DOC Business Leap : Call for submissions

DOC Business Leap will support six Canadian documentary producers with small to mid-sized production companies who have completed one or several funded projects, and who identify as one or more intersections of Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, living with a disability, Francophone outside Quebec or living in a rural or remote regions of Canada (remote being defined as oneʼs primary residence being 150 km from cities of over 500 000 people).

This program includes:

• Monthly meeting with a producer mentor
• Monthly consultations with a production accountant
• Consultation sessions with an entertainment lawyer
• $2000 of therapy

This program is designed for producers who want to grow their production company. Each participant is allotted a pre-paid block of time with specialized consultants that they can draw upon over the course of one year, beginning in January 2024. These regular consultations will help participants to better position themselves, their team and their company for long term sustainable growth.

Every month, participants will have a two-hour meeting with a veteran producer consultant. These regular check-ins are to help to keep their company and projects on track. Participants have regular access to legal consultants, to help with their company structure, to set up their standard production agreements, and any other support that is needed to establish the correct legal frameworks for the company as it prepares for long term growth. Participants have access to production accounting consultants, to help the company review and refine its systems for accounting, payroll, managing tax credits, and other key financial elements. Participants also have pre-paid sessions with a therapist – a key recommendation from DOC’s “DocuMentality” report released in May 2023.

Please fill out the form below to apply for DOC Business Leap before November 17, 2023.

This program is supported by

Eligibility Criteria. YOU ARE:

• A producer who creates documentary content
• The majority shareholder of a production company incorporated within Canada
• The majority shareholder of a production company that has produced at least one documentary production in Canada that has received Federal tax credits
• The lead producer on a documentary that has had one or more of: Telefilm funding, CMF production funding, a production license with a Canadian broadcaster, a coproduction with the National Film Board of Canada
• Working with a bookkeeper and / or production accountant on at least a part-time basis
• Interested in growing your company and producing documentary content at a higher volume
• An individual who is part of at least one of the communities prioritized by Business Leap
• Able to commit to up to five hours of meetings per month with the program’s mentors and consultants

This is a pilot program that is mostly being offered in English with some French elements.

FAQ

Q: Do I have to be working exclusively on documentaries?

A: No. You can be producing a variety of genres and formats, but need to have documentaries on your slate of projects

Q: Why is this program open only to documentary producers who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, living with a disability, Francophone outside Quebec or living in a rural or remote regions of Canada (remote being defined as one’s primary residence being 150 km from cities of over 500 000 people)?

A: This program is supported by the Canada Media Fund’s Sector Development program, that supports industry initiatives that seek to address gaps in our sector for the groups prioritized by this program. 

Q: How much time will I be required to spend on this program over the course of a year?

A: Every month, participants will spend 1-2 hours with their producer mentor, and 1-2 hours with their production accountant. These meetings do not have a fixed date and time and are set up to be flexible considering everyone’s busy schedules. The legal consultations and therapy sessions are according to each producer’s needs, and can be utilized until the bank of hours has been depleted.

Q. When will know if I’ve been selected for the program?

A: Participants will be notified by December 6, 2023

Q. Why is this program not offered in French?

A: DOC is running this program as a pilot with some bilingual elements: the legal consultations and resulting Agreements are available in French, and participants can choose a Francophone therapist. Should DOC be able to run a second, more expansive version of this program it will be a fully bilingual offer.