Annual application limits

Each program component has limits on the number of applications you can submit and/or the grants you can receive each year – details are included in the guidelines for each component. In addition, there are over-riding limits on the number of applications you can submit annually to the Canada Council for the Arts (1 March to 28/29 February). If you are planning several projects in a year, you will want to strategize which projects to submit to the Canada Council for support.

The over-riding limits are as follows:

Individuals and groups, as well as organizations not receiving core grants may submit a maximum of 3 applications to the Council each year.
Organizations receiving core grants may submit a maximum of 2 project applications to the Council each year, in addition to their core grant request every 2 or 4 years.

However, there are exceptions. To enable you to respond to invitations and other time-sensitive opportunities, applications to the following components are not counted in the over-riding limits:

Creating Knowing and Sharing: Travel
Creating Knowing and Sharing: Small Scale Activities
Arts Across Canada: Travel
Arts Across Canada: Representation and Promotion
Arts Across Canada: Translation
Arts Across Canada: Circulation and Touring
Arts Abroad: Travel
Arts Abroad: Representation and Promotion
Arts Abroad: Translation
Arts Abroad: Circulation and Touring
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Digital Strategy Fund
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Access Support Fund
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Market Access Strategy for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) Fund
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Media Arts Equipment Acquisition Fund
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Frankfurt 2020: Incentive for Purchasing Translation Rights and for Publishing in German
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: Frankfurt 2020: Canada Guest of Honour Special Initiative for Canadian Artists
Strategic Funds and Initiatives: The Creation Accelerator

To see a comprehensive list of all overriding application limits and individual program/component limits please view see this Annual Application Limits Overview (PDF, 115 KB).