Sayaspora Creator Grant — $500

ARTICLE 1 — CONTEST ORGANIZER

This contest (hereinafter “the Contest”) is organized by Sayaspora, a media and community organization headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (hereinafter “the Organizer”).
The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or any other social media platform used for its promotion. Any questions regarding the Contest should be addressed exclusively to the Organizer.

ARTICLE 2 — PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

Sayaspora is organizing this competition with a clear intention: to concretely support the emergence of new creative voices and encourage narratives that contribute to transforming representations.

Through this initiative, we wish to offer one person the opportunity to move from idea to action, by giving them the means to realize a project that offers an authentic perspective on their environment or identity.

This competition is part of Sayaspora’s mission to value stories from diverse perspectives, to promote fairer and more nuanced representation in the media, and to create spaces where often underrepresented viewpoints can be heard and recognized.

With this in mind, only one (1) price is awarded: a cash grant of five hundred Canadian dollars ($500 CAD), presented to an individual whose project embodies these values ​​of authenticity, representation, cultural diversity, and social impact.

ARTICLE 3 — CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

The Contest is open to any individual residing in Canada, aged 18 or older on the closing date of the Contest.

The following are excluded from the Contest:

• Employees, directors, and board members of Sayaspora;
• Immediate family members of the individuals mentioned above (spouse, children, parents, siblings);
• Anyone under the age of 18.

Participation in the Contest is completely free. No purchase is necessary to enter or to win. No purchase will improve your chances of being selected.

ARTICLE 4 — PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES

To participate in the Contest, applicants must:

• Create a short video (15 to 30 seconds) in which they clearly present their project, then post it as a story or live video on Instagram or as a video on TikTok.

In this video, we want to understand:

1. What is their creative project (video, photo series, podcast, etc.)? It must be digital content!
2. What is it about (theme, subject, message)?
3. Why does the candidate want to create it (their intention, their story, their point of view)?
4. A connection to their neighborhood or borough (mention it, talk about a place that has marked them, or show it)?
5. The impact the candidate would like to have (on their community, on stories, on people)?

The idea is to give us an authentic and clear overview of their project, even if it is still in development.

• Publish the video as a live video or story on Instagram, or as a video on TikTok
• Tag @Sayaspora and use the hashtag #MTLatraversElles
• Email the video to projets@sayaspora.com by providing your full name, email address, a link to your content creator profile, and a short presentation of your creative process (maximum 500 words);
• Follow the official Sayaspora account on Instagram and/or TikTok for the Contest;
• Expressly accept these rules when submitting the form.

Only one (1) entry per person will be accepted. Any incomplete, fraudulent, or non-compliant entry will be automatically disqualified.

ARTICLE 5 — COMPETITION PERIOD

Opening Date:Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Closing Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Announcement of Results:Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM during the Our Roots, Our Stories Summit. Any application received after the closing date and time will not be considered, regardless of its validity. reason.

ARTICLE 6 — SELECTION PROCESS

The winner will be selected by a selection committee composed of members of the Sayaspora team and, if necessary, invited experts. The selection will not be made by random draw.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Relevance and consistency of the creative approach with Sayaspora’s values;
• Quality, originality, and impact of the content produced;
• Representation and amplification of voices from diasporas;
• Development potential and projected use of the grant.
• Mention the neighborhood or borough where the participant resides.

The selection committee’s decision is final and without appeal. Sayaspora reserves the right not to award the prize if no application meets the established criteria.

ARTICLE 7 — PRICE

Only one (1) price is offered in this Contest:

• A cash price valued at five hundred Canadian dollars ($500 CAD), payable by electronic transfer or any other payment method agreed upon with the winner.

The price is non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be converted into any other form of compensation. It must be accepted as awarded.
The winner is solely responsible for declaring the amount received to the appropriate tax authorities, in accordance with applicable laws. Sayaspora cannot be held responsible for the winning person’s tax obligations.

ARTICLE 8 — NOTIFICATION OF THE WINNER

The winner will be announced on the day of the Our Roots, Our Stories Summit.

If the winner is not present at the Our Roots, Our Stories Summit, Sayaspora reserves the right to select another candidate.
The winner’s name (or pseudonym, according to their expressed preference) may be made public on Sayaspora’s platforms, with their prior consent, the week following the Our Roots, Our Stories Summit.

A check will be presented to them at the Our Roots, Our Stories Summit. The winner agrees to complete their project and send the final product to Sayaspora at the following email address: projets@sayaspora.com within 15 days of receiving the grant.

ARTICLE 9 — PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

The personal information collected for the Contest is used exclusively for the purposes of administering the Contest and communicating with participants.

In accordance with Act 25 on the protection of personal information in the private sector (Quebec) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the data collected will not be sold, rented, or shared with third parties without the explicit consent of the participants.

Participants may, at any time, exercise their right to access, rectify, or withdraw their information by contacting Sayaspora at the following address: projets@sayaspora.com
By participating in the Competition, candidates expressly consent to their personal data being processed in accordance with these provisions.

The works, content, and materials submitted as part of the application may not be used, reproduced, or distributed by Sayaspora without the prior written consent of their author.

ARTICLE 10 — COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Each participant guarantees that they are the author of the submitted content and that it does not infringe upon the rights of any third party.
Participation in the Contest does not entail any transfer of copyright to Sayaspora. The rights to the submitted content remain the exclusive property of its author.

The winner authorizes Sayaspora to mention their name and creative process for public communication purposes (press release, social media posts, etc.), within the agreed limits.

ARTICLE 11 — LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Sayaspora shall not be held liable for any technical problems, network failures, data loss, or any other event beyond its control affecting participation in the Contest.

Sayaspora reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest at any time, for reasons beyond its control, without prior notice and without any obligation to provide compensation.

ARTICLE 12 — LANGUAGE AND APPLICABLE LAW

These rules are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec and Canada. Any dispute arising from the Contest shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Quebec.

In accordance with the Charter of the French Language, these rules are available in French. An English version may be available for informational purposes. In case of discrepancy, the French version shall prevail.

ARTICLE 13 — ACCEPTANCE OF RULES

Participation in the Contest implies full and unreserved acceptance of these rules. Any dispute or claim must be submitted in writing to Sayaspora within thirty (30) days of the announcement of the results.