Cultural Spaces Grant Program

Capital Grants

Review the 2023 Capital Grants information guide PDF file (460 KB)

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  Small grants for cultural spaces

  When to apply: spring 2024

  Grants up to $25,000 to provide improved capital building-based funding support for:

  • Space planning
  • Research
  • Building improvements and upgrades
  • Accessibility
  • Mentorships between organizations or between organizations and professionals to support planning, knowledge sharing, and capacity building related to cultural space
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  Cultural Infrastructure Grants (CIG)

  When to apply: spring 2024

  Matching grants up to $250,000 for capital building-based projects including:

  • Space planning and research
  • Acquisition (purchase), renovation, or expansion of an arts and cultural facility
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  Critical Assistance Capital Grants

  When to apply: spring 2024 (2023 budget fully allocated)

  Grants up to $25,000 to support urgent building life-safety upgrades and other critical timely support for cultural spaces, including:

  • Unforeseen and urgent replacement, repairs and/or life-safety capital infrastructure projects
  • Hiring code consultants for time-sensitive projects
  • Assistance with permit fee costs

Operating grants

Review the 2023 Operating Grants information guide PDF file (385 KB)

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  Affordable Spaces Grants

  When to apply: spring 2024

  Grants up to $50,000 for facility operating costs for local non-profit space operators who provide subsidized affordable space for Vancouver-based artists and/or cultural organizations.

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  Eligible applicants for any cultural spaces grant program

  Cultural spaces grant programs may be available to provincially registered, Vancouver-based (within Vancouver city limits) non-profit societies or cooperatives in good standing External website, opens in new tab, and/or federally-registered charitable organizations with a publicly stated culture-first vision, mission, and/or mandate having an independent, active governing body composed of volunteers.

  We strongly encourage applications from local First Nations band councils and urban Indigenous non-profit organizations whose traditional ancestral territories extend beyond Vancouver city limits

  Organizations we don't fund

  We don't fund organizations with a publicly stated primary purpose, vision, mission, or mandate to support:

  • Child care
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Health care
  • Recreation
  • Religion
  • Social services 
  • Sports
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  Eligible requests

  Your organization may apply for a cultural spaces grant for:

  Capital Grant Streams

  Funds designated to support costs for building-based planning and/or improvement projects.

  • Small Grants for Cultural Spaces  (up to $25,000)
    • Funding support for smaller cultural space projects, including space planning, research, building improvements and upgrades, accessibility, and mentorships between organizations or between organizations and professionals to support planning, knowledge sharing, and capacity building related to cultural space.
    • Open January 204
    • Deadline: To be determined in 2024
  • Cultural Infrastructure Grants (up to $250,000)
    • Matching funds to complete capital projects; buy, build, renovate, or expand a cultural facility
    • Open January 2024
    • Deadline: To be determined in 2024
  • Critical Assistance Capital Grants (up to $25,000)
    • For urgent building life-safety upgrades and/or urgent replacement/repair
    • Assistance with permit fee costs
    • Assistance with code consultation for time-sensitive projects
    • Open January 2024 - contact planners for access

  Operating Grant Stream

  Funds designated to support facility operating costs.

  • Affordable Cultural Spaces Grants (up to $50,000)
    • Facility operating costs for organizations that operate space for the express purpose of supporting independent artists and/or arts organizations
    • Open January 2024
    • Deadline: To be determined in 2024

  What we don't fund

  Cultural spaces grants cannot fund:

  • Non-profit organizations that are not based in Vancouver and/or whose primary purpose or program activity is the provision of childcare, education, employment, health care, recreation, religion, social services or sport programs and services are not eligible to apply for the Cultural Spaces Grant program. Non-profit organizations providing these services may be eligible for community grants.
  • Non-Profit organizations that do not have arts and cultural mandates or whose activities do not meet the program goals and eligibility criteria, or do not align with the CultureShift PDF file (12.2 MB) directions of Reconciliation and decolonization; cultural equity and accessibility; and securing affordable, accessible, and safe cultural spaces.
  • Equipment, including equipment that is presentation or exhibition-related, non-integral portable lighting/audio/visual systems/equipment, heaters, tents, pottery wheels, computer or communication systems, furniture, or appliances.
  • Projects that are considered regular or routine repair and maintenance or part of ongoing, day-to-day operations, unless as part of an application to the Affordable Spaces grant program and integral to cultural space operations.
  • Any work that is already underway or completed prior to the application deadline, however, in the context of Affordable Cultural Spaces grants, we may consider funding support for space operation costs for the current year that exist prior to application deadlines. For Critical Assistance applications, we may consider funding support for work already underway to address life-safety issues.
  • Strategic planning, capital campaigns, fundraising, or marketing activities. See Cultural Grants Program.
  • Programming, including artistic research and/or creation. See Arts and Culture Grants.
  • Operations or administrative items such as: day-to-day staffing costs, moving expenses, tools, non-space related training, computer software, food and beverages (unless as part of community engagement for space planning project), and such.
  • Organizations with three (3) or more open capital grants for incomplete projects.
  • Projects located outside Vancouver city limits.
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  Cultural spaces resources

  • 2023 Capital grants information guide PDF file (460 KB), including glossary of terms
  • 2023 Affordable spaces grants information guide PDF file (385 KB), including glossary of terms
  • Culture|Shift
  • Making Space for Arts and Culture, Vancouver’s 10-year Cultural Infrastructure Plan
  • Available funding programs for cultural organizations PDF file (120 KB)
  • Sample financial statements PDF file (53 KB)
  • Final report template Excel file (31 KB) for projects funded prior to May 2022, otherwise, find this in your VanApply account