BCAC: Accelerate Program

Deadline: October 8, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT)

Program Summary:

The Accelerate Program is a two-year initiative to improve access and reduce barriers to funding for equity deserving and regional arts and culture organizations and collectives. Funding is intended to offer stability while being flexible in supporting a range of expenses including, but not limited to: 

• General operating costs 
• Organizational development 
• Capacity building 
• Project expenses 
• Community engagement initiatives 

New this year: Operating Assistance recipients are no longer eligible for the Accelerate program. Determination of the Operating Assistance grant amounts, and any increases, will take into consideration the previous combined total of the Operating Assistance and Accelerate grants. Operating Assistance applicants that do not receive Operating Assistance, that are eligible for the Accelerate program, may be recommended to receive an Accelerate grant based on the Operating Assistance application. Do not submit a separate Accelerate application.

Funding for successful applicants will be the same each year. The BC Arts Council intends to fund the full request amount for all successful applicants. However, in some cases grants may be awarded for less than requested.

Successful applicants that receive Accelerate funding will remain eligible for Project Assistance funding.

Grant Amount:

Maximum request amount is $30,000 per year for two years, up to a maximum of $60,000 over  two years. Applicants may request less than the maximum.

Eligible Applicants:

Before you begin your application, make sure you are eligible. Ineligible applications will not be forwarded for assessment. If you have questions about eligibility, contact the Program Advisor.

Your application will not be forwarded for assessment if your organization or collective does not meet eligibility criteria outlined in these guidelines.

Important considerations before you apply to Accelerate

In addition to the eligibility criteria outlined below, applicants should have established operations, both administratively and financially before they consider applying. This can be demonstrated through:

• Maintaining consistency in operations and programming
• Ongoing and diverse sources of revenues outside of BC Arts Council funding
• The ability to plan programming and activities up to two years into the future
  and
• The capacity to compile annual financial and statistical information

BC Arts Council Accelerate recipients are eligible to apply to discipline specific Project Assistance grant programs.

Applicants eligible to apply to both the Operating Assistance and Accelerate program may do so within the Operating Assistance application form.

General Eligibility for All Applicants:

All applicants may receive Accelerate funding for up to six total years over 3 funding cycles. Cycles do not need to be consecutive.

This program is limited to organizations and collectives who: 

• Identify as representing an equity-deserving group(s), that dedicate the majority of their activities, programming content, and financial and human resources to supporting the arts and culture practices of their specific equity-deserving group(s) (see definition below). This may be demonstrated in the following areas: purpose statements, practices, practitioners, staffing, leadership, governance and engagement.  

OR 

• Are located in areas outside of greater Vancouver or the capital region. See the BC Arts Council Glossary for specific exclusions.  

AND 

• Provide public arts and culture programming and engagement (or service to the arts and culture sector) in B.C. as a primary activity – and have done so for a minimum of one year prior to the application closing date.

AND 

• Are not currently receiving BC Arts Council Operating Assistance.  

Equity-deserving groups are those who have collectively experienced systemic and attitudinal discrimination based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race,  sexual orientation, and transgender status, etc.  These groups may include: 

• Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) Peoples 
• Artists who are Deaf or experience disability 
• Black people or people of colour 
• LGBTQ2S+ communities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit, and other) 
• Women and gender diverse people 
• Linguistic minorities and official language minorities 
• Immigrants, newcomers and refugees 
• Socio economic disadvantaged groups 
• Youth and next generation (under 25) 
• Ethnic minorities 

Applicants may identify with more than one equity-deserving group (for example: Indigenous Women, or Immigrant LGBTQ2S+ Youth), however, to be eligible for this program, you must demonstrate a majority of your activities, programming content, and financial and human resources to supporting the arts and culture practices of a single equity-deserving group.