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Magazine Fund Jury Guidelines and Application Form

Ontario Creates is seeking applications from qualified industry professionals to be jurors for the Ontario Creates Magazine Fund program. The program is adjudicated by three jurors comprised of two industry experts and one Ontario Creates representative. The ideal candidate will have senior industry knowledge and experience, with current activities unlikely to pose a conflict of interest with the role of juror.

The Ontario Creates Magazine Fund was developed to increase the financial viability of Canadian magazines from Ontario-based magazine publishers. Funding will be provided to support projects that have clear, objective and measurable results that will support the overall business growth of the magazine publisher.

Juror Responsibilities

  • Thorough knowledge of the program
  • Participate in a pre-jury briefing to discuss roles and responsibilities of the juror
  • Enter into a Juror Agreement and a Confidentiality Agreement with Ontario Creates
  • Individually review all eligible applications received for the program as provided by Ontario Creates
  • Assess each application based on specific program criteria and assign a numerical score accordingly based on the forms provided by Ontario Creates
  • Attend one full day Jury Meeting with other jurors to jointly review the applications and determine final recommendations

Time commitment

It is estimated that the reviewing process may take up to 150 hours, spread over a 6 week time period between June and July. Jurors will receive an appropriate honorarium based on the volume of applications received and the review time required.

Juror Requirements

  • Wide-range of experience in a senior position(s) in the Canadian magazine publishing industry: well-rounded experience essential
  • Maintain in strict confidence your role as Juror until after the adjudication process
  • Maintain in strict confidence all Confidential Information and take reasonable precautions against accidental disclosure of same
  • Not directly or indirectly use the Confidential Information for any purpose, except in the performance of your duties for Ontario Creates
  • Indicate if you are associated in any way with any applicant company or principals of a company that is eligible to submit to the Ontario Creates Magazine Fund program and, at the application review stage, declare any conflicts of interest that may arise

“Confidential Information” means all information (whether oral, written, in computer readable format or otherwise), data and material acquired by the juror from Ontario Creates or in connection with the performance of their duties for Ontario Creates.

Additional Information

  • The jury members will not have access to an applicant’s corporate financial statements
  • Jury comments may be relayed to the applicant
  • Evaluation forms and jury comments may be available through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
  • Juror names may be released once all decisions have been made
  • Please see the appendix below the application form for a link to information on the program and a list of project types that have received funding

Ontario Creates strives to compose juries that reflect diversity in Ontario as described in the Government of Ontario’s definition of diversity and/or gender parity. The provincial definition states: the dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to: ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, language, physical and intellectual ability, race, religion (creed), sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Ontario Creates is grateful for your interest in participating in this important process. It is anticipated that a substantial number of industry experts will respond to the Call for Application. In light of this, only those only those invited to be a juror for the Ontario Creates Magazine Fund will be contacted. Ontario Creates maintains an active list of potential jurors.



Enquries

Program Coordinator, Industry Initiatives
Phone: 416-642-6652
Email: programs2@ontariocreates.ca

Appendix

  1. Information on the Ontario Creates Magazine Fund

  2. The following are the type of projects that have received funding in the past. Jurors must be capable of assessing similar types of projects.
  • re-launch/re-brand projects
  • circulation projects – such as direct mail campaigns, request circulation development, insert cards, subscription renewal, promotional campaigns, newsstand projects
  • advertising sales projects – such as standard media kits or promotional material
  • special issue or special section for an existing magazine new magazine from existing magazine publisher
  • redesign/upgrade of website
  • online advertising sales campaigns
  • podcasts, video production
  • digitization of back issues
  • SEO
  • exploration of alternate sales channels
  • digital publications
  • customer relationship management (CRM)