Open Call Grounding the Cloud

With the Open Call Grounding the Cloud: Material Realities in Digital Culture, the Creative Industries Fund NL wants to support projects that reduce, provide insight into, or offer sustainable alternatives to the ecological impact of digital technologies and data consumption. In doing so, the Fund promotes creative making and thinking processes that relate to topics such as regenerative culture, 'degrowth', low-tech, the (re)use of (obsolete) hardware and (renewed) ownership over the technologies we use, within digital culture. We stimulate reflection on the ecological impact of digital technologies and data consumption in various forms.

This open call is intended for makers, designers, collectives and observers within digital culture who are established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten). The call focuses on applicants who develop regenerative or mitigating working methods and embed sustainability in their methodology, collaboration and technological choices.

Please note: this open call is not open to makers who receive subsidies via our Four-year Institutional Grant Scheme 2025–2028, Talent Development Grant Scheme, Open Call Self-taught Designer, Open Call Emerging Design Practices ABCSSS, or via the cultural Basic Infrastructure (BIS) scheme by the Dutch government.

This open call is intended for projects that contribute to reducing or providing insight into the ecological impact of digital technology. The grant can be used for artistic and substantive development, research, collaboration, knowledge sharing, presentation and documentation.

Grant applications amount to a maximum of €30,000. The maximum duration of the project is one year.

In preparation for the application, it is important to inform yourself well:

Open Call Grounding the Cloud

The assessment of applications takes place based on the Open Call Grounding the Cloud. This describes the rationale and objective, central questions, criteria and procedure.

Open Call Grant Scheme

The assessment of applications also takes place based on the Open Call Grant Scheme. This describes the general conditions, grounds for refusal, method of publication, method of submission, assessment, allocation and subsidy obligations.

Consultation hours

On Wednesday 20 August (Dutch-speaking) and Wednesday 10 September (English-speaking), consultation hours will be organised in which the Digital Culture team will tell you more about the call and you can ask questions.

Applications are assessed based on the Open Call Grounding the Cloud and the Open Call Grant Scheme.

Assessment criteria:

• artistic-substantive quality of the proposal;
• significance of the research question for the digital culture field;
• positioning and reflection of the applicant on the theme of the open call;
• degree to which the project is effective in setup, methodology, involved expertise and collaboration.

acceptance

When you have submitted your application, the Fund checks the application against the formal requirements from the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment

An independent advisory committee assesses your application based on the Open Call Grounding the Cloud and the Open Call Grant Scheme. The committee issues its advice to the board of the Creative Industries Fund.

ranking

Applications are placed on a ranking list based on the assessment. Projects with the highest assessment are supported until the budget is exhausted. Only positively assessed projects can be supported.

decision

The board incorporates the committee's advice in the decision whether or not to grant the subsidy. No later than eight weeks after the closing date, the Fund will inform you of the decision.

accountability

If you receive a subsidy from the Creative Industries Fund, you also enter into obligations. Two weeks before the completion of your project, you will receive an email request to submit your accountability via the application platform.

Open Call Grounding the Cloud
Open Call Grant Scheme
Budget and Funding Plan Template