circulate travelling exhibitions across different geographic regions, promoting broader public access to Canada's cultural and natural heritage collections.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Non-profit organization or First Nations band council
  • Must be a heritage organization (museum, gallery, cultural centre) or a non-profit museum service organization (national, provincial, territorial, or regional museum association)
  • Project must develop or circulate a travelling exhibition across different geographic regions of Canada
  • Exhibition materials must be produced in both official languages (English and French) or there must be a demonstrated plan to do so
  • Organization must have capacity to execute the project within the approved budget and timeline
  • Museums and service organizations that primarily serve professional practitioners are eligible
Provinces
All Provinces
Industries
Arts Culture Heritage Tourism Professional Services
Business Stage
Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $200,000 per project (up to $100,000 per fiscal year); covers up to 50% of eligible expenses
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 50% of eligible costs
Deadline
Annual fall intake — 2025 intake closed November 3, 2025; next intake expected September 2026 (not yet announced)

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Between Intakes
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
2/5

Difficult — significant preparation needed

Competition
3/5

Moderate competition — prepare a strong application

Difficulty
3/5

Moderate — standard requirements

Approval Rate
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

Contact your regional Canadian Heritage program officer BEFORE the intake opens — they provide informal eligibility feedback that can save you weeks of application work.

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Rejection Pitfalls 8

  • Organization is for-profit or a government department (not an independent non-profit)
+7 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win Museums Assistance Program — Access to Her...

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Contact Regional Canadian Heritage Office Before the intake opens, contact your nearest Canadian Heritage regional office to discuss project eligibility, scope, and budget. Officers provide informal pre-application feedback that significantly improves application quality.

Required Documents 8

✓ Completed application form via Canadian Heritage Funding Portal
✓ Detailed project description and objectives

Eligible Expenses 12

Ineligible Expenses 7

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) Provincial Heritage Grants Canada Council for the Arts
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

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How Museums Assistance Program — Access to Her... Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

Free
Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Museums Assistance Program — Access t... Up to $200,000 Moderate Reimbursement Annual fall intake —...
Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) Up to $15M Hard Reimbursement Ongoing — contact...
Canada Council for the Arts Grants Varies Moderate Milestone-Based Multiple annual cycles....
SSHRC Partnerships Up to $2.5M Hard Advance Payment Partnership Grants:...
Canada Media Fund up to $250K Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing (multiple...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Museums Assistance Program — Access to Her...

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Can a for-profit gallery or cultural business apply?
No — only non-profit organizations and First Nations can apply. For-profit businesses are explicitly ineligible.
Does the exhibition have to physically travel to multiple provinces?
The exhibition must reach different geographic regions to qualify. While crossing provincial borders is common, the key criterion is serving audiences in geographically distinct areas — including remote communities within a single province in some cases. Confirm your project scope with your regional Heritage officer.
We are a small museum association with no staff. Can we apply?
Yes, provided you have sufficient organizational capacity to manage the grant and deliver the project. Consultant fees are eligible expenses, so you can engage external expertise for project management and curation.

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