During the production stage, TELUS Fund has financing and tools available to help you:

• create a TV program, feature-length film, or web series (the Programming)
• create related promotion materials and learning resources to promote the project, grow the audience, and deepen their experience (the Complementary Content)
• create related interactive games and mobile applications, if any (the Non-programming), and
• secure Marketing Expertise to execute the Comprehensive Audience Development Plan (the CADP) for your project.

To increase the likelihood of receiving production financing, you are strongly encouraged to first apply for development financing to help you secure pre-approved Marketing Expertise to create the CADP, produce a professional trailer and pitch materials, and obtain strong support from Expert Organizations, Platforms and Audience Partners (Key Partners).  

There are 3 steps to apply for production financing:

1.  Check Eligibility

• Start by confirming that you are an eligible Applicant working on an eligible Project.  You'll find these definitions in the 2024 Program Guidelines.
• Next, make sure that you have obtained the minimum required support from Key Partners:
  • Obtain at least one Expert Organization Support Form. If you’re not sure the organization meets the definition of Expert Organization, complete and send the form to info@telusfund.ca between August 23rd and 30th to confirm eligibility.
  • Obtain at least one license agreement, commitment letter or deal memo to transmit the Programming on an eligible Platform.  If the Platform is not a CRTC-Recognized Service, submit the Platform Support Form between August 23rd and 30th to confirm eligibility. 
• Review the list of required Support Materials to confirm everything will be ready by the September 20th, 2024 deadline date.  In particular, start early to secure pre-approved Marketing Expertise to create the Comprehensive Audience Development Plan to attach to your submission.
• If you have already delivered the completed project to the Platform, it is too late to apply for production financing.  Consider applying for post-launch financing after the project has launched and achieved measured success.

2.  Check Alignment:

• Answer the questions in this Evaluation Tool to help you determine if your project is a good fit for financing. The questions in this tool are based on the 4 evaluation criteria used by the Board of Directors to render funding decisions. 
• The competition for production financing is high.  Use these audience resources to help you improve the competitiveness of your submission.

3.  Apply for financing:

• Complete this online application form and be sure to push "SAVE" at the bottom of each page to save your progress.
• Upload the requested Support Materials, add your signature to the last page, and push "SUBMIT".
• A copy of the completed application will automatically be emailed to the Primary Contact Person.  
• If you do not hear from TELUS Fund within 5-10 business days after submitting your application form, contact us at info@telusfund.ca.

 

 

 

The TELUS Fund Board of Directors prioritizes submissions according to 4 criteria that are outlined in the Program Guidelines.  

The 1st criteria is Story Idea. The Fund is looking for compelling stories that will entertain and influence audiences to take action to improve their well-being. While there are many well-being issues affecting people worldwide, the Fund primarily considers how a project can create impact first in Canada, then abroad. The most competitive submissions are taking a fresh approach to the subject matter and include Expert Organizations committed to helping the project make a difference in the well-being of people.

Now let's find out about the Expert Organizations that have completed the Expert Organization Support Form.

The 2nd evaluation criteria is Project Plan.  The Fund prioritizes submissions that plan to create ample Programming and Complementary Content to develop audiences during the launch campaign and deepen their engagement. The most competitive submissions will have already secured other sources of project financing and be ready to proceed with financing from the Fund.

Programming refers to the TV program, feature-length film or web series that has been licensed by an eligible Platform for transmission in Canada. This audiovisual content is the cornerstone of your project and is intended for viewing from beginning to end without user interaction.  

Now let's find out about the Complementary Content you plan to create.  This is additional content that will be created to promote the project, grow the audience, and deepen their experience.

Finally, let’s find out if your plan includes Non-programming.  Non-programming is sophisticated digital content that requires significant end-user interaction to progress the storyline.

The 3rd evaluation criteria is Measured Success. The Fund measures its success by the degree to which funded projects reach their intended audience, the audience views and engages with the content, and their well-being is positively impacted.   

In advance of applying for production financing, all applicants must first secure Marketing Expertise pre-approved by the Fund to create a Comprehensive Audience Development Plan (the "CADP") in Canada.  

Applicants are strongly encouraged to first apply for development financing from the TELUS Fund to help secure Marketing Expertise and prepare a competitive application for production financing.  

Please provide a summary of the following information from your project’s Comprehensive Audience Development Plan in Canada (the CADP).

Now, let's find out about the expertise and resources that will be available to support implementation of the Comprehensive Audience Development Plan in Canada (the CADP).

Account 85 in the Production Budget identifies the amount you have allocated toward creating Complementary Content and executing the CADP.  Typically, the Fund requires a minimum of 10% of the total budget to be allocated toward creation of Complementary Content and execution of the CADP.

Tell us more about the details of Account 85 in the Production Budget by filling in the Audience Development Plan budget.  

Let’s find out about the Audience Partners, if any, that have completed the Audience Partner Support Form and committed to helping develop audiences for your project.  Audience Partners have online reach in Canada of at least 20,000 subscribers, followers, or fans (e.g., Expert Organizations, Platforms, social media influencers, sponsors, celebrity talent)

The final evaluation criteria is Project Team. The most competitive teams will have a successful track record with comparable content and include storytellers who are committed to reflecting the diversity of Canada to a wider audience.  

For each Key Position (Producers, Directors, Writers, 1st and 2nd Lead Performers), you are required to identify if the individual is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

If possible, also identify if the individual belongs to a community that has traditionally been underrepresented in the Canadian screen industry:

• Gender (Woman, Man, and 2SLGBTQ+ which includes Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and other sexual orientations and gender identities outside the heterosexual and cisgender norm),
• Indigenous Peoples to Canada (First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples who live in the territory that is today known as Canada),
• Racialized community (Non-white or not of European Descent such as Black, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Asian. Indigenous Peoples are excluded from this definition), and
• Person with disabilities (someone living with one or more physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, sensory or communicational impairments, conditions or functional limitations that hinders their participation in society). 

Finally, tell us about the Canadian production company(s) applying for funding.

Tell us about your plans to finance the project.  When considering your request to TELUS Fund, remember that typically, only 10 submissions per year are selected to receive production financing.  In the last five fiscal years, the average per project financing was $230K or 31% of the production budget.  Nineteen projects received more than $250K and 3 exceptional applications received more than $400K.  Eight projects received financing greater than 49% of the production budget.  There is no maximum dollar amount per project, but production financing will not exceed 75% of the production budget.

The Fund’s financing is in the form of a recoupable advance, which is like an unsecured, non-interest bearing, forgivable loan.  The Fund does not acquire rights, equity interest or profit participation in the project.  Most provincial and federal tax credit programs have determined financing from the Fund to be akin to a grant or subsidy that reduces the eligible tax credit.  Financing is repayable from revenue if any is earned. 

TELUS Fund

1. Cash Licences & Presales

2. Other Cash Sources

3. Non-Cash Sources

4. Tax Credits

The Applicant(s) agrees that no obligation is assumed or implied against The TELUS Fund (the “Fund”) unless and until the Fund enters into a written agreement with the Applicant(s), if any, and then only as expressed in such agreement. The undersigned hereby releases the Fund and its directors, officers, members, contractors, employees, administrators, agents, and representatives from any liability for the loss, theft, damage or destruction of the documents and materials submitted with this application or for the unauthorized use or reproduction for reasons beyond the Fund's knowledge or control. All risks associated with the transportation of the documents and materials submitted with this application are assumed by the Applicant(s).

The Applicant(s) acknowledges that this application is not eligible if any part of this application is not completed, signed, and submitted in full.  The Applicant(s) hereby warrants that the information provided in this application is complete and accurate and that the signatory has the full authority to submit this application. The Applicant(s) shall notify the Fund via email to info@telusfund.ca immediately if and when any changes occur to any of the submitted documents or information and shall provide written details of any such changes.

The Applicant(s) hereby authorizes the Fund to communicate any information in this application with any third party indicated in this application. The Applicant(s) acknowledges that the TELUS Fund has full discretion in administering its projects and in the application of the Program Guidelines to ensure that funding is provided to those projects that meet the mandate and objectives of the TELUS Fund. The Applicant hereby agrees that the Fund is not responsible in any way for the holding or return of any materials submitted at any time in connection with the application and the Fund retains the right to keep on file or destroy all materials submitted by Applicants in support of their application.

 

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