Nova Scotia Funding Portal
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Agriculture and farming
    • Arts, culture and heritage
    • Education, science and research
    • Emergency services and public safety
    • Employment, training
    • Environment, water and climate change
    • Health and human services
    • Housing, retrofits and new construction
    • Parks and recreation
    • Planning and development
    • Solid waste and wastewater
    • Transit and active transportation
  • News & Updates
  • Resources
    • About Us
    • Tips and Guides
    • FAQ
  • Contact
Subscribe to Updates
Sign in
Subscribe to Updates

Access to Heritage – Museums Assistance Program

Federal funding for travelling exhibitions reaching new audiences across Canada. Supports development, production and circulation of exhibitions with interpretive materials.

  • Provider
    Department of Canadian Heritage
  • Closed

Access to Heritage – Museums Assistance Program

Federal funding for travelling exhibitions reaching new audiences across Canada. Supports development, production and circulation of exhibitions with interpretive materials.

  • Provider
    Department of Canadian Heritage
  • Closed
  • DETAILS
  • prev
  • next
  • prev
  • next
Categories
  • Arts, culture and heritage
Description

The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) supports heritage institutions and workers in preservation and presentation of heritage collections through several components, each with its own eligibility criteria. The Access to Heritage component provides funding to heritage organizations for travelling exhibitions in Canada, promoting access to heritage across different geographic regions and assisting organizations in reaching new audiences.

Program Objectives:

  • Foster greater access to heritage across different geographic regions of Canada
  • Support organization and circulation of travelling exhibitions
  • Assist heritage organizations in reaching new audiences
  • Reflect Canada's diverse cultural and natural heritage
  • Facilitate development and circulation of Canadian travelling exhibitions and associated interpretive material

Eligible Project Types:

1. Research, design and production of travelling exhibition Where conceptual stage has been completed, including associated interpretive material (multimedia interactive displays, educational programs, mobile applications, public documentation, other online products and activities).

2. Circulation of exhibition Circulation to one or more venues in Canada.

Important Project Requirements:

  • All products presented to public (in person and online) must be developed in both official languages
  • Applicants encouraged to develop exhibitions in other languages relevant to project
  • Projects not required to include all phases (production, promotion, circulation) in same funding application
  • Applications for development/production phase must include letters of intent from at least one other Canadian venue
  • Separate applications may be submitted later for circulation phase
  • Host institutions may apply under Exhibition Circulation Fund component of MAP
  • Travelling art exhibitions must be retrospective or present historical perspective (minimum 75% of visual art works drawn from public/private collections other than artist's collection)
  • Applicants invited to explore circulating exhibitions to non-traditional spaces (schools, community centres)

Eligible expenses:

  • Pro-rated salaries and wages (municipal/provincial government salaries eligible but not reimbursable)
  • Travel for personnel working on project (must comply with government business travel rates)
  • Honorarium, fees and travel for consultants, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and/or cultural practitioners (must comply with government business travel rates)
  • Equipment rental, shipping fees, promotion and communication expenses
  • Incremental administration costs (maximum 15% of eligible project expenses)
  • Translation of public material in both official languages and other applicable languages (including Indigenous languages)
  • Creation of education materials, catalogues and marketing materials
  • Hospitality and gifts associated with traditional Indigenous ceremonies and protocol
  • Additional insurance costs
  • Copyright and reproduction permits
  • Materials, supplies and minor capital assets (equipment): Maximum 25% of MAP project funding
  • Project audit fees (if applicable)
  • Other direct project-related costs
Resources
  • Funder's website
    • Access to Heritage – Museums Assistance Program
    • Related Programs:
    • • Indigenous Heritage – Museums Assistance Program
    • • Exhibition Circulation Fund – Museums Assistance Program
    • • Collections Management – Museums Assistance Program
    • • Canada-France Agreement – Museums Assistance Program
    • • Digital Access to Heritage – Museums Assistance Program
    • • Canada Strong Pass Initiative – Museums Assistance Program
  • Contact
      • National Office:
      • Email: map-pam@pch.gc.ca
      • Nova Scotia Regional Office:
      • • Email: atlantique-atlantic@pch.gc.ca
      • • Phone: 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free)
      • • TTY: 1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)
Deadline
  • November 3, 2025
Important Dates
  • Application deadline
    September 3, 2025 to November 3, 2025 (4:00 PM ET)
Eligible Applicants
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • First Nations
Funding Details
  • Estimated amount per fund
    Up to $200,000 per project
  • Funding Notes
    • Up to $100,000 per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31)
    • Up to 50% of eligible expenses
    • Up to 85% under exceptional circumstances
How to Apply
  • Fund Guidelines
    • Available here
  • Online Application
    • • Review Application Guidelines
    • • Contact your Canadian Heritage regional office to discuss eligibility and your project
    • • Prepare complete Application Package
    • • Submit online via the Canadian Heritage Funding Portal with all required forms

You May Also Be Interested In

Festival and Community Event Development

  • NS Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
  • Provincial funding up to $10,000 to help sustain, grow, or improve unique community festivals and events across Nova Scotia.
  • Closing Soon
  • Quick view

Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages

  • Department of Canadian Heritage
  • Salary subsidies for employers to create short-term bilingual jobs for youth ages 15-30, supporting official language skills and minority community development.
  • Closing Soon
  • Quick view

Digital Content Marketing Program

  • Tourism Nova Scotia
  • Provincial matching program that helps tourism organizations create high-quality digital content & run targeted marketing campaigns in key visitor markets.
  • Closed
  • Quick view
Facebook X-twitter Linkedin Youtube
Menu
  • About Us
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe to Updates

Disclaimer

We make every effort to ensure the program details in this guide are accurate. In the event of a discrepancy between this guide and the funder’s official website, the information on the program website will take precedence.

© 2026 Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

Cart