Grant Investment Programs 2026: Announcement
Calgary Arts Development (CADA) is the city’s designated arts development agency, stewarding public dollars for the public good. Our grant investment programs support artists and arts organizations for the benefit of all Calgarians in alignment with our 2023 – 2026 Strategic Framework, Ákáakomatapoap.
Calgary Arts Development must allocate a minimum of 75 per cent of our annual budget from the City of Calgary through grant investment programs. Information about all our funding programs can be found on the Grant Investment Programs page of our website. Program pages include the expected timelines and publication dates for 2026. Further information, including full program guidelines and programs currently under development, will become available throughout the year.
In 2025, the Community Investment team received and processed approximately 1,500 applications to our grant investment programs and made over 620 grants totalling approximately $14.8 million to arts organizations, individual artists and artist collectives.
The 2025 community investment program results will be published in February 2026.
Grants to Arts Organizations
In 2025 we received 294 eligible applications to programs for arts organizations, including the Operating Grant and Project Grant for Organizations. In 2025, the average success rate for competitive programs for arts organizations was approximately 49 per cent.
In the fall of 2025, we ran the Community Arts Organizations Operating Grant for the 2026-2027 funding years, and a one-year Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant for the 2026 funding year.
In 2026, we will run the following programs for non-profit arts organizations:
Professional Arts Organizations that received a grant through the Operating Grant Program in 2025 will receive their 2026 grant upon approval of their interim report.
The Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program provides unrestricted operating funding to non-profit professional arts organizations in Calgary. Grants through this program are committed on a four-year basis for funding years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030. This program is open to both current grantees and new applicants. Program guidelines will be published in June and the application will be available in late August. The deadline to apply will be October 7, 2026, with notifications of results sent out in mid-December.
The Project Grant for Organizations provides one-time project funding to registered non-profit arts organizations in Calgary. The total budget for this program is $800,000. Program guidelines and the application will be available in early April. The deadline to apply will be May 6, 2026, and grant notifications will occur in early July.
The Rozsa Foundation will continue to administer the Future Focus Program on behalf of the funding partners, which also include Calgary Arts Development and the Calgary Foundation. Program guidelines and timelines can be found on the program page.
Grants to Individual Artists and Artist Collectives
In 2025, we received 1,113 eligible applications to programs for individual artists and collectives, including the Project Grant for Individuals and Collectives and the Artist Development Microgrant. This is a 39 per cent increase compared to 2024. In 2025, the average success rate in programs for individual artists and artist collectives was approximately 30 per cent.
In 2026, we will run the following programs for individual artists and artist collectives:
The Project Grant for Individuals and Collectives is intended to provide one-time project funding to individual artists and artist collectives. The total budget for this program is $3.1 million. Program guidelines and the application will be available in late March. The deadline to apply will be May 13, 2026, and grant notifications will occur in mid-September.
The Artist Development Microgrant program is intended to provide individual artists and artist collectives with support for professional development and business development activities. The total budget for this program is $700,000. This program was piloted as a lottery process in 2024 and 2025. We will continue to run this program on a lottery in 2026, with two intakes. The first intake will open in late February with a March 25, 2026 deadline, and grant notifications will occur in early May. The second intake will open in mid-August with a September 23, 2026 deadline, and grant notifications will occur in early November.
Grants to Indigenous Artists, Collectives and Organizations
In 2025 we received 82 eligible applications for funding in the programs for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) artists, FNMI artist collectives and Indigenous-led and -centred arts organizations. In 2025, the average success rate for Indigenous grant programs was approximately 63 per cent.
Indigenous grant programs are developed with feedback and support from our Indigenous Advisory Committee.
In 2026, we will run the following programs for FNMI artists, Indigenous artist collectives and Indigenous-led and -centred arts organizations:
The Indigenous Cultural Connections Program is intended to support FNMI individual artists and artist collectives living and working in the Treaty 7 region for activities and expenses related to the preservation of Indigenous cultural art making and traditions. The total budget for this program is $100,000. Program guidelines and the application will be available in mid-March. The deadline to apply will be April 22, 2026, and grant notifications will occur in mid-June.
The Original Peoples Investment Program is intended to support one-time project funding to FNMI individual artists, FNMI artist collectives, and Indigenous-led and -centred arts organizations practising and operating in the Treaty 7 region. The total budget for this program is $750,000. Program guidelines will be published in mid-March, and the application will be available in early July. The deadline to apply will be August 12, 2026, and grant notifications will occur in late October.
Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions.
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