BC ELN-BCHDP Support Service: Early Notice 2027/28

The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP) is seeking early notice from prospective applicants for the 2027-2028 funding year. This will enable program staff to follow up with applicants eligible for and interested in additional support during the grant application process. 

In an effort to bolster BCHDP’s commitment to building capacity and supporting community-based organizations* in the preservation and digitization of unique British Columbia content, in this upcoming funding cycle, the program will prioritize applications that are led by community-based organizations. If you have questions about community-based organization prioritization, please contact the BCHDP Coordinator.

If your organization is considering applying for a 2027-2028 BCHDP grant, please fill out the Notice of Intent Survey (https://surveys.bceln.ca/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=884849&lang=en).  

Early notice will be accepted until August 7, 2026, but the earlier notice you provide, the more support we can provide. Early notice is not mandatory but is expected to improve the chances of a successful grant application. 

The information provided in the Notice of Intent Survey will only be used for follow-up; it will not form part of your application. Organizations eligible for and indicating interest in additional support during the grant application process will be contacted. 

Support for eligible organizations can include assistance with completing the grant application; project management; copyright advisory; connections to digitization service providers; securing digitization staff; preparing metadata; and hosting digitized materials in the Arca provincial digital repository. 

Background 

The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP), launched by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre in 2006, provides matching funds to support digitization projects that make unique British Columbia content freely available. 

In October 2026, the BCHDP will be accepting applications for the 2027-2028 funding year. Applicants can receive up to $15,000 of matching funds for their projects. In the 2026-2027 funding year, the program awarded more than $150,000 for 20 projects. Since its inception in 2006, the BCHDP has awarded more than $3 million of matching funds for more than 280 projects.

Additional support for organizations applying for BCHDP grants is provided through a partnership between the BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN) and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKBLC) at the University of British Columbia Library. For more information about the BC ELN-BCHDP Support Service, please visit: https://bceln.github.io/bchdp-docs/about/about/ 

For more information about the program and to view past projects, please visit BC History Digitization Program (https://ikblc.ubc.ca/initiatives/bcdigitinfo/). 

*Community-based organizations are non-profit, non-governmental, or charitable organizations that represent community needs and work to help them. CBOs may be associated with a particular area of concern or segment of the community.