GATE will be undergoing maintenance on Nov. 27-28. As such, the deadline for Arts Presenting applications is now Dec. 2 @ 11:59 pm. Read more in News.
AFA recognizes this is an extremely difficult time for Alberta's arts sector. Learn more about our COVID-19 response here.
This funding provides up to $15,000 to support the development of individual Alberta artists, arts administrators, or an ensemble of artists by providing funding for a specific music project.
To be eligible for individual project funding, you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:
You must be in good standing with the AFA with no open or outstanding projects or reporting to apply. Previous grant recipients must ensure all final reporting has been approved by the AFA before new applications are accepted.
Applicants, including ensembles or collectives, must not be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation.
Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations are eligible to apply to this program and must list all principal artists involved in the project activities as part of their application. All members of an ensemble, collective, or collaboration must meet the individual eligibility criteria.
Principal artists cannot apply and/or receive funding for multiple projects at the same time, whether as an individual or a member of various ensembles, collectives, or collaborations.
Please note, AFA funding is not assured for any project.
Through this opportunity, you may apply for project funding to support artistic activities in:
Art Production includes the development, creation and production of any music work. Projects should be confined to a distinct phase of a work, such as:
Alberta individual artists that have been contracted by commissioners to create a specific work (such as a composition) are eligible to apply for project support through this funding opportunity.
A commercial recording officially begins with pre-production of the album in a recording studio and is completed when the final manufactured recording is submitted to the AFA. If a recording is only intended for digital release, you must clearly state this in your application.
For any recording project, the AFA gives preference to projects recorded in an Albertan recording facility.
Marketing includes a program of activity for a specific period that promotes, advertises or disseminates work created by Alberta music artists, and/or develops audiences for the artist's work.
Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
Research includes a program of activity for a specific period of time that supports or results in the development of a music project.
Training and career development includes a course or program of study to develop an artist's training in music or arts administrator’s training in music administration.
Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
You can receive up to $15,000 to support your project. You may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are directly related to carrying out your proposed project.
These expenses may include, but are not limited to the following:
Additional expenses and activities that are ineligible for AFA project funding include:
We only accept applications through the 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.
We do not accept separate applications for the same project.
First-time applicants will require a GATE username and password. Email us at registrationafa@gov.ab.ca to get your GATE login information at least five business days prior to the application deadline.
Please include:
Your GATE user name and password will be sent to the email address provided.
For detailed step-by-step instructions, please download the GATE user guide for this funding opportunity.
The GATE attachment section indicates that not all attachments are required for submission. This is because they are only required for certain types of projects (e.g. marketing plan for a marketing project). It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all attachments noted in the guidelines are submitted with their application.
Please submit the following attachments:
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:
Assessment also takes into account the applicant's:
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.
Grant recommendations are made to the AFA board of directors. Successful recipients will be notified upon board approval, generally between four to six months from the application deadline.
We gather general comments about the applications and share them on the Adjudication page. The expert panel does not record specific comments about individual applications.
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:
If you require a change to your project including outcomes, location or an extension to your final report due date:
Funding recipients are responsible for informing the AFA of how funds were spent and outcomes of the project:
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 recieved 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.
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.
In your final report, please include:
And, when applicable:
