The TELUS Fund relies on prominent credit placement to raise awareness of its programs and financing available to create more exceptional health and wellness content.
The TELUS Fund credit must appear wherever versions of the funded project are used worldwide. Financing from the Fund must also be acknowledged in all promotion worldwide, including for example paid advertising, press releases, publicity and promotional materials. Typically:
In Television and Digital programming: the TELUS Fund credit will appear immediately before the first frame or immediately after the last frame of programming.
In Non-programming: the TELUS Fund's credit must appear prominently in all content created. For example, in the top third of the project website and in the walls of various social media and digital channels.
The producer is responsible for ensuring all agreements related to the funded project agree to abide by the TELUS Fund’s credit requirements. Before completion, the producer must submit a mock-up of the visual layout of credits for TELUS Fund’s approval.
The TELUS Fund may consider exceptions to the above requirements where there are comparable alternative opportunities for TELUS Fund credit placement (for example more prominent credit placement in a live event tour) or when the Fund's participation is less than or equal to $75,000 and 15% of the project budget.
Applications for production and discoverability financing must include a professional sizzle reel, trailer, or pilot episode.
Applications for development financing must include a pitch video of less than three (3) minutes that reflects the look and feel of the project, and provides a sense of the subject area, the team, and key elements of the project.
More details in the Program Guidelines.
Funding decisions are the sole discretion of the Board which operates at arm’s length to the TELUS Corporation and any of its affiliates. The Directors of the Fund are also responsible for the consideration of official language minority communities’ realities in their decision making.
Depending on the volume of applications, applicants can expect to receive an email acknowledging receipt of their submission within five business days. The Board of Directors will typically render a funding decision within eight to ten weeks of submission.
The Fund provides a recoupable advance similar in nature to an unsecured, non-interest bearing, forgivable loan. The Fund does not acquire an equity interest in the copyright or participate in profits. Amounts paid back to the Fund are reinvested into the financing of more exceptional health and wellness content.
At the development stage, financing is repayable to the TELUS Fund if the Content moves forward to a next stage or if Content rights are transferred, sold or exploited in any manner. At the production and discoverability stages, financing is repayable from production revenue, if any is earned.
As provincial and federal tax credit policies are complex, Applicants are encouraged to consult with them directly on this question. To date, many of these programs have determined financing from the Fund to be akin to a grant or subsidy reducing the eligible tax credit.
Yes. You can download the budget that goes with your application stage here. For business policies, the TELUS Fund refers to existing and generally recognized industry practices.
No. The Platform must be accessible by Canadians.
No. However, Programming that has obtained distribution commitments on platforms accessible by both English and French Canadians will be more competitive than those that have not.
All applications for development and production financing are required to include support from regulated healthcare professionals with expertise in the subject area. They will help ensure the project is free of editorial bias, presents verified research, and that it will influence and inspire Canadian audiences in ways that positively impact their health and well-being, as opposed to unintentionally having a negative effect.
Yes. You will be required to verify all submissions are feasible and can be successful before selecting more than one for funding.
Applicants that do not receive an invitation still have the option to apply at an upcoming deadline date.
Applicants are encouraged to first apply for development financing. When you are ready to proceed into production, you may then apply for production financing. After the project has successfully launched, you may apply for discoverability financing to continue developing the audience.
If at any stage your project does not receive a positive funding decision, you are welcome to submit a new application for the same stage if there are material changes that improve its alignment to the evaluation criteria. If a project is declined twice, it will no longer be considered eligible to re-apply.