Travel Funding

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

Indigenous Identity and Project Ownership

The spirit and intent of ISO funding is to support Indigenous storytelling and Indigenous companies and organizations 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. We also encourage applicants to consult the ISO’s working document on identity: ISO Policies and Processes for Eligibility in Relation to Indigenous Identity.

Applicants to ISO Funding Programs:

• Must not receive funding from other ISO programs for the same project activities or initiative. For example, funding for trainees cannot be included in another application to ISO Funding Programs;
• Must be able to accept a direct deposit in the name of the applicant;
• Companies applying on behalf of employees for travel must adhere to the ISO Policies and Processes for Eligibility in Relation to Indigenous Identity;
• Must not be in a state of bankruptcy within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada).
• Must be in good standing with ISO, with no outstanding final reports, defaults or pending complaints or investigations.

• Are a First Nations, Inuit or Métis person residing in Canada and who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• Working in screen-based content, including TV, film, and web, gaming, apps, and XR (VR, AR);
• The project is under the financial and creative control of the applicant; two of the three key members of the creative team (director, screenwriter, showrunner/lead producer) must be Indigenous;
• Is not in a state of bankruptcy within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada).

Individual Applicants:

Please be advised the Canada Revenue Agency considers this funding as taxable income.

Sole Proprietors:

If you are applying as a sole proprietor, you may apply under your business name for the funding to be deposited to your business bank account. Please keep all expense receipts related to this funding to offset your tax obligations. Funds will not be deposited to an account in any name other than the applicant name.

• Indigenous-controlled: minimum 51% ownership by person/s who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis who is/are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada;
• The project is under the financial and creative control of Indigenous persons; two of the three key members of the creative team (director, screenwriter, showrunner/creative producer) must be Indigenous;
• Registered as a corporation with its head office in Canada;
• Main activity of the company is the 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);

Applicants with feature films seeking support for group travel for a national/international premier or awards ceremony (with invitation/nomination) should reach out to the travel fund managers prior to starting an application.

This funding is designed for:

• Indigenous individuals who have a track record of working in screen-based content whose career and professional network would benefit from the proposed travel;
• Emerging talent who can leverage a festival/conference/workshop into new learning opportunities, experiences, or professional development;
• Established Indigenous screen-based creators and Indigenous-owned production companies who are executing an international, or new market strategy, and whose business would benefit from the proposed activities.
• To support professional Indigenous screen-based creators in national and international project related industry events and opportunities;
• To build on the Indigenous screen-based capacity at festivals, conferences, training opportunities, and new market opportunities;
• To recognize the need for Indigenous screen-based creators to learn and develop their skills professionally with their communities, and through in-person conversation, sharing, and learning.

Application requirement details:

• Application limits – Each project (film, VR, etc.) can apply for up to two (2) market or screening opportunities that require travel. If you require further support please refer to the Marketing, Promotion and Distribution Program;
• Applicants cannot apply to fund the same proposed travel in another budget submitted to the ISO Funding Programs;
• Applicants cannot fund the same portion of the proposed travel through another organization (including band offices, arts councils, etc);
• Applicants applying to travel to a workshop or program that requires prior admittance must submit their letter of acceptance/invitation from the hosting organization;
• Applicants cannot apply as a Production Company and an Individual in separate applications;
• Applicants may include a maximum of two (2) proposed trips per fiscal year. Cannot exceed yearly maximum of $4,500.00;
• Festival screenings must be within eighteen months of completion or premier.

International Applications

• Festival attendance must have film screening and/or an official invite. Clearly state if this is a premier;
• Market place attendance must have a slate of projects suited for the proposed market

Purchasing travel and medical insurance is at the discretion of the applicant and the ISO is not responsible for ensuring insurance has been acquired. The ISO is not liable for any lost, damaged, or stolen belongings of the applicant.

If a trip has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, the Applicant must return the portion of the unused funding to the ISO, with proof of payment for costs incurred prior to the trip. Funds can only be used for the trip specified in the application, you can not reassign funds to another trip.

• Air (economy class);
• Ground transportation (trains, bus, cabs, uber, car rental, etc.);
• Mileage $.55/km for personal vehicles only, up to a maximum of $400;
• One checked baggage fee;
• Event registration;
• Accommodation, up to a maximum of $1500 for 6 nights in a standard room;
• Per diem, up to $100 per day for a maximum of 6 days;
• Child care costs up $100 per day for a maximum of 6 days (this applies uniformly, regardless of the number of children and the child must be travelling with you);
• Other costs associated with the proposed travel.

Please note, only eligible expenses with supported documentation will be considered.

• Costs associated with travelling for post-secondary courses;
• Development, production and post production related travel costs;
• Travels costs covered in other budgets submitted to ISO Funding Programs;
• Reimbursements for travel costs incurred before the submission date, exception made for airfare cost;
• Employees from organizations whose main purpose is industry support (i.e. training, funding, and/or festival activities) are not eligible to apply.

An initial review for eligibility and missing documentation will be conducted by the ISO Program Coordinator and Program Manager. The ISO Funding team will reach out if additional information is needed and applicants will be given a short period (maximum 10 business days) to submit any outstanding documents.

Ineligible or incomplete applications can be withdrawn at any time in the process. Applicants will be notified by the ISO when the application is withdrawn.

Applicants must supply the following information in the portal: ISO Apply. Details for each requirement can be found in the program in the ISO Apply portal, as well as in the Application Requirements checklist.

• Eligibility Form
• Applicant Information Form – Individual, Sole Proprietor, Company
• Proposed Travel Information Form
• Travel Funding Application
• Personal Event Schedule
• Budget
• Transportation and Accommodation References
• Support materials
• Community Engagement Plan (optional)
• Project Related Support Material(s)
• Application Requirements Checklist
• Voluntary Personal Data (optional)
• ISO Declaration

Applications must be submitted in the application portal at ISO Apply. Applications will be assessed on a continual basis until the funding is depleted. The ISO funding team will review applications approximately once a month once the program is open.

Funding Notifications will be provided within 2-3 months after the application is submitted. Please expect delays for holiday closure in December.

Please refer to the “Program Closure” section for information about steps taken by the ISO once the funding has been depleted for the fiscal year.

ISO staff will internally assess each application in line with the program focus and the assessment criteria as follows:

• Strength, clarity and feasibility of plan, activities and outcomes;
• Impact, including the career development of the applicant or company growth;
• ISO strategic goals and funding availability.

The ISO also considers the following priorities during assessment and allocation of funding:

• Regional and intersectional representation;
• Availability of funds, ISO mandate, and strategic goals;
• Thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and clarity of application;
• Representation of Indigenous languages;
• Sustainable production practices and that encourage environmental responsibility.

The Travel program has a rolling deadline, and therefore applications are assessed as they are submitted, and funding is allocated until the funding for the fiscal year has been depleted.

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 and via the ISO newsletter.

If applicants wish to access the application in the portal, they must 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’s fiscal year is from April 1st to March 31st.

The ISO acknowledges that within the screen industry, numerous individuals require assistance beyond the conventional support offered by typical funding bodies. Consequently, the ISO will provide monetary support of up to $500.00 CAD on a case-by-case basis to address accessibility expenses during the application stages.

These expenses include but are not limited to;

• Application writing and support;
• Video or audio recording;
• Equipment rentals;
• Professional fees;
• Language interpretation/translation fees;
• Final report submission support.

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.

If at any time, an Applicant, as required or 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;
• 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.

All signatories of ISO Contribution Agreements must be Indigenous. Individuals and companies must ensure the Indigenous representatives sign all contracts.

Funding must be deposited into an account belonging to the Applicant. If Applicants wish to update their company or Applicant information, they have 10 business days after their successful notice to update their information, by notifying funding@iso-bea.ca.

A final report, including a final budget and final personal event schedule 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.

Requests for extensions to submit final reports are submitted via ISO Apply and can be found in each program application while in the Final Report stage.

Applicants with outstanding final reports in any ISO program will not be eligible for further funding until the report is submitted and approved.

Recipients must acknowledge ISO support with a textual reference and a bilingual animated 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 ISO funded projects or opportunities, Applicants are required to tag ISO on any social media posts related to this funding, and include the ISO logo when applicable:

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

Questions are encouraged at least two weeks prior to submission or the application closing date and may be directed at any time to funding@iso-bea.ca.

What is the demand for this program?

There is a high demand for the Travel program. We encourage you to apply as soon as you’re able to.

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

Please refer to the “Program Closure” section of the guidelines.

I’m not sure my planned travel fits the program requirements. What should I do?

Reach out to funding@iso-bea.ca.

Is the deadline of this program March 1st, 2025?

No. This program has a rolling deadline, which means the ISO reviews projects as they are submitted and allocates funding to successful projects until the funding is depleted for the fiscal year. If there is still funding available by March 1st, 2025, we will close the program.

I’m no longer able to go on the trip I applied for, can I use the funds for a different trip?

If a trip has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, the Applicant must notify the ISO immediately and return the portion of the unused funding. Funds can only be used for the trip specified in your application, you can not reassign funds to another trip.

What happens if I apply less than 15 business days?

Applications received less than 15 business days prior to the proposed trip will be deemed ineligible and not considered.

If I have international film screening does that meet requirements for international travel?

While this does meet the minimum requirements, to strengthen your application we encourage you to include other event activities that you will be partaking in.

I’m an emerging filmmaker and am hoping to attend a large international marketplace, am I eligible to apply for travel?

You are eligible to apply however we strongly recommend that you are attending festivals and market places that suit your career level and goals.