Experiment Grant Scheme

This grant scheme is open to professional designers, architects, makers and design agencies working in the field of design, architecture, digital culture and all possible crossovers.

(Cultural) institutions or organizations cannot apply to this scheme. In this scheme, only one grant can be provided to an applicant per calendar year.

Grants can be applied for small-scale projects focused on experiment-driven research with a maximum duration of one year. Project proposals can take various forms. One condition is that the experiment starts from a clear, defined research question and the implementation of the experiment aims to answer that question. The end result of the experiment is primarily new knowledge.

In your application, make clear:
- the starting point of the experiment: what research question do you want to work on?
- the setup of the experiment: which steps will you take and which method will you use to arrive at an answer?

total project budget
Due to the small scale of the experiment, the total project budget may not exceed € 10,000. This includes any co-financing or own resources. Co-financing is possible under the Experiment Grant Scheme, but not necessary. Make sure that all time and resources, including any co-financing, are listed and quantified in the budget.

presentation and publication costs
Presentation and publication costs can only be included in the budget if form and setup of the presentation are part of the experiment, but not to make the results of the experiment accessible.

no residency
A residency can be part of the experiment, but may not be the core of the project proposal under the Experiment Grant Scheme. For stand-alone residencies, contact the Fund about grant possibilities.

It is not permitted for the submitted project to:
- have previously received a grant from any of the Fund's other grant schemes
- have a second grant application pending under one of the Fund's other grant schemes
- have previously received a negative decision from the Experiment Grant Scheme

In order to prepare the application, it is important for you to acquire the right information based on the following documents:

Grant Application Guide
The Grant Application Guide provides guidance and tips on preparing a grant application and an explanation of the criteria. You can use it for drawing up your application as completely as possible.

Experiment Grant Scheme
Applications are assessed on the basis of the Experiment Grant Scheme. This states the conditions, criteria and objectives.

do you have any specific questions?
It is not possible to submit a concept within this scheme. Do you have any specific questions about submitting your project plan? Please contact Carlijn Limburg, coordinator Experiment Grant Scheme.

Applications are assessed internally by at least two Fund officers. This is done on the basis of the Experiment Grant Scheme.

assessment criteria
- artistic value
- expected significance to the personal practice or for the area of expertise
- effectiveness in terms of setup, methods and any expertise involved

The criteria are explained in the Grant Application Guide.

acceptance
When you have submitted your application, the Fund Desk will check if your application complies with the formal requirements of the Experiment Grant Scheme.

Note: If the grant scheme is open, applications can be made on a continuous basis. The grant scheme is open as long as the budget is sufficient, until the closing date. Grant applications are processed in order of submission. The moment of submission of a complete application is leading. If the subsidy ceiling for the period is exceeded during the time period, the scheme closes earlier than planned and any proposals submitted later will no longer be considered.

assessment
Your application is assessed internally on the basis of the Experiment Grant Scheme by at least two Fund officers who were not involved in the formal assessment. They will give their advice to the Fund's Board.

decision
The Board takes account of the committee's advice in its decision on the rejection or provision of the grant. You will be notified about the result in a decision. You will receive this no later than six weeks after submitting your application.

accountability
If you receive a grant from the Fund, then you will have to comply with the obligations. Two weeks before the conclusion of your project, you will be asked by email to submit your accountability form in the application environment.

1. What is an experiment?
Project proposals can take various forms. One condition is that the experiment starts from a clear, defined research question and the implementation of the experiment aims to answer that question. The end result of the experiment is primarily new knowledge rather than a concrete final product. The Design, Architecture and Digital Culture Grant Schemes offer more scope for project proposals that work towards an end product.

2. Can the total project budget exceed €10,000?
Due to the small scale of the experiment, the total project budget may not exceed € 10,000. This includes any co-financing or own resources. Co-financing is possible under the Experiment Grant Scheme, but not necessary. Make sure that all time and resources, including any co-financing, are listed and quantified in the budget.

3. How does an application to the Experiment Grant Scheme differ from a starting grant?
Starting grants can be applied for under the Grant Schemes for Design, Architecture, Digital Culture and Internationalization. This form of subsidy makes it explicitly possible to investigate the design of a proposed project, involve content-specific expertise and look for financial support. Under the Experiment Grant Scheme, a concrete starting point with research question is needed and the goal of the project lies within the grant period (of up to one year). With a starting grant, on the contrary, work is done on arriving at a sharp question and plan of action, and the objective of the project lies further into the future.

Experiment Grant Scheme
Grant Application Guide Experiment