One-Time Assistance Measure for Indigenous Media

Indigenous media operating in Québec face major challenges in regard to the financing of their activities, their organizational structure and the development of content, programming and advertising strategies. They also need to improve their infrastructure and recruiting practises as well as professionalize their human resources operations.

The Ministère wishes to help Indigenous media in need of one-time financial support to maintain and develop their mission.

This one-time assistance for Indigenous media initiative is therefore a tool for media organizations needing temporary assistance to receive help from the Ministère outside of operating assistance.

The financial assistance granted by the Ministère must make it possible to conduct, over a specified period, defined actions that cannot be automatically renewed.

The two objectives of this initiative are as follows:

• Ensure continuity of services for Indigenous media in a vulnerable situation:
  • In this program, unless indicated otherwise by the context, “Indigenous media in a vulnerable situation” means an organization that is facing possible closure but enjoys a high level of community support and organizational capacity to continue its operations. This one-time assistance measure will enable the organization to restructure or make urgent repairs or equipment acquisitions, so that it can continue to invest in the community.
• Support the development of Indigenous media, which are in a crucial and structuring phase of its development:
  • An Indigenous media organization “in a crucial and structuring phase of its development” in regard to its future means an organization that is going through a crucial phase that will enable it to improve its administrative organization and growth through the development of its operations.

Terms and Conditions

This program is open to not-for-profit legal entities (organizations, co-ops or public authorities) as well as for-profit companies legally constituted and registered with the Registraire des entreprises that:

• Have their head office and principal place of business in Québec and carry out the majority of their operations there; and
• Offer the public or their members (as the case may be) access to their operations, goods and services.

Specific Requirements

The assistance is intended for Indigenous media organizations or their authorized agents, i.e., band councils and municipalities that:

• are actively conducting operations at the time the application is submitted; and
• broadcast their programming primarily in the language(s) of their community, or in a language understood by their community and reflecting its needs and preferences.

Indigenous media targeted by this program include:

• Indigenous radio stations;
• Indigenous print media;
• Indigenous online media;
• Conventional Indigenous television; and
• Communications societies.

Exclusions

The following are not eligible for the assistance:

• Individuals;
• Non-Indigenous organizations;
• Non-Indigenous governmental organizations;
• Any applicant who:
  • Is registered with the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA), including any subcontractor registered with the RENA;
  • Has failed to meet its obligations after having been duly served with formal notice in connection with the granting of prior financial assistance by a Government of Québec department or agency.

To be eligible, the project must:

• Meet one of the two objectives mentioned above;
• Be for the purpose of rectifying a situation, restructuring, acquiring or repairing equipment, and carry urgency or be related to a vulnerable situation; and
• Aim to conduct studies or research and development as a second priority.

Projects not eligible for the program include:

• Those related to an organization’s day-to-day operations, i.e., projects that fall within the scope of activities considered normal and routine; and
• Those that are funded by another of the Ministère’s assistance programs.

Applications for financial assistance are normally completed online via a form available on the di@pason online service  website (french version). They are then automatically forwarded to the Ministère in charge of processing them. Upon request, applications may also be submitted via a paper form, which must be forwarded to the Ministère’s office in the applicant’s region.

For any difficulty with di@pason, please fill out the Application for financial assistance (PDF 1.20 Mb) form.

Applications for financial assistance must be received by the dates determined each year by the Ministère. To learn more about these dates, see the program calendar (french version) (PDF 165 Kb).

Note: Certain projects deemed to be very urgent can be processed by the Ministère outside the pre-established program schedule.

Applicants must submit, on the form or in the attachments, all the necessary information for reviewing their application. This includes:

• Project’s description, including its background and rationale;
• Project’s goals;
• Important dates;
• Expected results and impacts;
• Names and contact information of the partners associated with the project and a description of the contributions they intend to make to the project (contributions of goods and services must be accounted for and estimated according to their market value);
• Information regarding the project management team, including its experience and skills;
• Detailed project budget;
• Project schedule (PDF 131 Kb) and project phases, specifying the main stages or operations involved;
• Most recent financial statements (in the case of an organization);
• Consent from the organization’s jurisdiction to submit an application for financial assistance; and
• Any relevant information to support the application.

While the project is being reviewed, the applicant may be required to provide the Ministère with additional information and documentation.

In order to be submitted for review, applications must be complete and based on accurate data. If not, the applicant will be required to correct the deficiencies within the timeframe granted by the Ministère.

Applications are reviewed by the Ministère. For all projects, the analysis is carried out on an ongoing basis. However, only projects that successfully pass the applicant and project eligibility, relevance and quality analysis stages will be considered for funding.

Applications are reviewed based on:

• the project’s relevance, as seen by:
  • the project’s alignment with the Ministère’s priorities, goals and objectives, as well as with issues related to the relevant territory or sector, or both; and
  • overlap or competition with existing activities or projects.
• the project’s quality, as seen by:
  • the clarity and precision of the project’s objectives;
  • the experience and skills of the project management team;
  • the applicant’s ability to complete the project;
  • the feasibility of the budget forecasts, financial arrangements and project schedule; and
  • the diversity of funding sources and the judicious use of resources.

The project is also examined and prioritized according to the following criteria:

• its urgency or crucial nature regarding the pursuit of the organization’s mission, as showcased in the application;
• the community served and territory covered by the organization’s operations;
• the organization’s financial situation; and
• the relative equity in the grants’ distribution between media types (e.g., radio, television, print and online media) and the Indigenous nations and communities served.

In addition to the sections relating to payment and use of the grant, the Results Agreement that the recipient must sign to receive payment of the grant includes:

• a statement of accountability; and
• commitments related to communications regarding the purpose of the grant.

The program provides financial assistance for up to 90% of eligible project expenses, in line with financial assistance guidelines for non-profit organizations and public authorities (75% for for-profit companies).

The cumulative amount of direct or indirect financial assistance, including tax credits, received from Québec and Canadian government departments, agencies and Crown corporations, as well as from municipal entities that are not direct beneficiaries of the program, must not exceed 90% of eligible expenses for non-profit organizations and public authorities (75% for for-profit companies).

For the purposes of calculating the stacking rate for public financial assistance, the term “municipal entities” refers to the municipal bodies included in section 5 of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (CQLR, c. A-2.1).

The assets referred to in subparagraph 1º of the first paragraph of section 89 of the Act establishing the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government (CQLR, c. G-1.04) are not considered in this regulation’s stacking rules.

For the purposes of calculating the stacking rate, all forms of financial assistance granted by a public body must be calculated at 100% of their value, whether they must be repaid or not.

When the agreement is signed, the Ministère pays a first instalment of its grant representing at least 50% and at most 80% of the awarded amount. The remainder is paid according to terms and stages that depend on the nature of the project, its duration and the expected deliverables. Large grants may be paid in several instalments, according to the phases of the project specified in the agreement.

In the current program, the maximum financial contribution for a single project cannot exceed $50,000.

In all cases, financial assistance may be revised according to the funds the Assemblée nationale allocates to the Ministère.

The applicant’s contribution to the project must cover at least 10% of the project’s total eligible expenses, of which at least 5% must be monetary.

The applicant’s expected contribution to the project must be recorded and included in the submitted budget. This contribution may include any goods and services to be provided, with an estimate of their market value.

Eligible expenses

Only expenses directly related to the project are eligible. These expenses may include:

• labour costs (including benefits);
• costs related to the rental of property or equipment;
• costs related to the purchase of materials or equipment;
• reporting and consulting fees;
• subcontracting costs;
• advertising expenses;
• travel expenses;
• administrative fees (up to 5% of the total eligible expenses described above); and
• fees for contingencies (up to 10% of the total eligible expenses described above).

Ineligible expenses

Expenses incurred prior to the grant being formally awarded in writing by the Ministère are not considered eligible and must be clearly indicated as such in the budget.

Expenses related to a project funded by another project of the Ministère’s.

The Accountability Report (PDF 117 Kb) shall be completed in accordance with the provisions of the Results Agreement:

• It is completed according to the timeframe established therein or at the end of the project, depending on its nature and duration.
• It is the subject of a written final report and, where appropriate, progress reports, which the applicant produces itself.

The accountability report must include:

• An overview of the operations carried out and the amounts allocated to them;
• A description of the project results and how they compare to the project objectives; and
• Any other information or documentation requested by the Ministère.

The Ministère reserves the right to visit the project site and verify use of the grant money at any reasonable time.