Each year, the Canadian Crafts Federation (CCF/CFMA) collaborates with partners across the country to develop pre-budget recommendations for the Federal Minister of Finance.

The CCF/CFMA aims to provide a distinctive voice on critical issues affecting the visual arts and craft sector in the current political and economic climate. Each year, we submit our recommendations to the Department of Finance Canada’s pre-budget consultations. This is an important part of our work to advocate on a national level.

The 2026 CFF/CFMA pre-budget submission prioritizes five major recommendations that align with the current realities facing the Canadian craft sector. Here are our key recommendations for the 2026 federal budget:

1. Review and adapt the timeline, eligibility and funding levels of existing and newly proposed federal funding programs in arts, culture, tourism and export.
2. Increase core funding for Arts Service Organizations (ASOs) to ensure they can support their communities and retain skilled staff.
3. Reduce trade barriers and invest in creative sector trade diversification. Lower trade costs for Canadian craft producers by addressing tariffs and material duties, while establishing targeted federal funding to support export development, market diversification, and sector-specific business supports.
4. Allocate a minimum of 1% of the Government of Canada’s total spending towards arts, culture, and heritage. To accomplish this for the 2026-27 fiscal year, the Government should boost its allocations by $270 million.
5. Implement an Employee Insurance program tailored explicitly for workers in the arts and culture sector.

In this 2026 pre-budget submission, we highlight the need to review current trade policies, strengthen social protections for craftspeople, increase core funding, and support more funded project applications.

On average, visual artists’ and craftspeople’s earnings are less than half those of the average Canadian worker, meaning that many lack financial support to maintain their professional activities. Current policies responding to U.S. tariffs exacerbate issues because they do not provide sufficient support to craft businesses, which have been hit hard by American trade barriers. Our submission takes into account the need for prioritized operational support for Arts Service Organizations (ASOs), recommending increased core funding and an optimized timeline for project-based funding applications aligned with the fiscal year.

Representing a sector facing economic, social, and structural disadvantage, the Canadian Crafts Federation recommends allocating a minimum of 1% of the Government of Canada’s total spending towards arts, culture, and heritage workers, all fundamental to Canada’s economic and social life.

The CCF/FCMA encourages our members and affiliates to send the list of pre-budget recommendations to their Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Parliament, and to use  CCF/FCMA priorities in their  advocacy campaigns. Sharing a united message is critical to impacting the upcoming Federal budget.