Marketing, Promotion, and Distribution

Applications must be completed in the ISO portal iso-bea.smapply.io. We encourage prospective applicants to utilize the Application Checklist provided on the website.

Administrative follow ups may be conducted via email for additional information on the application if required. Projects will be assessed on a continual basis until funding for the program is depleted or until March 1, 2024.

Projects will be assessed as quickly as possible, with notifications provided within 1-3 months. Please expect delays for the holiday closure in December. Funding amounts may be lower than requested due to annual budget limitations.

The spirit and intent of ISO funding is to support Indigenous storytelling and Indigenous companies that are controlled by Indigenous people, who have decision-making authority and creative control.

For the purposes of ISO programs, “Indigenous” is defined as status and non-status First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada. All applicants must be residents of Canada and have spent 8 months out of the last year living in Canada.

Please consult the Building Trust and Accountability: Report on Eligibility in the Indigenous Screen Sector which informs the ISO in regards to Indigenous identity, relationality, and access to funding programs.

Applicants to this program must be corporations that:

• Are Indigenous-controlled with a minimum 51% ownership by person/s who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, who is/are citizens or permanent residents of Canada who have resided in Canada for at least eight months over the last one-year period;
• Are applying for a project that is under the financial and creative control of Indigenous persons; Two of the members of the key creative team (director, screenwriter, showrunner/producer) must be Indigenous;
• Are registered as a corporation with its head office in Canada;
• Have letters of Incorporation, a shareholder registry, and bios for each owner of the company must be provided as well as their individual percentage of ownership;
• Are in the business of production or support of screen-based content, including TV, film, web, digital narrative content, and XR (VR, AR);
• Is not insolvent or bankrupt, or in the course of the reorganization of its business within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada);
  Hold 100% of the copyright of the project; must be owned, controlled, or optioned by the applicant (except for inter-provincial or international treaty co-productions).

OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• The project has previously been awarded through an Indigenous Peer Assessment panel by either Telefilm or CMF, government Arts grants, or previously funded by the ISO; Projects supported by a national broadcaster or other public funders may be considered. Please contact the Program Manager to discuss.
• Production companies cannot receive funding from other ISO programs for the same initiative. For example, funding for trainees cannot be included in another application to ISO Funding Programs for the same roles on a project;
• The applicant can accept a direct deposit in the name of the company.
• Must be in good standing with ISO.

The maximum recommended amount in this program is $50,000. The ISO will provide funds until the available funding has been used for the fiscal year. If your project requires funding above the recommended threshold, please contact us at funding@iso-bea.ca to set up a meeting.

*Note applicants may receive less than the request amount as determined by the internal review panel. Priority will be given to projects funded through the ISO Story Fund.

ISO applicants to this program can access this funding for the following activities (but not limited to):

• Any Marketing activities, not previously budgeted or under-funded in the original budget (this needs to be clearly defined in the budget notes);
• Hiring of publicists, community liaisons, and social media coordination/management;
• Continuation of cultural and community engagement work;
• Engagement with experts, consultants, mentors, or knowledge keepers or other professional consultation in relation to the project;
• Networking and participation at film or media arts festivals;
• Community and relaxed screenings;
• Alternative distribution strategies including local marketing strategies;
• Marketing or publicity strategies; engagement with primary and secondary audiences;
• Impact strategies that increase audience reach;
• Production of a new trailer and marketing/promotional materials.

ELIGIBLE EXPENSES

• Accessibility costs for community screenings;
• Advertising and Publicity costs and fees;
• Fees and honorariums for community engagement with experts, consultants/advisors, mentors, or knowledge keepers or others;
• Translation and language support;
• Technology access costs;
• Master copies and some screening formats (such as DCP);
• Registration fees for festival submissions and markets;
• *Travel costs for scheduled screenings and market events (must include rationale, letters of invitation, pass receipts, and budget notes).

Recoupable expenses (work that has already been completed) are not eligible for support within this program.
* Travel support is capped at a maximum of three (3) Indigenous project owners and/or Key Creatives.

• Articles of incorporation, individual percentages of ownership; and/or relevant ownership agreements; Bios and CVs for all company owners, and key roles in the project;
• Project summary, description of previous project work and rationale for the required support;
• Confirmation letters or contracts for confirmed funding sources that include funding for Marketing, Promotion and Distribution;
• A broadcast license agreement, if applicable (in lieu of past Indigenous peer assessment);
• A Community engagement plan (when applicable), including information about existing community relationships, protocols, etc;
• A link to the rough, fine cut of the project (or recent episode for series’);
• An up to date Top Sheet budget, financial structure, and marketing promotion and distribution budget – must use the template provided separating out ISO expenditures;
• A detailed Marketing, Promotion, Distribution schedule;
• A marketing and distribution strategy; names and bios of key companies or persons to be contracted.

The spirit and intent of ISO funding is to support companies that are controlled by Indigenous people, who have decision-making authority and creative control. The ISO will consider the size of the contribution in relation to what has already been accomplished on the project, how the project activities align with the goals, budget, and a project plan for market and distribution opportunities. Funding is discretionary – that is, the ISO is guided by the criteria to decide where best to allocate the funding available. All applications are assessed on a first-come-first-served basis and until the fund is depleted or until the end of each fiscal year. *Priority will be given to projects funded through the ISO Story Fund.

ISO staff will assess each application in line with the program focus, the assessment criteria listed in our General Funding Guidelines and as follows:

• Regional and intersectional representation;
• Relationality and Context;
• Storytelling and Approach; Cultural Protocols, Respect and Care are demonstrated;
• Viability of the project including its leads and feasibility (scope, timeline, budget)
• Impact, including the advancement of Indigenous storytelling
• Availability of funds, ISO mandate, and strategic goals.

Please note, the ISO may close the program without notice, when the funding allocation has been depleted for the fiscal year.

Once the funding has been depleted, the ISO will:

• Close the program in ISO Apply;
• Update the website, and announce the closure on social media;
• Send a notice via ISO Apply to all applicants with open applications that the program is now closed.

If applicants wish to access the application after the program has closed, please contact funding@iso-bea.ca within 10 business days of the program’s closure. The ISO will provide a downloaded copy if requested. Otherwise, all in-progress applications will be deleted 10 business days after the program has been officially closed.

The ISO provides up to $500.00 CAD in additional funding to cover accessibility costs incurred during the stages of applying, completing a project, and writing your final report.

If you have barriers to access including but not limited to language, internet or physical barriers, please contact the ISO to discuss accommodations and support at funding@iso-bea.ca.

All applicants to ISO programs must confirm they have read the General Funding Guidelines prior to submitting your application.

An initial review for eligibility and missing documentation will be conducted by the ISO Story Fund Program Manager. The ISO program manager will reach out if any of this information is needed and applicants will be given a short period (maximum 10 days) to submit anything outstanding.

*Ineligible or incomplete applications can be withdrawn at any time in the process. Applicants will be notified through the ISO Apply portal when the application is deemed ineligible.

If at any time, an Applicant, as required by the Criteria or as requested by the ISO, provides false information or omits or misrepresents material information in connection with an application, including with respect to Indigenous identity, such provision of false information, omission or misrepresentation will be considered an event of default and the ISO may exercise the following contractual rights:

• termination of any contracts, including any remedies thereunder;
• denial of eligibility for existing and future funding;
• repayment of any funds already advanced; and
• civil and potential criminal prosecution, in the case of fraud.

These measures may be imposed not only on the Applicant but also on related, associated and affiliated companies and individuals that are parties to the application. Any Applicant receiving approval for funding will be required to sign a legally enforceable agreement, which includes provisions concerning misrepresentations, defaults, and related matters.

A final report will be required within three months following the completion of the project. Applicants with overdue final reports will not be eligible for ISO funding until the report is submitted and approved.

Recipients must acknowledge ISO support with textual reference and/or logo in the credit sequence, or appropriate placement in the completed work (where applicable). ISO logos are available for download on the ISO website.

When sharing information about your participation in the proposed activity, please also tag the ISO on any social media posts related to this contribution :

• Instagram – indigenousscreen
• Twitter – screen_office
• Facebook – ISO.BEA

Questions are encouraged and may be directed at any time to funding@iso-bea.ca.

When should I apply for this program funding?

Applicants should apply to this program once they have completed a rough cut of their project and before the marketing, promotion, distribution costs that require support have been incurred. Applicants with a strong rationale for support are encouraged to apply.

What is the demand for this program?

There is an increasing demand in this program and we encourage you to start your application early to ensure your eligibility and that you have adequate time or resources to make a complete application. This program has a rolling deadline and is subject to close based on availability of funds.

What is the maximum amount of funding I can request in this program?

Up to $50,000.00. A reminder that the ISO can allocate less than the requested amount to successful projects.

What happens to my in-progress application if the program closes before I submit?

Please refer to the “Program Closure” section of the guidelines. If you wish to access the application after the program has closed, please contact funding@iso-bea.ca within 10 business days of the program’s closure.

What if I or my company already has received previous ISO funding for the same project?

If the main applicant(s)/company currently has an ISO supported application from another program for the same project that has not yet been reported on, the applicant will be required to first submit a Final report on the previous application.

The project I am applying with has already been funded in a previous round of ISO Marketing Promotion Distribution. Can I apply again to this program?

Unfortunately, project applications to this program that have already received ISO Marketing, Promotion, Distribution funding are not eligible to apply again.

I’m not sure my project is a good fit for this program.

Reach out! funding@iso-bea.ca.