Festivals & Events COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program

• Local Edmonton festivals and events drive diversity, culture, recreation, and economic development in our city. The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a momentous impact on these activities. In order to support the recovery of this important sector, the City of Edmonton created a grant program for festivals and events to encourage their return by offsetting additional costs as a result of COVID-19 and continue to build and inspire our community through vibrant experiences bringing people and visitors together again. 
• Grant funds can only be used for the purpose outlined in the grant application. Please see the FAQ below for examples of how funding may be used.
• You are required to submit a final report to the City upon the completion of your event.
• The City may change or clarify the grant criteria at any time to be responsive to the needs of organizations. Updated information will always be found on this webpage.
• Timely access to funds is important. We will do our best to process the applications within 8 weeks of receiving them.
• Funding to successful applicants will be in the form of an EFT (electronic funds transfer) or cheque, which will be mailed to the address that you have provided.
• We have a limited budget and are unfortunately unable to support every application. To improve your chances of success, please ensure that you’ve completed all sections of the form, added sufficient detail about how you intend to use the funds, and submitted your application as early as possible.
• Funding decisions made by the City are final and cannot be appealed.
• Applications will be received until May 1, 2022
  Note: Organizers with events that take place between January 1, 2022 and April 30, 2022 can apply retroactively.

The City reserves the right to audit applications and projects that receive funding. You may need to provide additional information to verify the funding was used for the intended purpose outlined in your application.

In order to be eligible for the 2022 grant, your festival or event must be:

• Held in the city of Edmonton
• Held between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 
• One of the following:
  • An outdoor event located on City of Edmonton parkland, public open space, or road right-of-ways; or
  • Indoor event run by an organization with existing funding relationship with the Edmonton Arts Council; or
  • Indoor or outdoor sport or active recreation event.
• Held in-person with an attendance of 50 people or more
• Not-for-profit events, open to the public to attend (free admission or participation fee / charitable donation), or ticketed spectator event (such a concerts or performances);
  Note: For-profit Edmonton-based organizations producing events may be considered for a grant on a case-by case-basis. Consideration will be based on need, and the ability to access other local economy grants.
• Produced by an organization (not an individual) that:
  • Undertakes their work primarily in Edmonton, or has a history of significant activity in Edmonton when they also work elsewhere; 
  • Is in good standing, and not in arrears with the City of Edmonton.
• Insured with a minimum of $2M in general liability;
• Held in compliance with all public health requirements, restrictions and guidance imposed by the City of Edmonton, Alberta Health Services - Environmental Public Health (AHS-EPH), and Alberta Health - Chief Medical Officer of Health (AH-CMOH);
• Held in compliance with all other permitting or licensing requirements as necessary (Edmonton Fire, Development Services, etc);

Additional eligibility:

• Edmonton-based organizations that produce annual festivals or events in Edmonton and have significant ongoing operational costs and financial obligations involved in order to produce those festivals or events.
• Those organizations will need to make a strong case in their grant application as to the extenuating circumstances of their financial need.

Who can apply

Eligible festivals, events and organizations include:

1. Cultural, historical, food, music, parades, and arts events (Outdoor)
2. Arts and performance events (Indoor) 
   • Arts and performance organizations, hosting events that have an established funding relationship with the Edmonton Arts Council.
   • This portion of the grant would be administered by the Edmonton Arts Council, which has developed specific criteria for events that are indoors and do not typically require City services.
3. Sport and active recreation events (Indoor and Outdoor)
   • Sport and active recreation, and Active Living events.
4. Not-for-Profit events that are attracted through partnership with Explore Edmonton
5. Organizations that received grant funding in 2021
   • Those organizations that received funding in 2021 will need to make a strong case as to why additional support is required in 2022.
   • The maximum grant amount for second time applicants will be up to 75% of the 2021 grant amount unless otherwise determined by the grant review committee.

Grant funding awards will be considered for eligible events only. 

Ineligible festivals/events and organizations include, but are not limited to:

• Festivals and events not taking place in Edmonton
• Private events (examples of ineligible events include, but are not limited to: weddings, graduations, showers, celebrations of life, potlucks, awards ceremonies, roasts, local sports tournaments or ‘meets’)
• Virtual events
• Indoor for-profit venues
• Professional / semi-professional sporting events
• Regular sport league play; (special events may be considered)
• Events intended to raise funds for specific individuals
• Film productions
• Protests, rallies, demonstrations, and marches
• Markets (including farmers’ and seasonal markets)
• Block parties or play streets
• Promotional or marketing activities (such as product demonstrations, merchandise sales, launches, etc.)
• Events that require membership to observe or participate
• Services/activities of faith organizations
• Government or government agencies, post secondary institutions, or political parties
• Political campaigning
• Capital projects (for example: purchasing equipment or making an addition to a building)
• Performances, exhibitions or activities that promote or incite racism, hatred or violence

Before you begin your application, consider and have ready the following details:

• Applicant name and contact information
• Organization name and mailing address 
• Information about your organization: Is it not-for-profit/charitable or for profit? Are you accessing any other funding through the City of Edmonton, or Provincial or Federal Governments?
• Grant criteria: Applications must meet the program’s core criteria in order to be considered for a grant. Grant funding awards will be considered based on an established formula and criteria such as:  
  • Event size, scope, and scale (including expected attendance and location capacity)
  • Number of events proposed that will take place between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022
  • History of the event in Edmonton
  • Benefit to the public (cultural, recreational, or charitable significance)
  • Public Access (free versus charged/cost to participate)
  • Not-for-profit, charitable, or for-profit organization status
  • Circumstances of financial need
  • Receipt of funding from other City of Edmonton sources (other than the Edmonton Arts Council grants)
  • Total number of events you are planning to produce within the eligibility period
  • Order of application
• Funding may be used towards production costs such as:
  • Programming elements such as:
    • Relaunch celebrations 
    • Programming with a primary focus on bringing community members together
  • Event operations such as:
    • Temporary or enhanced infrastructure and/or equipment required to support the safe delivery of the event (additional seating, larger tents/canopies)
    • Set-up, rehearsal or strike time (such as staffing, artist costs, rentals)
    • Staffing/volunteers to implement health and safety protocols
    • Staffing, performers, artists, volunteers, officials, etc.
    • Civic Services costs, materials and equipment
    • Marketing, advertising and communications
    • Other production costs 
  • Supply expenses specific to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, such as:
    • Personal protective equipment, sanitizing materials and additional cleaning requirements;
    • Health screening infrastructure;
    • Attendance registration systems or equipment.
• If you receive a grant, how do you intend to use the funds? Be specific and concise: How will spending the money in this way align with the criteria listed above? Please note that the City will use this description to evaluate your project against the program’s criteria  (500 words or fewer). 
• Considering these types of costs that grant funding may be used for, what is the total estimated production cost for your event(s) taking place between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022?
• Information about your event: Event name, event description, start and end date, location, anticipated attendance, purpose of the event, number of years the event has occurred, is registration required to attend your event? Is there a registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate in your event? 
  • NOTE: If you are producing multiple eligible events between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, please have details about each event ready for your application (anticipated attendance, total anticipated event cost, dates, etc. of each additional eligible event). 

• All applications will be evaluated by City staff for completeness, alignment with the program objective and core criteria, and to ensure that the application meets eligibility requirements. Applications will then be reviewed by the review panel made up of representatives from a number of City areas as well as the Edmonton Arts Council and Explore Edmonton.
• Each applicant will receive an email acknowledgement of their grant application.
• Notification of the grant decision will be received within 8 weeks of the submission of a complete application.
• Successful applicants will receive funds within 8 weeks of notification of a successful application.
• Applications will be assessed based solely on the contents and information submitted in the application.