Call for Applications: Creative Industries Trade Mission to East Asia (June 2025)

The Department of Canadian Heritage is organizing a creative industries trade mission in June 2025 to South Korea and Japan through its Creative Export Strategy.

This multi-sector trade mission is an opportunity for Canadian creative businesses and organizations with high export potential to take advantage of a government-led trade mission to increase their visibility and expand their network in the South Korean or Japanese markets. During the mission, the delegation will be able to meet and initiate business deals with key industry players, potential buyers, investors and/or partners.


Mission Details:

South Korea (first leg)
Dates:
 June 1-6, 2025
Location:
 Seoul (and Busan TBC)
Delegation:
 up to 30 Canadian export-ready small and medium companies or not-for-profit organizations, including exporters who self-identify as being Indigenous or from other equity-deserving communities

Japan (second leg)
Dates:
 June 8-12, 2025
Location:
 Tokyo and Osaka
Delegation:
 up to 15 Canadian export-ready small and medium companies or not-for-profit organizations, including exporters who self-identify as being Indigenous or from other equity-deserving communities


Eligible Creative Sectors:

  • Audiovisual
  • Book Publishing
  • Fashion & Design
  • Interactive & Digital Media / Video Games
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
  • Visual Arts


Business Program Elements:

  • Information sessions on the targeted markets
  • Tailored business-to-business meetings
  • Networking activities
  • Site visits

 

Application Criteria:

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in the trade mission:

  • must operate in one of the eligible creative industries sectors listed above
  • be export-ready with demonstrated potential to succeed in the targeted market(s):
    • have a commercialized product or service or one close to being commercialized
    • have targeted South Korea or Japan as part of their international business strategy, either to export or to establish a presence in the market(s)
    • have conducted research on the targeted market(s) and opportunities
    • have allocated resources (human, material, time and financial) toward internationalization
  • able to demonstrate that the products and/or services they seek to promote through the trade mission will result in significant economic benefit for Canada (for example, increased production in Canada, employment creation, increased R&D activity)
  • have a strong interest in either or both markets (but have not yet launched in it), are willing to export there, and could benefit from mentoring opportunities with the Trade Commissioner Service and established companies in South Korea or Japan
    OR
  • be in negotiations with South Korean or Japanese companies and could benefit from a government-led trade mission to further negotiations or conclude commercial agreements


How to Apply:

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