The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund on Wednesday said it has expanded its Low Budget Digital Media Production Program.

The program now includes a TV licence fee top-up for the associated television program.

The licence fee top-up will be for up to 75% of the broadcaster licence fee, to a maximum of $75,000.

The effective grant will be used to enhance the TV program associated with the digital media project, so that the two complement each other, the Bell Fund said in a statement.

The additional funding is based on the model the Bell Fund implements in its Production Program, for projects with budgets averaging $300,000  to $400,000.

Productions in the Low Budget Digital Media Production Program have maximum budgets of $100,000. The Bell Fund contributes grants of up to 75% of production costs.

Low budget program projects can be individual games, mobile/tablet apps, content to accompany the first season of a series, or social media content – in short, digital content that has targeted audience strategies.

The Bell Fund said the funding model that includes a licence fee top-up has encouraged TV producers to become actively involved in the creative design, implementation and marketing of second-screen projects based on their TV programs.

The next round of applications for the program opens Jan. 1, 2013.