Talent Development Grant Scheme

The Talent Development Grant Scheme is open to emerging designers (graduated at least one year ago and no more than four years ago) who are active in the fields of design, architecture or digital culture in the Netherlands or in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The fields of design, architecture and digital culture include disciplines such as animation, illustration, biodesign, games, graphic design, fashion design, creative coding, urban planning, and garden and landscape architecture.

The Talent Development Grant Scheme is not for:

• Students
• Makers with an autonomous art practice, such as visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, writers, theatre makers, musicians and dancers
• Designers who have previously received funding through this scheme (or its predecessors) or an Artist Start grant from the Mondriaan Fund.

You can see who we have previously supported through the Talent Development Grant Scheme on Platform Talent.

If you are unsure whether you're eligible for the Talent Development Grant Scheme, please contact us at talentontwikkeling@stimuleringsfonds.nl. We also organise an online consultation hour and writing sessions to inform and support applicants.

You can apply for a grant of € 25,000 to invest in developing your practice over one year. The development year runs from September 1, 2025, to November 1, 2026.

The grant consists of three parts:

• a freely disposable part for artistic development
• a part for coaching, advice and knowledge acquisition (professionalisation)
• a part for enhancing visibility (presentation)

To prepare your application, it's important to review the following documents:

manual

The Talent Development Grant Scheme Manual includes helpful questions for drafting your development plan, a checklist of required documents, and guidance for preparing your budget. If you would like to show physical work to the advisory committee, you can deliver it by Monday, June 2, 2025. Make an appointment via talentontwikkeling@stimuleringsfonds.nl and include your application number.

talent development grant scheme

Applications are assessed based on the Talent Development Grant Scheme. This document describes the conditions, criteria and objectives.

Applications are evaluated by the advisory committee for this scheme. This is done based on the Talent Development Grant Scheme.

The assessment criteria are:

• The artistic and reflective abilities of the applicant, including the originality of the work, capacity for critical reflection, and contribution to current issues
• The intended development strategy, considering alignment with portfolio and ambitions, artistic innovation, and relevance within the creative industry
• The concrete elaboration of activities and collaborations with knowledge partners, mentors or coaches
• How the network will be strengthened and outcomes shared with an appropriate audience

processing

The first 200 complete applications will be processed in order of receipt. Applications received after this cannot be processed. After submitting your application, the Fund will check it against the formal requirements. We will contact you if anything is unclear.

assessment

An independent advisory committee assesses your application according to the Talent Development Grant Scheme. The committee follows the Advisory Committee Procedure as published on our website.

prioritisation

Only positively assessed applications are eligible for funding. If the available budget is exceeded, applications will be ranked based on scores against the assessment criteria. If applications end up ranked the same and the grant ceiling is reached, diversity within the selection will be considered, looking at:

• discipline
• cultural diversity
• regional spread

decision

Within 15 weeks after the closing date, you will receive an email notification about the decision. If awarded, you will receive information about conditions, obligations and payments.

can I apply immediately after graduating?

No, you must have graduated at least one year before you can submit an application. This is a new requirement in this scheme. We do expect you to be active with projects in the fields of design, digital culture and/or architecture in the first twelve months after graduation, which should be visible in your CV and portfolio with your application.

can I apply as a collective or duo?

There will be a separate open call for collectives and duos. Therefore, you cannot apply as a collective through this scheme.

can I apply as an MBO graduate or self-taught designer through this scheme?

No, this scheme is only for makers with a diploma from a relevant HBO or WO program. There will be two separate open calls for MBO graduates and self-taught designers: Open Call Self-taught Designer and Open Call Emerging Design Practices ABCSSS. Keep an eye on the Creative Industries Fund newsletter for more information about these open calls.

can I use the grant to execute an artistic project?

The Talent Development Grant Scheme focuses on developing the artistic and professional practice of emerging designers and makers. If you only want to apply for funding for a standalone artistic project, you can use the Creative Industries Kick-start Grant Scheme, or the Design, Architecture and Digital Culture grant schemes.

can I also show physical work to the committee?

It is possible to show physical work to the advisory committee. This can be objects, but also a USB stick with video and/or audio work of maximum three minutes. Physical work can be delivered until Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Creative Industries Fund. Contact talentontwikkeling@stimuleringsfonds.nl to make an appointment. Please include your application number when making the appointment.

Talent Development Grant Scheme
Talent Development Grant Scheme Manual
Talent Development Grant Scheme Budget Template
Example application form