Breaking into international markets can be a major challenge for Canadian creative businesses, especially when it comes to building export-ready capacity and establishing relationships abroad. The Creative Export Canada – Export Development Stream is designed to help arts and culture organizations take that step, offering non-repayable funding to support international growth initiatives. Delivered by Canadian Heritage, this national program focuses on helping Canadian-owned creative companies and nonprofits strengthen their presence beyond Canada’s borders.
This stream supports both newer exporters preparing for their first international push and more experienced exporters looking to enter new global markets. Funding of up to around $90,000 can help offset costs tied to export planning, market development, and international business networking. Projects often focus on building long-term export capacity rather than one-off activities, making the program particularly relevant for creative businesses aiming to scale their global reach in a sustainable way. Because support can be combined with other funding sources to cover a significant portion of project costs, it can make ambitious export plans more achievable.
The Export Development Stream is highly competitive and opens periodically rather than on a rolling basis, so preparation is key. For creative businesses and nonprofits operating across Canada that want to understand how this program could fit into their export strategy, reviewing the full details through GrantHub is a smart next step.
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