The City of Port Moody's Festival and Special Event Assistance Program provides support for your community group if you're hosting a festival or special event in our city.

If you're eligible, you may receive funding up to three times, in any given five-year period, for your event.

Application Information

Requesting Fee Waivers and In-Kind Support (not exceeding $1,000)

A portion of the grant program has been allocated to supporting applications that are only requesting fee waivers and/or in-kind support with a total value not exceeding $1,000. Applications that meet this criteria will now be reviewed and approved by the General Manager of Community Services. A total of $5,000 has been allocated to supporting this portion of the program.

Intake Deadline

An intake deadline has been established for applications that include a financial grant request and/or where the value of fee waiver(s) and/or in-kind support exceeds $1,000. Applications received by the closing date and time will be summarized and presented to Council for review in March. Please note that the Festival and Special Event Assistance Program is currently suspended and we are not accepting applications at this time.

Applications may still be considered later in the year on a first received basis, should any funding remain after the intake period. Applications will no longer be accepted once all the funding in the program has been awarded.

Appearing as a delegation to Council to present your application is no longer required. 

How to apply

Send a completed Festival and Special Event Assistance Program Application to the Manager of Cultural Services, and then appear as a delegation at a Committee of the Whole meeting to apply. You can also drop off your application at the Port Moody Recreation Complex at 300 Ioco Rd. to apply.

You should learn more about hosting a festival or special event in Port Moody before applying.

Support available

The Program can help you with:

  • new events that will take place in Port Moody for the first, second, or third time;
  • established events that have taken place in Port Moody for at least three consecutive years that are celebrating a special occasion or milestone or wanting to try something new; and
  • established events that may need a little extra help in a given year.

The Program's support is grouped into three categories:

Fee waivers

We may grant fee waivers for rental fees associated with facility and park space use, and any permit and licensing fees.

Staff and other in-kind support

You may request in-kind support where we incur the cost in providing the requested support.

Financial grant

You may request financial assistance in the form of a cash grant.

There is no set maximum for the support available through the Program. Please note that we may choose to award an amount less than you've requested or reject the application.

Program eligibility and evaluation

Eligibility

Eligible events include:

  • festivals and special events open to the general public; and
  • fitness or sporting events that could draw a high number of spectators.

Non-eligible events include:

  • events that require paid admission;
  • commercially or corporately-run events; and
  • run-specific and walk-specific events.

If you're organizing a fundraising event on behalf of a non-profit organization, you may only apply for fee waivers and in-kind support. These events are not eligible for financial grants.

This program is not intended to provide ongoing core operating funding.

Evaluation

Applications that are only requesting fee waivers and/or in-kind support with a total value not exceeding $1,000 are reviewed by the General Manager of Community Services. A total of $5,000 has been allocated to this portion of the program. Applications are reviewed in the order that they are received.

Applications that include a financial grant request and/or where the value of fee waiver(s) and/or in-kind support exceeds $1,000 must be received by Monday, February 17, 2020 at 12 pm. These applications will be summarized and presented to Council for consideration in March 2020.

Once the annual funding for the Program has been used, we do not accept any more applications for the rest of that calendar year.

 

Multi-year funding agreements

If you're an organizer of an established event and you've ran a successful event that is well attended by the community, you may apply to Council for multi-year funding agreement. Please contact the Manager of Cultural Services before starting your application.

You must submit a Festival and Special Event Assistance Program Application detailing the funding requested to apply.

Please include a cover letter that outlines the following:

  • a formal request to enter into a multi-year funding agreement;
  • the value that the event brings to the Port Moody community;
  • expenses and revenues for the past three years; and
  • attendance numbers for the past three years.

You must also appear as a delegation at a Council meeting to make your request and answer questions.

We will prepare a cover memo for your application that will include any additional details that may help Council in making their decision. If approved, Council may enter into either a three- or five-year agreement.

Planning a smaller event?

If you're running a smaller event, learn about hosting a festival or special event or view our Artist Grant Program for more information.

If you are planning an event to benefit your neighbourhood, please view our Community Association Events and Block Parties.