Guidance on federal acknowledgements for grants and contributions
This guidance supports clear and consistent public acknowledgement of Government of Canada funding provided through grants and contributions. It covers the use of Government of Canada official symbols and provides best practices for acknowledgement across formats, including announcements, websites, social media, events, podcasts and recipient materials.
General principles
Federal funding acknowledgements should be clear and accurate, making it easy for the public to understand that the Government of Canada provided funding, without implying that Government of Canada delivers or endorses the recipient’s project, product or event.
Acknowledgements should:
- clearly describe the Government of Canada’s role;
- use plain, factual language;
- be visible and easy to read;
- avoid promotional or endorsement-style language;
- align with the terms and conditions of the funding agreement.
Forms of acknowledgement
Acknowledgement methods vary depending on the product or activity.
Acknowledgement graphic
It is typically used on:
- websites
- social media content
- digital and print material
Figure 1 - Text version
The figure presents three examples of Government of Canada funding acknowledgement graphics displayed side by side.
The first example is a bilingual acknowledgement graphic. It contains the English text “Funded by the Government of Canada” and the French text “Financé par le gouvernement du Canada,” accompanied by the Canada wordmark.
The second example is a unilingual English acknowledgement graphic. It contains the text “Funded by the Government of Canada” accompanied by the Canada wordmark.
The third example shows a departmental acknowledgement graphic. It contains the text “Funded by” displayed above the Health Canada corporate signature.
Verbal acknowledgement
Use verbal acknowledgement in spoken formats such as:
- events and speeches
- media events
- podcasts, videos, and webinars.
Example:
“We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for this project.”
Text acknowledgement
Use text-only acknowledgement when space is limited or multiple funders are being recognized.
Examples:
“Funded in part by the Government of Canada.”
“This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.”
Recipient announcements and news releases
When issuing announcements or news releases, recipients should clearly state the Government of Canada’s funding role using factual, non-promotional language.
Social media
Funding may be acknowledged in:
- Post text
- Captions
- Images or videos
Due to small formats and mobile viewing, text acknowledgement is often preferred over graphics.
Podcasts, audio products and radio
For audio-only products, include a brief acknowledgement:
- spoken within the content; or
- in show notes or episode description.
Example:
“This episode was produced with funding support from the Government of Canada.”
Recipient marketing and promotional materials
The acknowledgement must not:
- suggest co-branding or partnering activities;
- imply endorsement of the recipient’s products or services.
Enquiries
- Funding recipients may contact the federal department managing the contribution agreement, or the departmental program representative named in the funding agreement.
- Individuals from departments may contact their Federal Identity Program (FIP) coordinator for information related to Government of Canada acknowledgements for grants and contributions. Further guidance is available on GCXchange (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)