Edmonton Screen believes in empowering the voices of those in underrepresented communities as well as supporting the community in pursuing their paths in the film, television, and video game industries. Edmonton Screen is looking to partner with organizations whose mandate is to work with and elevate individuals from underrepresented communities (those who identify as women, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, or a person with a disability). The Underrepresented Initiatives Program is open to non-profit organizations who are seeking funding for an initiative that helps to increase representation in the screen industries. Examples of eligible initiatives include education, mentorship and on-the-job training.

The initiatives funded through this program will help achieve the following goals:

increase the number of Edmonton producers from underrepresented communities
increase the diversity of the Edmonton screen industries as a whole in order to develop a broader talent pipeline that fully represents the population
increase the skill level, exposure, and experience of individuals from underrepresented communities working in the Edmonton screen industries

Program Highlights

The program provides grant funding of up to 50% of an initiative budget (to a maximum of $50,000)
Initiatives are meant to increase the number and skills of individuals from underrepresented communities in the regions screen industries

Eligibility

Organizations must have a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion within the screen industries. Organizations must be either:

a First Nation or Metis Settlement in Alberta; or,
registered and operating in Alberta for a minimum of 6 months and in good standing with the following Acts:
- Societies Act of Alberta
- Companies Act, Part 9 (non-profit companies)
- Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and must be registered in Alberta under the Business Corporations Act
- Income Tax Act of Canada and operating in the Province of Alberta as a Charity

Organizations must be in good standing with the ESIO and the City of Edmonton.

Organizations cannot have more than one Underrepresented Initiatives grant active at one time.

Initiatives must directly impact individuals from underrepresented communities in the region
Initiatives may include new initiatives, one-time initiatives, initiatives expansions, and community events
Initiatives must have a start and end date
Initiatives must have an educational and/or training component
Initiatives must be complete no more than 1 year after grant approval

Initiative-specific costs, such as:
- marketing and communications
- contracted services (keynote speakers, mentors for participants)
- equipment, materials, supplies (including hardware and software) used by participants
- travel, including use of personal vehicle (based on Canada Revenue Agency’s mileage rate)
- hospitality (maximum of $40 per day per attendee)
- venue rental
- wages for staff who are fully dedicated to the initiative
- wages for staff not fully dedicated to the initiative (in-kind, maximum of $40 per hour)
- volunteer costs (in-kind, maximum of $40 per hour)
- grants or stipends to participants (maximum of $5,000 per participant)
General overhead (maximum of 5% of the total project budget or $5,000 whichever is less)
Organization’s contributions may be cash or in-kind goods and services.

Application Information

Organizations must submit a separate application form for each initiative. Organizations may indicate a priority order for multiple submissions; however, applications that best meet the assessment criteria may be chosen over the applicants’ priority choices.

Application Requirements
Information required for the application form:

Organization information
- Organization Name
- Main Contact Information (name, phone, email)
- Organization Address
- Website
- Year established
- Mission/purpose
- Organization Background (1000 characters max)
  Description of the organization and experience or expertise of the organization (current or past initiatives, programs, projects).
- Organization Structure (1000 characters max)
  Description of the organization structure including staffing, board, internal/external committees, reporting, etc.
- Management / Board member bios
  List of the organization’s management staff and/or board memebers and a brief biography for each. May provide links to info if available online.
Initiative information
- Title
- Summary (1500 characters max)
  General description of the initiative and indicate how it supports individuals from underrepresented communities in the Edmonton region. Include the expected number of participants from underrepresented communities you are aiming to impact.
- Timeline
  Include start date, end date, and key milestones.
- Outcomes (1000 characters max)
  Summary of the expected outcome of the Initiative and how it aligns with the program’s and ESIO’s goals.
- Key staff bios
  List key staff or contractors directly involved with running the initiative and a brief biography for each. May provide links to info if available online.
- Project Partners
  List any external partners involved with the Initiative.
Financials
- Total Initiative Budget
- Expense Breakdown (Description, Amount, Funding Source [cash/in-kind])
- Volunteer hours
- Support staff hours

Support Materials

Following submission of the application form, applicants may submit any additional documents they wish to share including a more detailed budget breakdown, project documentation, etc.

The following general criteria will be used to assess funding requests:

Alignment to Underrepresented Initiatives Program goals
- increase the number of Edmonton producers from underrepresented communities
- increase the diversity of the Edmonton screen industries as a whole in order to develop a broader talent pipeline that fully represents the population
- increase the skill level, exposure, and experience of individuals from underrepresented communities working in the Edmonton screen industries
Organization’s capacity, project viability, financial feasibility and project impacts
Alignment to ESIO Objectives
Application quality
Available funding

Other criteria may also be considered.

Process

All applications will first be reviewed for eligibility.
Eligible applications will then be assessed based on the criteria above.
Provisional approval of funding will be made to selected applications and applicants will be notified of decisions.
Those selected to move forward will complete a further due diligence phase to ensure readiness to proceed and a funding agreement will be finalized and executed by all parties

Due to limited funds and demand for funding, not all requests that meet the established criteria will be approved for funding. Requests may receive full, reduced or no funding for the initiative.

Applications Open: February 7, 2025
Applications Close: when available funding has been exhausted
Notification within: 30 days of application
Reporting due within: 30 days of program completion (or as required by funding agreement)

Detailed recognition and reporting requirements can be found on the funding toolkit. Reporting requirements will be outlined in the agreement.

Applicants with overdue final reporting for this program will not be eligible for future ESIO funding until the reporting is submitted.