Canada Media Fund opens Growth Track for media companies seeking expansion

What was announced

The Canada Media Fund has opened the Growth Track stream of its Business Development Program, accepting applications from November 10 to November 26, 2026. The program provides non-repayable contributions of up to $100,000, or 75% of eligible project costs, whichever is less. It targets small to medium-sized Canadian media companies looking to expand revenue, grow their audience, or enter new markets.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants must be for-profit Canadian corporations that have been incorporated for at least five years, have their head office in Canada, and operate primarily in linear or interactive digital media content production. Annual consolidated revenue must fall between $250,000 and $10,000,000.

The program explicitly excludes broadcasters, in-house production units, distributors, publishers, social media content creators, podcast producers, foreign service production companies, and post-production or VFX studios.

Eligible uses and expenses

Funding supports business development activities aimed at growth, market entry, and revenue generation. Eligible expenses include employee and consultant fees, marketing and promotion, hardware and software purchases (capped at 20% of project cost), intellectual property acquisition (up to 10%), and relevant travel and accommodation (up to 10%).

Ineligible costs include development or production expenses for media projects, corporate restructuring, retroactive costs, hospitality, and ongoing operational expenses unrelated to the specific business plan. Costs already funded by CMF or other sources cannot be reapplied for unless part of a documented financing structure.

• Pursuing new markets or changing the business model
• International expansion and new monetization deals
• Revenue diversification for existing IP, libraries, or catalogues
• Audience development and market validation efforts
• Acquiring new high-potential intellectual property

How applications are evaluated

The CMF uses a competitive evaluation grid worth 100 points across four criteria: applicant track record (25 points), quality and feasibility of the business plan (40 points), projected economic impact and outcomes (25 points), and financing and budget credibility (10 points). Applications are assessed only against others in the Growth Track. If the program is oversubscribed, CMF may conduct a preliminary screening, advancing only applicants with the highest consolidated revenues to the full juried review.

What to do next

Applicants should review the Business Development Program Guidelines 2026-2027 and complete required templates, including the Business Plan Template and Budget and Financial Projections Template, both available on the CMF website. Applications must be submitted through the official CMF portal by November 26, 2026. Supporting documents required include a corporate declaration, track record documentation, and financial statements or a declaration of unaudited financials.