National fund Canada, Toronto

Development Program (ISO Story Fund)

Run by Indigenous Screen Office

An Indigenous writer can apply here alone, without a producer or broadcaster, for research, script drafts, story editing, knowledge keepers and pitch materials. The ceiling is modest but the application is direct, and the same project may come back for another development round once the first is reported on.

Grant up to CA$40,000Open to writers in CanadaA writer alone or a production company

Next dates not yet published

The money

Amount
Up to CA$40,000CAD 20,000 for one project for an individual, collective or community; CAD 40,000 for a slate of two projects for a company, plus CAD 5,000 per project when the CMF, Telefilm or a public broadcaster is already in.
What it is
Grant
To apply
Free

Who can apply

Applicant
A writer alone or a production company
Where you write
In Canada
Rules
First Nations, Inuit or Métis individuals, sole proprietors, collectives, communities and companies at least 51 percent Indigenous-owned, all Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Two of the three key creatives (writer, director, lead producer) must be Indigenous. An emerging applicant needs one previous credit in the role they hold.
Stages
Writing and development
Formats
Feature, Series, Short, Documentary, Animation
Language of the application
English, French

When to apply

The fund opens once a year. The next cycle's dates are not yet published; we add them when they are. The 2026-2027 round ran July 8 to August 19, 2026.

RoundCloses
2026-2027 round closedAug 19, 2026 passed

Dates are as the funder states them. Check the time of day and the time zone on the official page.

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