Updated July 2026 · Verified against Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) guidelines
Reimbursement
Grant Provincial Active

NOHFC Film & Television Program

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)
Maximum Funding
Up to $2M (tiered)
Four competitive intake rounds per year: February 1 – April 30, May 1 – July ...
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
50%
NOHFC Film & Television Program provides up to $2M (tiered). Canadian-controlled production companies can receive a conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible Northern Ontario costs for theatrical features, scripted television series, made-for-television movies, and documentaries, with tiered caps up to $2 million. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Four competitive intake rounds per year: February 1 – April 30, May 1 – July 31, August 1 – October 31, November 1 – January 31.

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Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

Canadian-controlled production companies can receive a conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible Northern Ontario costs for theatrical features, scripted television series, made-for-television movies, and documentaries, with tiered caps up to $2 million.

Eligibility Requirements

  • The production company must be a Canadian corporation which is Canadian-controlled
  • The production company must own all, or a majority of, the rights necessary to exploit and produce the production
  • Applicants must receive a producer credit on the project
  • Eligible formats are theatrical feature films, scripted television series, made-for-television movies, and documentaries
  • NOHFC funding is based on the project's total level of spending in Northern Ontario, and is a conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible costs
  • The maximum is tiered by total production budget: up to $500,000 for budgets up to $5 million, up to $1,000,000 for $5 million to $10 million, and up to $2,000,000 for $10 million and above
  • Applicants must provide evidence of the availability of all other project financing, with terms and conditions satisfactory to NOHFC, at the time of application; NOHFC prefers the majority of financing to be in place or confirmed
  • The project must have secured a written commitment letter from a qualified and experienced distributor or broadcaster, satisfactory to NOHFC, at the time of application
  • Only labour costs for individuals who live in Northern Ontario are eligible — 'deemed labour' is no longer allowed
  • Only equipment rentals from vendors located in Northern Ontario are eligible; vendors not on the Northern Ontario Vendors List may still be considered case by case
  • Applications are evaluated in four competitive intake rounds per year and not all applications will be supported
  • Productions must meet appropriate quality-acceptance standards for broadcast and distribution, and documentaries must strive for journalistic integrity
  • Applicants must submit evidence of a complete and clear chain of title, including the production's development history and all third-party agreements
  • Northern Ontario is defined by NOHFC as all areas north of, and including, the districts of Parry Sound and Nipissing — the spend must be there, though the production company need not be
  • Cannabis manufacturing and retail companies do not qualify for NOHFC programs
Provinces
Ontario
Industries
Film Arts Culture
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $2M (tiered)Conditional contribution up to 50% of eligible Northern Ontario costs, tier-capped: up to $500,000 for budgets up to $5M; up to $1,000,000 for $5M–$10M; up to $2,000,000 for $10M and above.
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Co-Funding
Up to 50% of eligible costs
Deadline
Four competitive intake rounds per year: February 1 – April 30, May 1 – July 31, August 1 – October 31, November 1 – January 31.

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5

Moderate — standard application process

Competition
5/5

Very high competition — highly selective

Difficulty
5/5

Very complex — extensive preparation required

Processing Time
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How to Win

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

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Insider Tip

Secure a written commitment letter from a qualified distributor or broadcaster before applying, ensure labour costs are only for individuals living in Northern Ontario, and avoid excluded content such as unscripted/reality, news, or advertisements.

Evaluation Criteria

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Premium The pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓

How NOHFC Film & Television Program judges your application

What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.

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Sections2
Judged on3 criteria
Can reject you5 rules
To attach11 documents

Distilled from 4 source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-07.

4 sources

What NOHFC Film & Television Program favours

Priority to Northern Ontario culture, stories, talent, and settings◦

“Priority will be given to productions featuring Northern Ontario culture and stories, Northern Ontario talent, and which are set in Northern Ontario.”

2 more, in their words

The formthe outline

Financing and commitment1 section
  1. 1Other project financingupload
Supporting documents1 section
  1. 2Supporting documentslist

NOHFC Film & Television Program states no length limits for these answers.

2 more prompts, in the funder’s words

Judged against3 questions · 3 criteria

  1. 1

    What does this production do for Northern Ontario?

    Show them Break out Northern Ontario labour, goods and post-production spend and show how the story, setting and talent are Northern Ontario-rooted.◦

    In the funder’s words · 1
    • Funding decisions are based on the project’s Northern Ontario Benefits and Production Strength.
  2. 2

    Is the money and the plan actually real?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

  3. 3

    Can this distributor actually sell the film?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

Where applicants failin NOHFC Film & Television Program’s words

“Not all projects meeting the criteria will necessarily receive funding.”

Premium · the rest of this brief

See all 5 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.

2 more criteria · 2 more prompts

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Do you pass?6 checks

5 can rule you out; 1 is a preference. Tick the ones you meet.

You

  • Applicant receives a producer credit

    Applicants must receive a producer credit on the project.

  • All other financing evidenced at application

    Applicants must provide evidence of the availability of all other project financing with terms and conditions satisfactory to the NOHFC, at the time of application.

Your business

  • Canadian corporation, Canadian controlled

    The production company must be a Canadian corporation which is Canadian controlled

  • Owns rights to produce and exploit

    The production company must own all, or a majority of the rights necessary to exploit and produce the production.

The project

  • Distributor or broadcaster commitment in writing

    The project must have secured a written commitment letter from a qualified and experienced distributor or broadcaster, satisfactory to the NOHFC, at the time of application.

  • Priority for Northern Ontario stories, talent, setting preferred, not required

    Priority will be given to productions featuring Northern Ontario culture and stories, Northern Ontario talent, and which are set in Northern Ontario.

Documents to attach11

Ticks are kept on this device.

The money

Contribution ceilingUp to 50%, capped $500K/$1M/$2M

Conditional contribution up to 50% of eligible costs, tier-capped at $500K/$1M/$2M by production budget.

What it pays for · 1
  • all costs of production that are spent in Northern Ontario, including labour costs, production goods and services, and post-production costs
What it does not pay for · 3
  • Costs spent outside of Northern Ontario
  • Brokerage of goods and services from outside of Northern Ontario by intermediaries
  • Operational expenses for a media company

From application to money

  1. Round 1 intakeFebruary 1–April 30Submit within Round 1: February 1–April 30
  2. Round 2 intakeMay 1–July 31Submit within Round 2: May 1–July 31
  3. Round 3 intakeAugust 1–October 31Submit within Round 3: August 1–October 31
  4. Round 4 intakeNovember 1–January 31Submit within Round 4: November 1–January 31
  5. Board decidesBoard makes final funding decision
In the funder’s words · 5
Round 1 intake
Submit your application within this intake round.
Round 2 intake
Submit your application within this intake round.
Round 3 intake
Submit your application within this intake round.
Round 4 intake
Submit your application within this intake round.
Board decides
Staff review completeness and eligibility, then the Board makes the final funding decision.

Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.

What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win NOHFC Film & Television Program

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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Application Playbook

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

Premium 7 steps 11 docs

Application Steps

1 Confirm the production company qualifies The production company must be a Canadian corporation that is Canadian-controlled, must own all or a majority of the rights necessary to exploit and produce the production, and the applicant must receive a producer credit on the project. The company itself does not have to be located in Northern Ontario — the spending does.

Required Documents 11

✓ Script or screenplay
✓ Project synopsis

Eligible Expenses 5

Ineligible Expenses 8

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

Premium The full guide for this program also covers:
  • 6 more application steps
  • 9 more required documents
  • 5 eligible expenses
  • 8 ineligible expenses
  • Intake periods
  • Deadline notes
  • Ineligible organizations

Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

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How NOHFC Film & Television Program Compares

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about NOHFC Film & Television Program

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How is the funding cap actually calculated for a production?
NOHFC pays up to 50% of eligible costs, capped by total production budget: up to $500,000 for budgets up to $5 million, up to $1,000,000 for $5-10 million, and up to $2,000,000 at $10 million and above. Eligible costs are production expenses spent in Northern Ontario.
Does our production company have to be based in Northern Ontario?
No. The company must be a Canadian-controlled Canadian corporation that owns the rights and receives a producer credit — the spending is what has to be in Northern Ontario. Only labour costs for individuals who live in Northern Ontario are eligible, and 'deemed labour' is no longer allowed.
When can we apply, and is there a fixed deadline?
There are four competitive intake rounds a year: February 1 – April 30, May 1 – July 31, August 1 – October 31, and November 1 – January 31. Applications are compared against others in the same round, and NOHFC states not all applications will be supported.
Do we need a distributor or broadcaster attached before applying?
Yes. A written commitment letter from a qualified and experienced distributor or broadcaster, satisfactory to NOHFC, is required at the time of application. NOHFC also prefers the majority of your other financing to be in place or confirmed when you apply.
What content does NOHFC refuse to fund under this stream?
Unscripted content such as reality TV, live sports, news or improvisational comedy; advertisements, partisan content, fundraising videos and industry videos not meant for broader consumption; and productions with excessive violence or sexually explicit content.

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