Artist Manager Program Funding

To be eligible for individual project funding you must be a resident(s) of Alberta. This means you:

• are  legally entitled to be or remain in Canada
• have had your primary residence in Alberta for one full year before applying. 
• ordinarily live in Alberta for at least six months each year with the exception of attending a formal program of study

Ensembles and collectives are eligible if they are made up of members who meet the individual criteria:

• applicants, including ensembles, must not be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation

You must be in good standing with the AFA with no open or outstanding projects or reporting requirements to apply.

Applicants can only receive this grant once during their career.

Through this opportunity, you may apply for project funding to support professional development.

Please note, AFA funding is not assured for any project.

Eligible expenses

You can receive up to $7,500, to cover expenses related to Canada's Music Incubator (CMI)’s Artist Manager Program. You may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are directly related to carrying out your professional development.

These expenses may include, but are not limited to:

• registration costs
• round-trip transportation to/from Alberta and Toronto, ON
• round-trip transportation within Alberta to Calgary
• local transportation and accommodation
• food, sundries and per diems
• other expenses and supplies considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible projects

This funding does not include expenses for capital purchases, such as computers/laptops, computer software, etc

We only accept applications through Grant Administration Tracking and Evaluation (GATE) online application system. We must receive your online application through GATE no later than 11:59 pm Mountain Time on the deadline date, unless the deadline falls on a statutory holiday or a weekend when it will be extended until the next working day. Please give the system time to process your application so that we receive notification of your submission before the deadline falls.

The AFA does not accept incomplete applications.

GATE username registration

First-time applicants will require a GATE username and password. Contact us via email to obtain your GATE login information at least five business days prior to the application deadline.

Please include:

1. your legal name
2. the funding opportunity to which you are applying
3. your email address

Your GATE user name and password will be sent to the email address provided.

What to include in your application

Applicants are encouraged to contact CMI for program screening prior to acceptance.

For detailed step-by-step instructions, please download the GATE user guide for this funding opportunity.

• applicant information: legal name and confirmation of the applicant status
• an acceptance letter or conditional acceptance letter from CMI 

This funding is administered at the discretion of the AFA board on a project-by-project basis.

Staff convene an expert panel to consider all eligible grant applications submitted to each grant deadline. The expert panel assesses the merit of each application both on its own terms and in relation to all other applications received for a given deadline.

Assessment of a project is based on the following general criteria:

• the impact of the project on both the applicant and the provincial music sector in Alberta
• how the project enhances both the capacity of the applicant and the provincial music sector
• the appropriateness of the project budget
• the ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project

Assessment also takes into account the applicant's:

• achievements to date
• personal objectives

All expert panel recommendations are reviewed by the AFA board and all decisions are final. Funding is not assured for any project.

Learn more about expert panels and how the AFA adjudicates funding requests for all programs.

Recommendations from the February 1 deadline will be made to the AFA board during its annual May meeting and notifications sent in June.

Recommendations from the September 1 deadline will be made to the Board during its annual December meeting and notifications sent in January.

Funding is intended for the purposes described in your application. By accepting funding, you agree to undertake the project as proposed in your original project description.

If you do not receive the full grant amount requested, you are still required to complete the project as proposed if you accept the grant:

• you must return the grant funds if the project cannot be completed as proposed

If you require a change to your project including outcomes, location or an extension to your final report due date:

• you must submit a request in writing for approval by the AFA
• the request must be submitted prior to the change being made and/or before your final report is due
• the AFA may consider a single extension per funding opportunity

Funding recipients are responsible for informing the AFA of how funds were spent and outcomes of the project:

• you must return funds if reporting requirements are not met
• you must return unused portions of funding to the AFA

Any funding recipient who does not provide a report prior to the date noted in the successful notification document, or does not fulfill any conditions associated with a grant or whose report is not approved will be made delinquent and ineligible for further funding from the AFA for a period of three years from the time the delinquency is resolved.

New applications will not be accepted until your previous project is completed and the final report is received and approved by the AFA.

Previous funding recipients must have met reporting requirements in order to be eligible to receive subsequent funding from the AFA.

The AFA, or our authorized representative, may examine a funding recipient's financial and other records to ensure that the funding is being, or was, used for its intended purpose. 

We require a complete and satisfactory final report submitted to GATE that demonstrates that funding was spend on the activities described in the application.

Funding acknowledgement

Whenever possible, you must acknowledge the AFA for financial support in any publicity prepared in relation to the project, including electronic, print, or visual material.

Download versions of the AFA logo and guidelines for usage.

In your final report, please include:

• a completed project outcomes questionnaire
• a complete and accurate financial accounting for the project based on the original budget submission
• a transcript, certificate, or official letter confirming the completion of studies 
• a travel itinerary, confirmation of attendance at an event, conference or course of study

• Application writing tips for individual artists