Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice

With this open call, the Creative Industries Fund NL is offering professionals in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom the opportunity to develop a distinctive strategy to achieve their own future-proof practice. Developing a long-term vision and strategy is important for your design practice. In a professional practice, you schedule time for both your artistic development and your growth as an entrepreneur. How do you find the right balance between the two? What is your vision of the future and which strategy can you use to achieve that?

This open call is intended for makers and designers with their own practice within the fields of design, architecture or digital culture and the crossovers between these fields. By this we mean garden and landscape architects, graphic designers, game developers, urban designers, product designers, interior architects, fashion designers, digital storytellers, sound designers, jewellery designers and illustrators and makers in many other sub-disciplines.

Proposals may be submitted by applicants who are based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and have had their own practice for at least three years. You can apply individually or as a partnership, such as a duo or collective.

No application can be submitted by:

- Designers or design studios who have been supported in a previous edition of this open call.
- Designers who at the time of application have another application pending with the Creative Industries Fund NL.

This open call provides an opportunity to conduct research in the areas of professionalisation, reflection and deepening of the practice, to improve your practice as a designer or maker. With this open call, the Fund wants to strengthen the design field and promote connections between culture, entrepreneurship and society.

Specifically, the contribution can be used to cover the following costs:
- own hours to take on this trajectory;
- hiring specific knowledge;
- travel expenses;
- any material costs.

Please note: regular company costs will not be paid, for example:
- work space rental;
- office costs;
- developing a corporate identity and website;
- obtaining legal advice;
- further developing a current design.

You have to engage at least two advisers/mentors for the implementation of your project plan. For example, a business coach, an artistic coach, a financial adviser, a branding strategist or somebody who can advise you about impact. You could also ask curators, intermediaries or other designers for advice.

Motivate your choice for these partners or parties by making a link with the goal and your long-term vision as stated in the project plan. Explain in detail why these persons match the goals you have set yourself.

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

Grant Application Guidelines
The Grant Application Guidelines provide guidance and tips on preparing a grant application. You can use them to draw up your application as completely as possible.

Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice
Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice #12, which describes the reason and objective, design challenges, phases, criteria and procedures.

Open Call Grant Scheme
Applications are also assessed on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme, which describes the general conditions, grounds for rejection, manner of publication, submission procedure, assessment, the award and any grant obligations.

Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice #12 and the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment criteria

- the artistic significance of the practice;
- the extent to which the approach fits the professionalisation goal;
- the quality of the contribution of the partners/advisors involved;
- the sharpness of the reflection on the expected added value for a more future-proof practice.

acceptance

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

assessment

An independent advisory committee will assess your application on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme and the Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice #12. The committee advises 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.

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.

Open Call Professionalisation and deepening of the practice #12
Open Call Grant Scheme
Grant Application Guidelines