Twelve institutions selected under the Four-year Institutional Grant Scheme 2025-2028
Over the next four years, the Creative Industries Fund NL will award institutional grants to 12 leading cultural institutions that contribute to the quality, development and professionalization of the creative industries. The selected institutions represent an important link in the infrastructure of the creative industries. With this multi-year support, they can continue to renew themselves and the field they focus on and develop high-quality programmes in which they build national and international collaborations with designers, makers and other professionals and continue to interact with new and existing audiences.
Rotterdam, 3 July 2024
The Creative Industries Fund NL is today announcing the results of the Four-year Institutional Grant Programme for Creative Industries 2025-2028. The Fund is doing this at the same time as publishing the subsidy decisions over the multi-year grant schemes of the other national culture funds and the recommendations within the Basic Cultural Infrastructure (bis), on which the Council for Culture gives its opinion. Together, the state-subsidized institutions represent a substantial part of the Dutch cultural sector and provide a rich, diverse and accessible cultural offering spread across the country. Within the sector, the Fund serves the fields of design, architecture and digital culture. All the disciplines are represented at the selected institutions.
two categories
The Fund’s Four-Year Institutional Grant Scheme has two categories. Category I was open to cultural institutions that carry out a comprehensive leading national programme of activities of international significance within the creative industries – on a scale similar to the institutions in the bis. The scope of applications within this category was € 275,000 - € 550,000 per calendar year. In category II, cultural institutions of national significance could apply for € 125,000 - € 275,000 per calendar year to implement an activities programme within the creative industries.
In categories I and II, 17 and 24 applications respectively were processed. For two institutions, the advisory process within this grant scheme was stopped because they are going to be supported by the bis. Seven institutions submitted applications in both category I and category II.
All applications were assessed by an independent advisory committee chaired by Annelies Thoelen. Applications were made for a total amount of more than € 52 million for the period 2025-2028. The maximum budget available for the next four years was € 17.6 million, of which € 12 million was for category I and € 5.6 million for category II.
continuity and through-flow
The design of the grant scheme with two categories ensures continuity for a number of larger institutions on the one hand, while also creating space for new parties to be supported on a multi-year basis.
In category I, the following six cultural institutions will be supported over the next four years:
- iii (instrument inventors initiative) – € 1,996,659
- IMPAKT – € 1,503,342
- Pakhuis de Zwijger – € 2,200,000
- Playgrounds – € 1,900,000
- Sonic Acts – € 2,200,000
- V2_Lab voor de instabiele media – € 2,200,000
In category II, the following six cultural institutions will be supported over the next four years:
- CURRENT OBSESSION – € 591,232
- Independent School for the City – € 1,088,668
- OSCAM – € 899,999
- Stichting AIR – € 1,098,197
- Stichting SETUP – € 1,100,000
- The Hmm – € 816,443
Note: the advices are in Dutch only.
In category I in particular, there is continuity with five institutions that were also supported by the Fund on a multi-year basis in the past four years. The institutions selected in this category generally succeed in constantly innovating and maintaining urgency as a result. Category II shows more dynamism and innovation, especially in terms of audiences being reached and developing new forms of programming.
Within design as well as architecture and digital culture, the field remains full of momentum and the sector has growth potential in every respect. – Syb Groeneveld
Executive director Syb Groeneveld concludes: ‘Together with the 10 design institutions that will be supported in the bis in the coming years plus the approximately 18 institutions that we will be able to support for another two years this autumn under the Activities Programme Grant Scheme, these 12 institutions represent the breadth of the creative industries and illustrate the dynamism and innovation within the sector. OSCAM, Independent School for the City, CURRENT OBSESSION and The Hmm are being supported by the Fund for the first time on a multi-year basis. This shows that within design as well as architecture and digital culture, the field remains full of momentum and the sector has growth potential in every respect.’
‘We are doing our utmost to facilitate space for that growth and interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition, we note that in order to run programmes at a continued high level and in line with the Fair Practice Code, applicants have made astute choices. Based on the Fair Practice Code, institutions have better balanced the range and number of programmes and activities being carried out with a realistic budget for staff costs. This is positive for creating healthy employment relationships in the sector.’
institutions that missed selection
Ultimately, 11 positively assessed applications amounting to € 17 million in total could not be awarded grants due to insufficient budget; they finished lower in the ranking than the selected institutions. Groeneveld: ‘The advisory committee had to make shrewd choices. This is no mean feat and I greatly appreciate the painstaking work done by the committee, led by Annelies Thoelen and with the support of many colleagues. The comprehensive recommendations provide insight into the choices made. It remains a bitter pill to swallow for everyone, but especially for the applicants, that no support will be forthcoming despite the positive recommendation.’
Under this grant scheme, the advisory committee gave a positive recommendation to the following 11 institutions for which no budget turned out to be available:
- Bureau Europa
- Crafts Council Nederland
- Design Museum Den Bosch
- Extra Extra
- Fashionclash
- Graphic Matters
- LI-MA
- MacGuffin
- PrintRoom
- Van Eesteren Museum
- Zone2Source
Nine applications received a negative assessment for various reasons under this grant scheme:
- Architectuurcentrum Amsterdam (Arcam)
- Baltan Laboratories
- BioArt Laboratories
- Hackers & Designers
- Illustratie Ambassade
- Mediamatic
- sQuare
- The Grey Space in the Middle
- What Design Can Do
Activities Programme Grant Scheme 2025-2026
At the same time as announcing the selection of the Four-year Institutional Grant Programme for creative industries, the Fund is opening the Activities Programme Grant Scheme (only in Dutch, English will follow). Cultural institutions can apply for two-year support for their activities programme under this grant scheme until 3 September 2024 at the latest. Approximately 18 applications will be supported through this grant scheme. Regional distribution based on the five parts of the country plus the Caribbean part of the Kingdom is the key factor. When the outcome of this grant scheme is known – at the end of 2024 – the picture in terms of regional distribution of the cultural institutions supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL for multiple years will also be complete.
stay stimulated
stay stimulated
