Call for Letters of Intent - Guidelines & Funding Streams
The Call for Letters of Intent is closed.
The next call for Letters of Intent will be announced in 2024
Details on what to include in a Letter of Intent, and the kinds of initiatives we’re looking for, will be found at Call for Letters. We also encourage any potential applicants to review our Mandate to ensure your idea is in line with the Fund’s objectives. The following eligibility information and funding criteria may assist you with determining whether you would like to submit a Letter of Intent.
Eligibility
With respect to eligibility for a Broadcasting Accessibility Fund grant, the lead proponent (i.e. team leader) must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
In addition, successful applicants will be contractually obliged to conduct the bulk of the work involved (for example, research and development) in Canada.
Partnerships (such as joint initiatives proposed by the disability community, a research group, a university and/or a broadcaster) are strongly encouraged.
Streams of Funding
The Broadcasting Accessibility Fund will consider proposals that meet the following guidelines for eligible streams of funding. We strongly urge you to refer to our Mandate to ensure your initiative addresses the key goals of the Fund. You must clearly demonstrate how your initiative will tangibly increase accessibility to broadcasting content in Canada.
- Technical R&D
- Research into the functional interfaces for set top boxes or handheld television controllers (Example: research into head stylus/finger sensor enabling simplified access to programming; audible programming menus; software to simplify access to described video via universal remote controls)
- Research into methods of reducing costs for accessible content (Example: development of software enabling faster and cheaper posting of captions or description for online content)
- Research into the development and introduction of new digital options and technologies for accessible content or multiplatform accessibility applications (Example: simplified user-controlled movement of on-screen captions; applications to turn a smartphone into a universal remote control activated by voice, touch or assistive device)
- Business Innovation
- Proposals for the development of new revenue models to underwrite the costs associated with accessible content
- Business case development
- Other proposals designed to foster business advancement in accessibility to broadcasting content
- Education
- Development of post-secondary curricula in broadcasting accessibility (Example: an online course on accessibility to digital content)
- Other Research or Project Initiatives to Increase Accessibility to Broadcasting Content
- Research or project initiatives that combine elements of the above noted categories
PLEASE NOTE: The Broadcasting Accessibility Fund is not a production fund. Rather, it is designed to support innovative solutions for greater accessibility to broadcasting content for Canadians with disabilities. The Broadcasting Accessibility Fund will not consider for funding any proposal that would result in the fulfillment of existing regulatory obligations for broadcasting accessibility or that would introduce any new regulatory obligations for broadcasting accessibility.
