The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has launched a pilot program to support the creation of short-form content for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The Digital Creators Pilot Program is a $500,000 initiative run through CMF’s Experimental Stream that is intended to support the production of original content for social media platforms, as well as business and marketing activities for mid-career digital creators in Canada.

Successful applicants will receive up to $20,000, or up to 75% of the total budget, to cover eligible costs, and will be given six months to complete their intended projects or business activities.

Creators must meet a “minimum engagement threshold” to be eligible for the program, according to CMF guidelines. The requirements for primarily English-language creators include a minimum of 75,000 followers for a single channel or account; a combined subscriber count of 125,000 across multiple channels; or a video that has achieved a minimum of 500,000 views on a channel with a minimum subscriber count of 40,000.

Requirements are reduced for primarily French-language content creators, to a minimum of 15,000 subscribers for a single account or 25,000 combined for multiple, or a video with 30,000 views on a channel with at least 10,000 subscribers.

Applicants to the program must provide a business plan and demonstrate that they have been active on any of the eligible platforms within the last 12 months. The funding decisions will be determined via a jury of CMF analysts and digital media peers.

The guidelines also note that if there is “significant oversubscription,” the CMF will have the right to conduct a preliminary selection process to identify “high-performing content creators” based on the number of views across their total channels.

“Great content is found on all platforms. As an organization focused on the future of storytelling in all its forms, we are excited to offer support to digital content creators active on social media,” said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of CMF, in a statement. “This pilot program will provide successful applicants with opportunities to develop creatively, build their skills and further their long-term business objectives so they can create more of the original content their audiences want to see — and acquire new fans along the way.”

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