OMIF - Music Futures

• The Music Futures stream has two deadlines for the 2026-27 program year: April 30, 2026, and September 24, 2026. Music promoters and presenters (including festivals) MUST apply to the September 24, 2026 deadline, and will have a fixed 12-month activity period from December 1, 2026, to November 30, 2027. Record labels, music publishers, and music management companies will have a flexible 12-month period to execute their activities, as is outlined by the examples below.

  
  

  Applicants may begin incurring expenses related to their activities no earlier than April 1, 2026 (for the April 30^th deadline) or August 1, 2026 (for the September 24^th deadline) and must commence their activity spending no later than 90 days following the date of funding approval. The 12-month activity window for recipients will commence on the date that the first expenditure is incurred for any activity within the application.

  
  

  The eligible activity window for the April 30^th deadline is a maximum 12-month period between April 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027. The eligible activity window for the September 24^th deadline is a maximum 12-month period between August 1, 2026, and January 15, 2028.

  
  

  Upon receiving a funding notification, recipients will have the opportunity to discuss their specific 12-month activity window with a Program Consultant prior to the execution of their agreement with Ontario Creates.

  
  

  For repeat applicants that have an existing OMIF funding approval, the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate that the activities and costs being submitted for the new application do not overlap with activities supported by the previous application. Ontario Creates reserves the right to request invoices and proofs of payment to verify the eligibility of expenses.

  
  

  Outlined below are examples to demonstrate the options available to applicants in terms of the starting and ending dates for their activities.

  
  

  EXAMPLE 1:

  
  

  Company A wants to start its eligible activity window on April 1, 2026. Company A must apply to the April 30^th deadline (for activities taking place between April 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027). Company A understands that this decision to commence their eligible activity window as of April 1^st is at their own risk, as there is no guarantee that their application (or the specific proposed activity) will receive funding when decisions are announced approximately 14 weeks after the April 30^th deadline.

  
  

  Company A may commence incurring costs for the proposed activity as of April 1^st and will have a maximum time window of 12 months starting from the date the company commences their eligible activity window (e.g., April 1, 2026). Company A’s 12-month eligible activity window would expire on March 31, 2027.

  
  

  EXAMPLE 2:

  
  

  Company B wants to start its eligible activity window on July 1, 2026. Company B must apply to the April 30^th deadline (for activities taking place between April 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027).

  
  

  Company B understands that they will not receive notification regarding their application until approximately 14 weeks after the April 30^th deadline (mid-August 2026).

  
  

  Company B will have a maximum time window of 12 months starting from the date the company commences their eligible activity window (e.g. July 1, 2026). Company B’s 12-month spending window would expire on June 30, 2027.

  
  

  EXAMPLE 3:

  
  

  Company C applies to the September 24^th deadline. As Company C has flexibility with respect to the starting timeframe for their activities, they choose to wait until receiving notification of whether their application has been approved before they commence their activities. Company C is informed in mid-late December 2026 (approximately 14 weeks after the September 24, 2026, deadline) that their application has been approved.

  
  

  Company C may choose a start date anytime up to 90 days following this funding notification to commence spending on their approved activities (which would take them to mid-March 2027), however, the latest date by which spending can be incurred is January 15, 2028. If Company C decided to not commence their spending until mid-March 2027, they would have a compressed eligible activity window that would end January 15, 2028.

  
  

  EXAMPLE 4:

  
  

  Company D applies to the September 24, 2026, deadline as a music promoter/presenter as required by guidelines. The activity window is fixed, beginning from December 1, 2026, and ending November 30, 2027.

  
  

  Any activity spending incurred prior to funding approval is applicants’ risk, and a valid certificate of insurance must be in place as of the time of the expenditures.