Let’s Talk Funding: What We Wish You Knew Before You Apply

As a funding agency, we’re lucky to get to know you through your applications and projects. We learn where you’ve been, where you’re headed, and how our support can help. For many of us at Creative Saskatchewan, hearing about your passions is the best part of our jobs!

Are You Ready to Apply?

We outline readiness here, but in short – if you’re a Saskatchewan resident or corporation working in one of our six supported sectors with a profit-driven goal, you’re likely ready to explore our programs.

You might wonder, “Am I really an entrepreneur?” or “Is my project good enough?” If you’re selling your product, making a profit, and striving to grow—my friend, you are an entrepreneur. And that’s something to celebrate. You’re helping diversify our economy and enrich life in Saskatchewan. That’s success in our books.

Take the Leap

Reaching out to a funder can feel intimidating. I can tell you how approachable our team is—and it’s true—but that doesn’t always make it easier to take the leap and get in touch.

For some, the pursuit of “perfect” is a real roadblock making it hard to even start the conversation. There’s a vulnerability in sharing ideas and asking for support. It can be tempting to hold off in reaching out or applying for funding until everything is flawless. If this sounds like you, please don’t wait to reach out, and please don’t wait for perfect.

We have funded some spectacular stuff over the years in every sector we serve; world tours, fine art fairs, award-winning shows, and best-selling books—and none of them had “perfect” applications. They had strong ideas and brave applicants who reached out, built relationships with our Program Advisors, and put their best foot forward. Our team is here to guide you through the process, clarify eligibility, and even review your file before it goes to assessment.

Read. The. Guidelines.

So many issues could be avoided if applicants read the guidelines carefully. There are two: the General Guidelines (these apply to everyone), and the program-specific ones. They’re updated annually and shared through webinars, consultations, our website, and social media. If you have ideas on how we can make them more accessible, we’re all ears.

Life Happens

Projects evolve. We’re flexible with timelines and milestones—as long as you communicate changes early. We’ll work with you to amend your contract. If something goes off track, we’ll walk you through your options to help you maintain eligibility.

A “No” isn’t the End of the Story

If you do apply and don’t get funded, please try not to take it personally. We have limited resources and exhaust our funding every year. Getting the dreaded rejection letter doesn’t mean your project lacks value! Eligible projects are prioritized based on their market potential, viability and demand, and ability to produce the highest return for our investment. Sometimes it really is razor thin – and this is the not-so-great part about our jobs. Truly, we always want to see everyone be successful, we’re not looking for a ‘gotcha!’ moment. I know it can be frustrating to spend hours preparing an application only to end up hearing, “no”. If you’ve been in this situation, I have a suggestion that can help us move forward in a good way.

1. • Give it a beat. While you might want an explanation immediately, there’s good reasons for delaying this conversation. Obviously, a little distance from a decision means cooler heads prevail (ideally), but there’s something I want you to know about us. Decision-delivery days are very busy for our team. Our staff want to give you and your project the time it deserves to have a productive discussion. That might be a few days down the road, but it’s worth the wait to get it right.
   • Read the results letter. Was it simply a case of funding exhausted, or were there areas in your application that scored lower than the average? Consider this next time you apply.
   • Get ready to apply again. We release guidelines and assessment criteria early – giving you time to prepare, set a meeting to ask questions, and strengthen your next application.

Human error happens, and we’re happy to receive feedback

I love my team. They’re dedicated, approachable, and accountable—but they’re also human. If we make a mistake, we are committed to getting it right. We’ve embraced a culture that includes imperfection. We might not always have the answer right away, but we’ll find it. If there’s a scoring error, we’ll fix it. If you have feedback, we’re ready to listen—no yelling required (in fact, it won’t be tolerated). We’re committed to improving.

We’re approachable

There are many ways to connect with our team, and we genuinely look forward to hearing from you! Pick up the phone, send us an email, or book a consultation. If you see our team at industry events, please don’t be shy. Even if you think your project isn’t ready to talk about, we’d love to hear what you’re working on.