Independent Production Fund
Professional services
UnclaimedA Canadian private independent foundation that funds dramatic digital media and television production while supporting professional development in the screen-based media sector.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Independent Production Fund (IPF) is a Canadian private independent foundation focused on financing Canadian dramatic entertainment for television and digital platforms. It also provides professional development and training opportunities for producers and creators, operating in both English and French. Unlike a conventional commercial media company, the IPF functions as a mission-driven financing and industry-support organization: it invests capital in eligible productions, administers funding programs, and recycles returns from its investments and the income generated by its endowment into further Canadian content development. The organization began in 1990 as the Maclean Hunter Television Fund. Maclean Hunter Limited established the fund with a capital endowment of approximately $29.2 million, restricted in perpetuity following a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The fund was federally incorporated as a corporation without share capital and received charitable status. Its original mandate was to support television drama series and industry training using income from the endowment and investment returns. The fund subsequently expanded its administrative role. It became involved with other private initiatives serving the Canadian film, television, and digital-media industries, including the Cogeco Program Development Fund, launched in 1993, and the Bell Fund, launched in 1997, as well as a number of shorter-term industry funds. After Rogers Communications acquired Maclean Hunter in 1994, the organization adopted the name Independent Production Fund. Governance was assigned to a five-member board representing different areas of the production industry. A major regulatory milestone came in 1999, when the CRTC approved the IPF as a Canadian Independent Production Fund eligible to receive contributions from broadcast distribution undertakings. This status enabled the organization to participate in the Canadian broadcasting system's independent-production financing structure. In 2017, Cogeco Communications directed its annual BDU contributions to the IPF to create the Cogeco TV Production Program, extending the fund's role in television development and production financing. The IPF's strategic focus changed in 2010. After two decades of supporting television drama, the organization revised its mandate to prioritize drama series created for new digital platforms. It has since allocated close to $2 million annually from endowment income and the recovery of investment capital to original digital drama series, according to the cited reference material. Between 2010 and 2017, it invested $12.8 million in 114 short-form scripted digital series. The fund's reported cumulative activity demonstrates its importance within Canada's independent production ecosystem. From 1991 through 2010, it invested more than $47 million in 251 Canadian television drama series. By 2017, the IPF reported support for 251 television projects, 422 professional-development activities, and 114 original online series, representing nearly $65 million in total funding. Its activities therefore span direct project financing, digital-content development, producer and creator training, and administration of related industry programs. The organization is led operationally by chief executive officer Andra Sheffer, with Quebec-based leadership represented by associate director Claire Dion, and is overseen by a sector-representative board.
History
The Independent Production Fund traces its origin to a 1990 initiative by Maclean Hunter Limited, then a Canadian communications company. In response to a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Maclean Hunter created the Maclean Hunter Television Fund with an endowment of approximately $29.2 million. The capital was restricted in perpetuity, meaning that the fund's continuing activities were intended to be supported by endowment income, investment returns, and the recovery of funds invested in eligible productions rather than by consuming the principal. The organization was federally incorporated as a corporation without share capital and received charitable status. Its initial purpose was to finance Canadian television drama series and provide training for people working in the industry. This structure gave the fund a role distinct from that of a broadcaster or production studio: it could support independent producers while using an enduring financial base to maintain a continuing funding program. During the 1990s, the fund expanded beyond its original television mandate by administering other private initiatives for Canada's film, television, and digital-media sectors. These included the Cogeco Program Development Fund, which began in 1993, and the Bell Fund, which began in 1997, along with other short-term industry funds. In 1994, Rogers Communications acquired Maclean Hunter. Following that transaction, the Maclean Hunter Television Fund was renamed the Independent Production Fund. Its activities were governed by a five-member board intended to represent different parts of the production industry. The fund's relationship with Canada's broadcasting regulatory system developed further in 1999. The CRTC approved the IPF as a Canadian Independent Production Fund eligible to receive contributions from broadcast distribution undertakings. This recognition made it possible for the IPF to receive a source of funding connected to the Canadian broadcasting framework and broadened its capacity to assist independent production. For much of its first two decades, the fund concentrated on television drama. From 1991 to 2010, it reported investing more than $47 million in 251 Canadian television drama series. The organization also supported professional development and industry training, preserving the educational element of its original mandate alongside project investment. In 2010, the IPF changed its funding emphasis in response to the growth of new digital platforms. Its revised mandate prioritized drama series designed for digital distribution, particularly original short-form scripted series. The fund reported allocating nearly $2 million per year from endowment interest and recouped investment proceeds to original digital drama. Between 2010 and 2017, it invested $12.8 million in 114 short-form scripted digital series. Another development occurred in 2017, when Cogeco Communications directed its annual BDU contributions to the IPF to create the Cogeco TV Production Program. This arrangement added a television-focused program to the fund's broader portfolio at a time when its central mandate emphasized digital drama. By 2017, the IPF reported support for 251 television projects, 422 professional-development activities, and 114 original online series, with total funding approaching $65 million. The organization has continued to present itself as a Canadian independent foundation serving producers and creators in both English and French.
- 2017
Cogeco TV Production Program established
[1]Cogeco Communications directs annual BDU contributions to the IPF for a new television production program.
- 2010
Digital drama becomes the primary strategic focus
[1]The IPF revises its mandate to prioritize drama series created for new digital platforms.
- 1999
CRTC eligibility approved
[1]The CRTC approves the IPF as a Canadian Independent Production Fund eligible for BDU contributions.
- 1997
Bell Fund administration added
[1]The fund's portfolio of industry-support responsibilities expands to include the Bell Fund.
- 1994
Fund renamed Independent Production Fund
[1]Following Rogers Communications' acquisition of Maclean Hunter, the Maclean Hunter Television Fund adopts the Independent Production Fund name.
- 1993
Cogeco Program Development Fund launches
[1]The organization expands its administrative role by becoming associated with the Cogeco Program Development Fund.
- 1990
Maclean Hunter Television Fund is created
[1]Maclean Hunter Limited establishes the fund with a perpetually restricted endowment of approximately $29.2 million following a CRTC decision.
Products and positioning
A mission-driven Canadian screen-sector fund that combines independent production financing with training, professional development, and administration of industry funding programs. Its distinctive focus shifted from television drama toward original scripted digital content in 2010.
Production financing · 1990
Television drama production financing
The IPF's original and continuing activity includes financial support for Canadian dramatic television series produced independently of the major broadcasters. Between 1991 and 2010, the fund reported investing more than $47 million in 251 Canadian television drama series. Funding is supported by the organization's endowment structure and the recovery of investments.
Digital production financing · 2010
Original digital drama series financing
Since the 2010 mandate revision, the IPF has emphasized scripted drama made for digital platforms. The program supports original short-form online series and is financed from endowment income and recouped investment proceeds. From 2010 through 2017, the IPF reported investing $12.8 million in 114 short-form scripted digital series.
Industry development · 1990
Professional development and training
The organization provides professional development services and training for digital-media producers and creators in English and French. These activities complement its project financing by supporting skills development and the broader capacity of Canada's independent production community.
Television production program · 2017
Cogeco TV Production Program
Established through Cogeco Communications' direction of annual broadcast distribution undertaking contributions to the IPF, this program supports television production within the fund's wider portfolio of Canadian screen-sector initiatives.
Brand decisions
2017
Creation of the Cogeco TV Production ProgramStrategyBackground
Cogeco Communications chose to direct its annual broadcast distribution undertaking contributions to the IPF.
Action taken
The IPF established and administered the Cogeco TV Production Program, adding a television-oriented initiative to its digital and industry-development activities.
Aftermath
The program broadened the IPF's funding portfolio while the organization continued its principal focus on Canadian independent production and digital drama.
2010
Shift toward digital-platform dramaStrategyBackground
The IPF reassessed its mandate after the emergence of new digital platforms and the growing importance of online scripted entertainment.
Action taken
It redirected its primary funding focus from conventional television drama toward original drama series created for digital platforms.
Aftermath
From 2010 to 2017, the fund reported investing $12.8 million in 114 short-form scripted digital series.
Reported investment in short-form scripted digital series. $12.8 million (2010-2017)
Sources2 sources
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