The Government of Canada is providing $500 million in 2020-21 to establish a new COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations to help address the complex financial needs of affected organizations within these sectors.

The Fund is meant for organizations that can’t qualify for the existing wage subsidy because of the lumpy or irregular nature of their revenues as well as to cover contract workers. The Fund will also provide advances on future grants and contributions to help maintain liquidity as well as small subsidies to cover some fixed costs.

Eligible organizations and businesses include:

• Canadian not-for-profit cultural, heritage and arts organizations
• National Sports Organizations, Multisport Service Organizations, and Canadian Sport Centres and Institutes
• Canadian journalistic organizations
• Canadian book publishers
• Canadian production companies that work in the film or television industries
• Organizations in the music industry
• Television and radio broadcasters
• Recipients of the Digital Citizen Initiative

Instructions on how to sign up will be available soon.