Exhibition renewal and museum activities support program

This program supports the creation of exhibitions and the renewal of existing exhibitions in museums and heritage organizations. It also supports implementing complementary museum activities such as educational programming and improving storage space.

Applications will be accepted until October 31 of each fiscal year and will be evaluated after the deadline.

An incomplete application will not be considered until all other applications have been reviewed and processed. Late applications may not be accepted.

Exhibition renewal and museum activities: The maximum grant for this program component is $10,000. The grant must be supplemented by other sources of funding and cannot exceed 75% of the project’s cost. A maximum of 20% of the requested grant amount can be used for salaries and benefits. 

Digital and social media: The maximum grant for this program component is $5,000. The grant must be supplemented by other sources of funding and cannot exceed 90% of the project’s cost.

Applicants must provide supporting documentation in the form of quotes for any projected expenses including:

• equipment and material purchases
• fabrication contracts
• professional and consulting fees

Additional funding sources can include monetary or in-kind contributions from the applicant, community organizations, private foundations or other levels of government (federal or municipal). This program will not fund projects that receive funding from other provincial government branches, departments, or agencies.

Suppose financial support is received from other sources: in that case, appropriate documentation should be provided, including letters that specify the nature and amount of the support, whether monetary or in-kind, as well as the type of work that will be funded.

A detailed breakdown of in-kind contributions should be included, covering the number of volunteers, hours worked (calculated at either the minimum wage or $25 per hour for general or skilled labor), and the verified market value of any donated materials and professional services. In-kind contributions are defined as non-monetary resources, such as goods or services, that support the project and would otherwise need to be funded.

Applicants can only submit one application per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) for either the Exhibit Renewal and Museum Activities Support components or the digital and social media component of this program.

Eligible organizations

Applications under this program are limited to non-profit museums and heritage organizations based in New Brunswick and incorporated under the Companies Act.

This program defines a museum as a non-profit community institution that serves as a custodian to preserve, conserve, study and interpret a permanent collection of heritage resources, which may include objects or historical data. Such an organization holds its collection in the public's trust and strives to ensure the community benefits.

To be eligible, an organization cannot have any outstanding Exhibit Renewal and Museum Activities Support Program final reports for the component to which it is applying.

Eligible projects

Eligible projects must fall within a strategic plan for the museum in accordance with its mission and mandate. A strategic plan reflects an agreed-upon vision of the museum’s future state. This multi-year document identifies actions to be taken so that the museum will meet its mission and mandate, as well as how it will obtain the resources to achieve this vision. 

This program does not:

• subsidize preliminary studies or concept developments for exhibits or museum activities
• fund virtual museum exhibits or art exhibitions, as other funding programs are available to support those types of projects
• subsidize projects or parts of projects started or completed before an application to this program is approved, and the approval process may take six to eight weeks after the program deadline

This program offers financial assistance to support three categories of projects:

• Exhibition renewal
• Museum activities 
• Digital and social media component

Including but not limited to:

• conservation treatments of artifacts and works of art to prevent further deterioration, aid interpretation or re-establish culturally significant qualities
• creation of a travelling exhibition
• creation of digital content to promote the museum
• design of a new website
• development of a new exhibition
• development of a new interpretation program or educational activities
• development of interactive digital elements to complement an exhibition project
• implementation of complementary museum activities (cultural activities, etc.) that enhance the exhibitions displayed at the institution
• improvement of storage space
• renewal of an existing exhibition

The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture determines the amount of financial assistance by considering all the applications and the available financial resources. The activities related to the proposed project must be dynamic, show promise for raising public awareness and focus on making heritage more accessible to the public. All applicants must submit answers to all the questions and fill out the project budget form outlined in the application form.

Projects scoring 50% or more will be considered for funding until the program budget is expended. Failure to approve an application does not necessarily constitute a negative judgment on its merits.

The projects submitted to this program are evaluated according to the following criteria: 

1. Fill out the application form (PDF 302 KB) and send all supporting documents.
2. Ensure that the proposed budget is balanced.
3. Include relevant quotes for any equipment/material purchases, professional/consulting fees and fabrication contracts, including letters of support for any in-kind contributions, which indicates indicate the nature of the support and the dollar value.
4. Ensure someone authorized by the organization signs the application.
5. Use the Pre-Application Checklist (PDF 161 KB) to confirm organizational and project eligibility.
6. Submit all documentation to [email protected]. 
7. If a project receives funding, a final report (PDF 174 KB) must be completed, signed and submitted to [email protected] 30 days after completion.

Release of information to the public

The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture is subject to the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Applicants must accept and agree that, if they receive a grant, their name, community and the grant amount will be published on the provincial government website and in the department’s annual report.