Funds and Institutions in The Netherlands

There are several Dutch national funds and institutes that provide (financial) support for international Dutch cultural projects. Please visit their websites for specific information about their international programs.

• Creative Industries (Architecture, Design, Digital Culture): Creative Industries Fund NL
• Cultural Participation: Cultural Participation Fund
• Film: Dutch Film Fund
• Literature: Dutch Foundation for Literature
• Performing Arts: Performing Arts Fund Netherlands
• Shared Cultural Heritage & multi-sectoral: DutchCulture, Shared Cultural Heritage Matching Fund & International Visitors’ Programme
• Visual Arts: Mondriaan Fund

More information can be found in the Cultural Mobility Funding Guide by DutchCulture, the Dutch centre for international cooperation. It provides a summary of Dutch grants for travel, stay, research, cooperation, production, and more outside the Netherlands – and for foreign artists to and in the Netherlands. This guide was published in close cooperation with partners from the cultural mobility information network On The Move.

A funding source in the United States is The Netherlands-America Foundation (NAF), which promotes cultural and educational exchange between the United States and The Netherlands. Through their educational and cultural programs the NAF modest grants.

Contribution Program 2021-2024

This contribution program explanation is meant for American legal entities outside the Netherlands intending to apply for a Dutch Cultural Contribution for projects in the United States. Dutch organizations and individuals are referred to the various Dutch national arts funding programs.

Contribution Program

The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York has limited funds available for the promotion of Dutch cultural activities in the United States. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocates these budgets to the Consulate on a calendar year basis, and depletion usually takes place before the final quarter of a calendar year. The Consulate allocates these budgets for projects across the whole United States, and across all disciplines.

Objectives

Cultural contributions are only given towards projects that support the strategic goals that are set in the Consulate’s 2021-2024 multiyear strategic plan. For the coming years, the goals are to strengthen the position of the Dutch cultural sector in the U.S. through visibility, exchange and sustainable cooperation, and to support the bilateral relationship between the Netherlands and the U.S. through Dutch cultural activities in the U.S.

Eligibility

Projects must involve (a significant) Dutch cultural participation. Only legal entities that are registered as such in the U.S. can be eligible for a contribution. This pertains to both non-profit and for-profit legal entities, as long as a project is not purely commercial and aimed at making a profit. American government entities are not eligible for support. Entities that may apply include organizations that run art fairs, festivals, artist-in-residence programs or biennials; fashion agencies; galleries; museums; non-profit arts organizations; performing arts venues; PR agencies; publishers; theaters; university galleries. Individuals (i.e. natural persons) and non-American legal entities are not eligible for a contribution.

First step: letter of intent of the project

• Before starting an application process, all applicants are required to send a letter of intent, which must include a brief description of the project, an indication of the expenses for which support is sought, start and end dates of the project, and an indication about other funding sources that are being pursued.

• Upon receipt of this letter, the Consulate will contact the applicant to discuss the next steps in the application process, and give advice about other funding sources. If it is decided to start an application, the applicant will receive an application form.

• The decision to start the application process on the basis of the letter of intent does not in any way contain guarantees regarding the final decision of the Consulate on the application.

• Applicants are stimulated to pursue possible grants from the Dutch national art funds [a comprehensive list can be found here]. Applicants are required to inform the Consulate in advance if applications have been filed with any of these funds, and for what expenses of the intended project. If no such applications have been filed, applicants need to explain why this has not been done.

Criteria & Requirements Who is eligible and application deadlines

• Only U.S. non-profit and for-profit legal entities can be eligible for a contribution.

• Applicants cannot receive a contribution more than once per calendar year.

• Applicants that have been denied a contribution will be denied (again).

• Past projects or projects that have already started are not eligible for a contribution.

• Applicants can send in an application to the Consulate on an ongoing basis. However, there is a three-month deadline before the start of a project.

• Previously successful applicants are not automatically guaranteed future contributions.

What type of projects are eligible

• In order to be eligible for a contribution, projects need to support the strategic goals that are set in the Consulate’s 2021-2024 multiyear plan (see above).

• Projects must involve (a significant) Dutch cultural participation.

• Priority is given to the following disciplines in which the Consulate works proactively: design (including jewelry and fashion design), film, performing arts (theater, youth theater), photography, shared cultural heritage, and visual arts. Lesser priority is given to the following disciplines in which the Consulate works reactively: architecture, dance, e-culture/gaming, electronic dance music, literature, old masters, and tangible heritage.

• The Consulate focuses on the New York City metropolitan area and large cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco, but also strives for a national approach, and gives special attention to secondary and upcoming cities in the U.S. with growing art centers and important venues. This includes, but is not limited to, cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

• Projects are required to contain a significant public component. Exceptions may be made for events and activities that will lead to a significant publication or other form of documentation that can be shared with the public at large.

• Applications may be filed for presentations at multiple locations in the U.S. (in case of touring projects, or projects that take place at various venues); however, only one of the participating legal entities can be eligible for a contribution. In such a case, the lead applicant must arrange dispersal of any funds among other venues. The lead applicant will be responsible for the implementation of the project for which the contribution is given and for the compliance with the accompanying obligations.

What are the financial criteria

• Contributions will never exceed $25,000, and are generally lower than that.

• Total combined Dutch government support (including any support from the Dutch national arts funds) may not exceed more than 50% of the total costs incurred to organize the Dutch component of a project. Ideally the Dutch government contributions cover a lesser percentage, and applicants are stimulated to obtain support from a variety of sources.

• Expenses that are eligible for support are, among others, transportation, travel, accommodation, publication, production, PR/marketing, event documentation (AV, photography), educational materials, and other production aspects that are necessary to organize the project.

• Expenses that are not eligible for support are, among others, research and preparation phases of a potential future project, fees and per diems for the Dutch participants, salaries and general operating costs, insurance expenses, hospitality and entertainment (receptions, dinners, parties, etc.), entrance or participation fees for conferences and other meetups, traditional Holland promotion, and purely commercial expenses (f.e. hiring a sales agent, booking a trade show, etc.).

• Applicants may also be asked to lower the requested contribution.

What happens in the case an application is successful

• Approved contributions can only be dispersed to a bank account that bears the legal name of the applicant. Payment of contributions only takes place via electronic wire.

• Upon approval of a contribution, the Consulate must be acknowledged with logo and credit line in printed and online materials related to the project. This includes invitations, publications and other publicity materials. If print or online posting deadlines for materials have already passed, an application is not eligible for a contribution.

• Upon approval of a contribution, the applicant needs to sign a contribution agreement form (also signed by the Cultural Attaché) that stipulates the official contribution program requirements.

• In case the project plans change between the date of the application approval and the start of the project, the applicant is required to inform the Consulate in writing, and request approval for any changes.

• Contribution recipients are asked to tag the Consulate with @dutchcultureusa or #dutchcultureusa in relevant social media posts.

Application Procedure and Steps

The following steps will need to take place during the application procedure:

1. Prospective applicant sends a letter of intent to apply for a contribution.

2. The Consulate contacts the applicant with feedback and guidance about the application process, and may refer or defer to other Dutch funding sources.

3. The Consulate provides the applicant with an application form as well as a Supplier Registration Form.

4. Applicant submits a completed application form (including a full budget with revenues and expenditures), as well as a completed and signed Supplier Registration Form including banking documentation (copy of cancelled check or banking information on letterhead of applicant).

5. The Consulate may request additional information if the application is incomplete, or if the application does not provide adequate information to properly assess and review the application. The Consulate may also request to adjust the requested contribution amount. Application processing may take up to 13 weeks.

6. When the Consulate deems an application complete, a cultural program officer will review the proposal, and provide a recommendation to the Cultural Attaché and our Financial Controller at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands. If there is insufficient internal expertise, the Consulate may seek advice from external experts in the relevant cultural discipline.

7. The Cultural Attaché and the Financial Controller need to sign off on the recommendation for an application to be fully approved.

8. The Consulate informs the applicant in writing if a contribution is approved or denied.

9. If an application is approved, a contribution agreement will be emailed to the applicant, who is to countersign and return it to the Consulate.

10. Upon receipt of the signed copy of the contract, the Consulate will send a payment request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands for the full amount of the contribution.

11. 100% of the contribution will be wired to the contribution recipient within 10-15 business days of the payment request.

12. Contribution recipient will provide the Consulate with relevant text and images of the project for promotional use in printed and online materials. Contribution recipient will also tag the Consulate with @dutchcultureusa or #dutchcultureusa in relevant social media posts.

Content and Financial Review and Assessment

Contribution decisions are made on the basis of the quality, prominence, and viability of the American host institution, and the quality and viability of a proposed project, a financial analysis of a proposed budget, and the merit of the arguments in the narrative of an application. As part of the review process, the Consulate will assess the following elements

Content review and assessment

The Consulate will review and assess the narrative elements of the application on the following:

• Does the project contain a considerable and recognizable Dutch component?

• Is the application complete and does it provide sufficient background information?

• Does the application adhere to the above-mentioned contribution program criteria and requirements?

• Is the application relevant to the Netherlands NYC Consulate’s multi-year strategic plan for the U.S.?

• Does the application provide specific goals and an explanation about how these goals will be achieved?

• What is the regional, national and international standing of the applicant, and what level of press and audience exposure will the project generate?

• Does the intended project provide potential for market expansion or follow-up projects for the Dutch participants?

Financial Review and Assessment

The Consulate will review and assess the financial elements of the application on the following:

• Is a full budget included in the application, listing both expenditures and revenues?

• Are the listed expenditures and revenues reasonable and/or realistic? Will the Dutch participants receive a reasonable fee?

• What is the percentage of the requested amount in relation to total cost? Will combined Dutch government support exceed 50%?

• Does the applicant expect to receive contributions from other Dutch government funds, and for what expenses?

• Is there a significant investment and commitment from the host organization and/or American funding sources?

• To what degree are contributions from others guaranteed and/or pledged?

• What are the potential financial risks involved, and is there a potential for a large shortfall?