CANCOM Comedy Grants

The Foundation for Canadian Comedy (CANCOM) bolsters the creation of Canadian comedy content made and owned by independent professional comedy artists.

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What is the Grant?

The CANCOM Comedy Grant is the first federal grant of its kind in Canada exclusively for the full scope of comedy work created by Canadian comedians.

Our Goal

The goal of this grant is to provide funding for original comedy projects by Canadian Comedians. This is the third round of funding made available by CANCOM industry partners and sponsors.

Eligible comedians can apply for up to $2,000.

Application and Results – Key Dates

TIMELINES

Application Phase Due Date
Applications must be received by the CANCOM Selection Committee prior to: Friday, August 30th, 2024 11:59pm PST
Applicants will be notified of their results by: Monday September 30th, 2024

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for a CANCOM Comedy Grant, applicants must be CANCOM Members (Free) and:

  • Creating comedy-first work that seeks, amongst its primary artistic goals, to be funny.
  • Creating original comedic work, including but not limited to videos, live broadcast, live performance of improv, sketch, stand up, touring, sizzle reels, podcasts, albums, music, writing and digital creative for social media.
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or have been a resident of Canada for at least one year as of the date of the applications.

CANCOM celebrates the diversity of the Canadian comedy landscape and welcomes applicants whose comedy highlights unique personal narratives that showcase Canada’s rich and dynamic multiculturalism.

All applicants must also:

  • Be CANCOM Members, which is free
  • Read and agree to the CANCOM Health, Safety and Anti-Harassment Policy, which will be available on the application portal coming soon
  • Complete their project and submit their final report before January 23rd, 2025
  • Provide CANCOM with relevant video links, images, written samples, etc… so that CANCOM can share and promote your successful project

All successful recipients will receive:

  • 40% of their assigned funding upon signing the CANCOM Comedy Grant Agreement

  • 30% of their assigned funding upon completing their project

  • 30% of their assigned funding upon providing a Final Report on their project

Applicant and Assessor Expectations:

For clarity, before the second and third installments, the final produced services of your project must be completed, which includes, live shows, writing, festivals, travel, walking tour, etc…, or final produced videos/audio/livestream content or broadcasts.

Applicants who don’t satisfy the above criteria may be deemed ineligible, and be required to return funds, at the discretion of the CANCOM Comedy Grants Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee consists of working, professional comedians – Peer Assessors – who are hired by honorarium, as well as the volunteer CANCOM Board of Directors.

Important considerations before applying:

  • Work funded by a CANCOM Comedy Grant must be created after the application deadline for this program. But, if you’re recording an album, for instance, it can obviously include material you’ve been working on prior to the deadline.
  • Incomplete projects will be expected to return 100% of all funding provided by CANCOM back to CANCOM so that the money can be redirected to other comedy artists. Monies advanced by CANCOM to the artist(s) awarded from the grant are expected to be returned to CANCOM within 30 days of incomplete project confirmation.
  • If you don’t feel confident you will be able to complete your project and final report by the deadline, please reconsider whether you should apply.

What Can You Apply For?

All comedic work by eligible applicants is welcome to apply for these grants. Some possible directions:

  • A comedy podcast – with or without video, produced video or live broadcast
  • A comedic video or web series – sketch shows, improv, stand up, music or digital creative storytelling comedy
  • A live stand-up, improv or sketch show – with produced video or live broadcast optional The filming and editing of a live comedy show, for public consumption via produced video or live broadcast optional
  • A comedy album recording – produced picture stills, graphics and videos from album creation optional
  • Travel, accommodation and expenses funding to tour a comedy show to a high-visibility festival
  • An independently produced comedy festival or show that pays artists – with video production and/or live broadcast optional
  • A site-specific comedy walking tour – with video production and/or live broadcast optional
  • A series of well-produced comedy video reels for social media and online
  • Comedy writers for video and live broadcast productions – including web series, sketch, stand up and digital creative.
  • Other!

We’re open to ideas, as long as comedy is your goal.