Grant
Provincial
Active
Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures
Ontario Creates (Ontario Music Office)
Maximum Funding
Up to 40% of two-year average annual revenue, capped at $50,000...
Intake 1 closed April 30, 2026; Intake 2 open until September 24, 2026, 5:00 ...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
75%
Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures provides Up to 40% of two-year average annual revenue, capped at $50,000 per funding cycle; minimum request $10,000. Ontario Creates provides music-sector grants covering up to 40% of a company's two-year average annual revenue, capped at $50,000 per cycle with a $10,000 minimum request. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Intake 1 closed April 30, 2026; Intake 2 open until September 24, 2026, 5:00 PM ET.
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Eligibility & Details
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Program Description
Ontario Creates provides music-sector grants covering up to 40% of a company's two-year average annual revenue, capped at $50,000 per cycle with a $10,000 minimum request.
Eligibility Requirements
- Ontario-based and Canadian-owned corporations
- Domestic record labels, music publishers, music management companies
- Live music promoters/presenters, including festivals
- Companies deriving revenue from any combination of eligible activities
- Annual revenues between $25,000 and $125,000
- In operation for at least two years prior to the application deadline
- Principal place of business in Ontario for at least one year prior to the deadline
- Incorporated in Ontario or federally, or prepared to incorporate immediately if the application is successful
- In a sound financial position
- In good standing with Ontario Creates at time of application submission
- Live Music Promoters and Presenters, including festivals, must apply to the second deadline
- Applicants eligible for both OMIF and Experience Ontario may not receive funding from both programs for the same event in the same activity window
- Only one application per applicant, though it may contain multiple activities
- Record labels must have two or more artists signed, hold master copyright or licence for at least three Canadian-artist releases by different artists, derive most revenue from exploiting master recordings, and have released at least one Canadian-artist recording in the last 12 months
- Music publishers must have an active roster of at least two Canadian songwriters, be primarily engaged in acquiring and registering copyrights, derive most revenue from authorizing use of those compositions, and own at least 100 original works
- Music management companies must manage at least two artists, have a roster at least 50% Canadian, and manage at least one artist with a commercial release in the last 24 months
- Music promoters and presenters must program and promote live musical acts at two or more separate Ontario venues (or intend to as part of the application); festivals must be independently incorporated or have the festival as their primary activity, have operated more than one year, and carry the primary operational and financial risk
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to 40% of two-year average annual revenue, capped at $50,000 per funding cycle; minimum request $10,000
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Intake 1 closed April 30, 2026; Intake 2 open until September 24, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Sep 24, 2026
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 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
$19 covers this one program. $39/mo covers every program, plus the workspace that walks you through each application.
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipLive Music Promoters and Presenters (including festivals) MUST apply to the second deadline (September 24, 2026, 5:00PM ET) and their activities are fixed to December 1, 2026 - November 30, 2027.
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Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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7 steps
4 docs
Application Steps
1
Check the revenue band before anything else Music Futures is the tier for companies with minimum annual revenues of $25,000 to a maximum of $125,000 from eligible music business activities. Above $125,000 you belong in Ontario Creates' Music Company Development or Live Music streams, not this one.
Required Documents 4
✓ Financial statements
✓ Project budget
Eligible Expenses 12
Ineligible Expenses 15
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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Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures | Up to 40% of two-year average... | Hard | Milestone-Based | Intake 1 closed April... |
| Creative Industries Funding | Varies | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing (multiple... |
| Canadian Heritage Funding Programs | Varies | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing (varies by... |
| FACTOR — Canada Music Fund (Artist Pr... | Up to $67,500 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Multiple annual intake... |
| Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Creation | Up to $200,000 | Moderate | Varies | 2026-27 dates TBD... |
Related Programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures
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How much can my company actually request?
Up to 40% of your two-year average annual revenue, to a maximum of $50,000 per funding cycle. The minimum request is $10,000, so the 40% rule is what binds for most companies in the band rather than the $50,000 cap.
Do I have to put in money of my own?
Yes. For requests of $25,000 or less the OMIF contribution may not exceed 75% of the total approved budget; for requests over $25,000 it may not exceed 50%. Ontario Creates also looks more favourably on applicants who contribute a higher share of non-government financing.
I run a festival — which deadline do I use?
The second one. Live Music Promoters and Presenters, including festivals, must apply to the September 24, 2026, 5:00 PM ET deadline, and their live music activities run on a fixed 12-month spending window between December 1, 2026 and November 30, 2027.
My revenue is above $125,000 — can I still apply here?
No. Music Futures is the stream for companies with $25,000 to $125,000 in annual revenue from eligible music business activities. Ontario Creates runs separate OMIF streams — Music Company Development and Live Music — for businesses with revenues over $125,000.
When do I find out, and when can I start spending?
Decisions are communicated approximately 14 weeks after the deadline. Expenses for the second intake can be incurred no earlier than August 1, 2026, pending funding approval and provided a valid certificate of insurance is in place; your 12-month activity window starts on the date of your first expenditure.
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Full Playbook: Ontario Creates — OMIF Music Futures
7 steps · 4 docs · reviewer insights