Museums Assistance Program

The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) supports heritage institutions and workers in the preservation and presentation of heritage collections. MAP provides financial assistance to Canadian museums and related institutions for activities that:

  • facilitate Canadians’ access to our heritage;
  • foster the preservation of Canada’s cultural heritage, including the preservation of representative collections of Aboriginal cultural heritage; and
  • foster professional knowledge, skills and practices related to key museum functions.

2013-2014 - Application Deadlines

Access to Heritage: November 1, 2012
Exhibition Circulation Fund: Applications accepted year-round
Aboriginal Heritage: November 1, 2012
Collections Management:  November 1, 2012
Canada-France Agreement:  April 30, 2013 (extended)

Components

MAP funding is available for five broad categories of projects:

Access to Heritage: for the development and circulation of travelling exhibitions;

Exhibition Circulation Fund: for the hosting of out of province travelling exhibitions or in province exhibitions that received funding from MAP (through Access to Heritage or Aboriginal Heritage) and have already travelled outside of their province of origin;

Aboriginal Heritage: for projects related to the preservation, management and presentation of Aboriginal cultural heritage;

Collections Management: for projects to improve knowledge, skills and practices related to key museum functions;

Canada-France Agreement: for joint missions between French and Canadian heritage organizations to create ties and enhance competencies of museum professionals, including partnerships for exhibition development and sharing of specialized expertise in the area of museology. Particular emphasis is placed on applications where the objectives also further the development of official language minority communities. (The deadline to submit applications for 2013-2014 projects is extended to April 30, 2013.)

Eligible Applicants and Projects

Please refer to the 2013-2014 Museums Assistance Program Guidelines as well as component pages.

Application Process

Project proposals are reviewed competitively once each year. Applications must be postmarked no later than on the announced deadline date, with the exception of applications for the Exhibition Circulation Fund, which are accepted year-round.

It is highly recommended that you consult your regional program officer to discuss your project prior to submission. To discuss your application for funding, contact the nearest regional office. National organizations should contact the national office.

Application forms for each component and guidelines can be found on the following pages:

Funding History

To review recently funded projects under the MAP, please consult the following lists. Note that project descriptions are listed in the language in which they were provided.

Access to Heritage, Exhibition Circulation Fund, Aboriginal Heritage, Organizational Development (now Collections Management), Canada-France Agreement:

Service Standards

Canadian Heritage has set service standards for the timely delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt, funding decision and payment processes. Service Standards for each funding component are available from the individual component pages.