Apply for Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme

The Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme supports non-profit cultural organisations in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to organise festivals that increase public interest in design, architecture and digital culture. Eligible applicants can request between €35,000 and €85,000 for festival preparation, organisation and implementation, subject to the scheme’s eligibility and audience requirements.

What Is the Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme?

The Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme supports festivals that contribute to the public function and development of the Dutch creative industries.

The scheme focuses on three key creative sectors:

Design
Architecture
Digital culture

The funding is intended for festivals that actively engage the public, strengthen cultural exchange and increase visibility and interest in these creative fields.

The programme also aims to help festivals contribute to the broader development of the creative industry by reaching new audiences and creating opportunities for public participation.

What Does the Grant Support?

Funding can be used for activities connected with the:

Preparation of a festival
Organisation of the festival
Implementation and delivery of festival activities
Public-facing activities that strengthen interest in design, architecture or digital culture
Activities that help broaden the festival’s public reach

Projects should demonstrate that the festival has a clear public function and contributes meaningfully to the creative industry.

How Much Funding Is Available?

Applicants can request grants within the following range:

Minimum grant: €35,000
Maximum grant: €85,000
Total grant ceiling: €1,350,000 for the scheme period

The requested amount should correspond to the scale and needs of the proposed festival.

Who Is Eligible?

The scheme is open to non-profit cultural institutions and organisations that organise festivals with a clear public function.

Eligible organisations should have:

A non-profit cultural status
Responsibility for organising the proposed festival
A clear public function
A strategy for broadening public reach
A festival programme connected to design, architecture, digital culture, or relevant combinations of these fields

Where Must the Festival Take Place?

Eligible festivals must take place in:

The Netherlands, or
The Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The programme has a specific audience requirement for festivals held in the Netherlands.

Audience Requirement in the Netherlands

Festivals held in the Netherlands must attract at least 1,000 physical visitors per edition.

This minimum audience requirement does not apply to festivals in the Caribbean region.

Why Does the Grant Matter?

Festivals can provide an important connection between creative professionals and the public.

By supporting festivals in design, architecture and digital culture, the scheme can help:

Increase public awareness of creative industries
Introduce creative practices to wider audiences
Strengthen cultural exchange
Support public participation in creative activities
Improve the visibility of Dutch creative sectors
Encourage development within design, architecture and digital culture
Help festivals expand their reach to new audiences

The emphasis on public function means that festivals should demonstrate benefits beyond the participating creative professionals themselves.

What Is a Strong Festival Proposal?

A competitive proposal should clearly explain how the festival contributes to the creative industry and public engagement.

Important elements include:

Clear Creative Focus

The festival should have a strong connection to design, architecture, digital culture, or relevant interdisciplinary creative practices.

Public Function

Explain why the festival is important to the public and how audiences will engage with its activities.

Audience Development

Applicants should describe how they will reach existing and new audiences and broaden public participation.

Cultural and Creative Impact

Show how the festival contributes to the development, visibility and exchange of knowledge within the creative sectors.

Practical Delivery Plan

The proposal should demonstrate that the organisation has a realistic plan for preparing and delivering the festival.

How to Apply

Step 1: Check Organisational Eligibility

Confirm that your organisation is a qualifying non-profit cultural institution or organisation responsible for organising the festival.

Step 2: Confirm the Festival Location

Ensure the festival will take place in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Step 3: Check the Audience Requirement

If the festival takes place in the Netherlands, verify that it has reached or is expected to reach the required 1,000 physical visitors per edition.

This requirement does not apply to festivals in the Caribbean region.

Step 4: Define the Festival’s Creative Contribution

Clearly explain how the festival supports one or more of the programme’s priority fields:

Design
Architecture
Digital culture

Step 5: Develop an Audience Strategy

Explain how the festival will engage the public and broaden its reach.

Include information about target audiences, public activities and strategies for attracting new visitors.

Step 6: Prepare the Funding Request

Develop a realistic budget covering eligible costs associated with preparing, organising and implementing the festival.

The grant request must be between €35,000 and €85,000.

Step 7: Submit the Application

Submit the completed application according to the scheme’s application requirements, ensuring that all required organisational, festival, financial and audience information is included.

Tips for Applicants

Demonstrate public value: Explain why the festival matters to audiences and the wider creative sector.
Show audience reach: Provide evidence of previous attendance where available.
Explain audience development: Show how the festival plans to reach people beyond its existing audience.
Highlight creative relevance: Clearly connect activities to design, architecture or digital culture.
Keep the budget realistic: Match the requested funding to the festival’s scale.
Demonstrate organisational capacity: Explain the experience and resources available to deliver the festival.
Emphasise cultural exchange: Show how the festival encourages interaction, knowledge-sharing and participation.
Plan for long-term impact: Explain how the festival can contribute to continued development and visibility of the creative industry.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Applying without confirming non-profit cultural eligibility.
Proposing activities unrelated to design, architecture or digital culture.
Failing to demonstrate a clear public function.
Ignoring the 1,000 physical visitor requirement for festivals in the Netherlands.
Providing no strategy for broadening public reach.
Submitting a budget outside the €35,000–€85,000 funding range.
Focusing solely on professional networking without demonstrating public benefit.
Providing insufficient evidence of the organisation’s capacity to deliver the festival.

Key Grant Details

Grant name: Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme
Main sectors: Design, architecture and digital culture
Grant amount: €35,000–€85,000
Total scheme ceiling: €1,350,000
Eligible locations: Netherlands and Caribbean part of the Kingdom
Dutch festival audience requirement: At least 1,000 physical visitors per edition
Caribbean audience requirement: The 1,000-visitor threshold does not apply
Eligible applicants: Non-profit cultural institutions and organisations
Purpose: Festival preparation, organisation and implementation
Core requirement: Festivals must have a clear public function and strategy to broaden public reach

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding can a festival receive?

The scheme provides grants ranging from €35,000 to €85,000 per application, subject to the programme’s assessment and available funding.

Which creative sectors are supported?

The programme focuses on design, architecture and digital culture, including festivals that bring these areas together through interdisciplinary activities.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are non-profit cultural institutions or organisations that organise festivals with a clear public function and a strategy for reaching broader audiences.

Where must the festival take place?

The festival must take place in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Does every festival need at least 1,000 visitors?

No. The requirement of at least 1,000 physical visitors per edition applies to festivals in the Netherlands. It does not apply to festivals in the Caribbean region.

What can the grant be used for?

Funding is intended to support the preparation, organisation and implementation of eligible festivals that contribute to public interest and development in design, architecture and digital culture.

What is meant by a festival’s public function?

A public function means that the festival should provide meaningful value and access to the public, rather than serving only as a professional or industry gathering. Applicants should demonstrate how the festival engages audiences and contributes to wider public interest in the creative industries.

Conclusion

The Creative Industries Festivals Grant Scheme provides substantial support for non-profit cultural organisations developing festivals that strengthen public engagement with design, architecture and digital culture. With grants of up to €85,000, the scheme offers an opportunity for eligible festivals in the Netherlands and Caribbean part of the Kingdom to expand their reach, strengthen cultural exchange and contribute to the development and visibility of the creative industries.