

Scout Nights 2024
For designers and makers who have independently developed professionally in practice or have completed MBO education in a design direction and want to apply for a grant from the Talent Development Grant Scheme.
closed
€ 1,000
€ 25,000
Important information
The Scout Nights are part of the Talent Development Grant Scheme. They are for designers and makers who have independently developed professionally in practice or have completed MBO education in a design direction. In this way, the Fund enables designers and makers from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds to further artistically develop and professionalize their design practice.
If you apply via the Scout Nights, you must be able to show that you have had a professional design practice within the disciplines of design, architecture or digital culture or a crossover between these for at least one year and a maximum of four years. These include disciplines such as animation and illustration, biodesign, games, graphic design, fashion and textiles, sound design, urban making and garden and landscape architecture. You can apply as an individual designer or maker or in collaboration, for example as a duo or collective.
The Scout Nights are not for:
- designers and makers who completed a college or university design or architecture course no more than four years ago; they can only apply for a grant through the Talent Development Grant Scheme;
- makers with an autonomous visual art practice;
- designers and makers not working in the Dutch creative industry.
Do you doubt whether you are eligible for a grant through the Talent Development Grant Scheme? Then contact us. On Talent Platform you can see who we previously supported through the Talent Development Grant Scheme.
With this grant scheme, you can apply for a grant of € 25,000. The grant allows you to invest for a year in the development of your practice.
The grant consists of three parts:
- one freely disposable part intended for your artistic and professional development;
- one part for the professionalization of your practice;
- one part for presentation purposes.
The selection in the Talent Development Grant Scheme occurs in two phases. View the timeline of the grant scheme.
first selection phase
Designers and makers who have completed an MBO design course or who have independently developed professionally in practice submit an application through the Scout Nights in the first selection phase of the Talent Development Grant Scheme. Selection is based on an application form, CV, portfolio and a live pitch.
Designers and makers who graduated from a college or university design or architecture course no more than four years ago can apply through the Talent Development Grant Scheme in the first selection phase.
second selection phase
If you are selected in the first selection phase (via the grant scheme or the Scout Nights), you will receive € 1,000 for drawing up a development plan. The development plan will form the core of your application in the second selection phase. The advisory committee of the Talent Development Grant Scheme will make the final selection on the basis of the development plans. The selected designers and makers will receive the grant of € 25,000.

In order tot prepare your application for Scout nights in the first selection phase, it is important to inform yourself well using the following documents:
Talent Development Guide
In the Talent Development Guide Scout Nights, you can take a look at the motivation questions we will ask you in the application environment and you will find tools and tips for preparing your grant application.
If you are selected in the first phase, use the Talent Development Guide Phase 2 to draw up your development plan. This manual will be published when the selection of phase 1 is known.
Talent Development Grant Scheme
The assessment of applications takes place on the basis of the Talent Development Grant Scheme. This describes the conditions, criteria and objectives.
consultation hour
Do you have a question or difficulty reading the grant scheme or writing your application? Then sign up for an online consultation hour or send your question by e-mail.
Each scout night has its own jury which is composed by the scout. The jury make the selection during the Scout Nights based on the Talent Development Grant Scheme.
assessment criteria scout nights
- the quality of the work;
- environmental awareness and positioning;
- development capability;
- the extent to which the applicant’s practice can potentially be considered as distinctive within the creative industry
The criteria for the first phase are explained in the Talent Development Guide Scout Nights.
assessment criteria for the second phase
- the quality of the applicant’s work in relation to the development plan;
- the practice’s environmental awareness and positioning within the area of expertise and in the social context;
- development capability;
- the degree to which the development plan and proposed activities contribute to the development of a distinctive and meaningful practice within the creative industry.
The Talent Development Guide Phase 2 with an explanation of the criteria will be published when the selection of Phase 1 is announced.
We organize five scout nights spread across the country. The scout nights are private and each pitch location has its own scout. If you have any questions, please contact the scout of the location where you want to pitch by e-mail.
- 14 March 2024: region Middle in Utrecht / scout Dina Ziad
- 15 March 2024: region South in Eindhoven / scout Glenda Pattipeilohy
- 18 March 2024: region Middle in Amsterdam / scout Wouter Pocornie
- 19 March 2024: region North in Zwolle / scout Philip van Vorstenbosch
- 20 March 2024: region South in Rotterdam / scout Shirin Mirachor
View the impression of the Scout Nights 2023.
acceptance
Once you have applied for the Scout Nights, the Fund will check your eligibility. Fifteen applicants can pitch per scout night. No later than two weeks before the scout night you applied for, you will hear whether you are allowed to pitch. If we invite you to pitch, you will receive more information by e-mail about the Scout Nights and how to prepare for them.
pitch
During the scout night, you will give a pitch to the jury and other participants. The judges will evaluate the pitch based on the Talent Development Grant Scheme.
ranking
Per scout night, five participants can be selected for the next round of selection. Applications will be ranked based on the scores assigned to them by the judges.
If, based on their average score, applications end up on an equal ranking position, and the available number of grants in the first phase is exceeded with these applications, these applications will be ranked as follows:
- First, prioritization is based on the awarded score on the ‘quality of the work’ criterion.
- Next, prioritization is based on ‘degree of contribution to greater diversity and inclusion within the design field’.
decision
The result of the scout nights will be announced the same day. You will be officially informed of this decision. For individual feedback, you can contact the Fund by phone.
The result of the second selection phase, which is through the Talent Development Grant Scheme, will be announced in August 2024. All applicants in this phase will receive individual feedback.
accountability
If you receive a grant from the Fund, then you will have to comply with the obligations. At the end of your development year, you will receive an e-mail request to submit your justification via the application environment.
1. The first selection phase of the Talent Development Grant Scheme is partly through the scheme and partly through Scout Nights. Who is the scheme for?
Designers and makers who completed a college or university design or architecture course no more than four years ago apply for a grant through the Talent Development Grant Scheme. They cannot pitch live. Scout Nights are for designers or makers who have completed an MBO design course or who have developed professionally independently.
2. Can I use the grant to implement a business plan?
The Talent Development Grant Scheme is aimed at developing the artistic and professional practice of up-and-coming designers and makers. Executing a business plan does not fit within this. If you only want to apply for funding for a stand-alone artistic project, you can go to the Design, Architecture and Digital Culture grant schemes.
3. I have an autonomous visual arts practice. Can I then also apply to the Talent Development Grant Scheme?
Artists with an autonomous visual art practice are not supported through the Talent Development Scheme. They can apply to the Artist Start Grant Scheme of the Mondriaan Fund.
Talent Development Grant Scheme
Talent Development Guide Scout Nights
The Talent Development Guide Phase 2 will be published when the selection of phase 1 is known.

Steps to take
Do you want to apply for a subsidy under this grant scheme?
Start your applicationIf some of the information is not clear, email your question to Sharvin Ramjan, Maria van der Togt or Chloë Neeleman of team Talentdevelopment. You can also ask your question during one of our online consultation hours or call on 010 436 16 00. If you have a more general question, have a look at our frequently asked questions first.