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What is Project Funding?

The Nordic Culture Fund supports projects that contribute to an innovative and dynamic artistic and cultural scene in the Nordic Region, one that is diverse, accessible and of high quality.

What we fund

We fund projects in all fields of art and culture. To qualify for funding, projects must involve Nordic relevance and co-operation, and further the development of art and culture.

Applications are accepted from individuals, groups, organisations, institutions, associations and companies. Applicants do not need to live in the Nordic Region or be Nordic citizens.

What we do not fund

We provide wide-ranging support, but there are certain limitations. The Fund does not finance:

projects outside of the arts and culture, e.g. sporting events
the production and distribution of products, if that is the sole or primary purpose of the project, e.g. music, film and television, computer games, book publishing and translations

tours, if they are not part of a wider-ranging Nordic co-operation

study and school trips

individual or group participation in events (only the event organiser may seek funding for this purpose)

institutions’ operating costs, and the construction and acquisition of technical equipment for operational use

ongoing or already completed projects

bilateral co-operation, that does not have a broader Nordic content or target group

Assessment criteria

Nordic relevance

The Fund assesses Nordic relevance on the basis of, for example, how:

the project is created and implemented by stakeholders with a Nordic base and in collaboration with others outside the Region
the project actors represent a geographical spread in the Nordic Region
the project extends beyond a national perspective and promotes openness and tolerance
the project positions the Nordic Region in the world and the world in the Nordic Region

Quality of the project and how it develops art and culture in the Nordic Region

The Fund assesses the project’s quality and development on the basis of, for example, its:

artistic or cultural content and objectives

local, regional, national or international significance

long-term artistic or cultural ambitions and visions

methodology and plan for implementation.

Quality and substance of the co-operation

The Fund assesses the quality and substance of the project’s Nordic co-operation on the basis of, for example:

the commitment of participating partners, the target groups, and the extent to which the project is embedded in relevant environments

whether there is sufficient co-funding for the project, which is considered a key part of its structure for co-operation

how the project promotes co-operation.

Finances

Projects must have an appropriate level of co-funding. This is a key criterion in the assessment of the level of support a project enjoys at national level. The higher the amount applied for, the more self-financing and funding from other sources the Fund expects. In practice, this means that only 50% of the total funding for a project may be from the Culture Fund and maximum 85% from the various Nordic funding bodies.

You can apply for max. DKK 500,000 but please look at previous awards to gauge what constitutes a typical amount before applying. See more under Funded Projects.

Voluntary work may form part of the self-funding component of the project. The application budget must quantify the scale of any voluntary work.

Grants may be used for administrative and wage costs, as long as these are directly linked to the project.

Repeat applications

If you apply for funding, for example, for an annual event, and you have applied before, the Fund will assess the application from a development perspective. This means that we will emphasise the project’s originality or innovative nature, in both form and content, as well as in terms of communication and audience engagement.

Projects outside the Nordic Region

We support projects outside the Nordic Region if they are deemed mutually beneficial for the organiser and Nordic stakeholders in the arts and culture.

Active and competent international partners ought to contribute resources to the project, either financially or in kind. We also assess the Nordic relevance and level of interaction involved in the project. In addition, we assess the projects’ quality, planned follow-up activities, impact and level of general external interest.

Grants are usually awarded for the event’s additional Nordic costs, e.g. travel expenses, fees and administration for workshops, performances, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, conferences, research projects, etc.

Conditions

Project period

The maximum duration of the project is the calendar year in which the grant is awarded, plus two subsequent calendar years. The project must not start before you have been notified of the Fund’s decision.

You cannot apply for a grant to cover costs already incurred.

Applications

If an application is rejected, you may apply one more time for funding for the same project.

The Fund only accepts online applications submitted via our application portal. Applications submitted by post or e-mail will be rejected.

Publicity

All grants are published on the Culture Fund’s website and in its annual report.

According to the Fund’s rules regarding freedom of information, applications are public, but personal and banking information is not.

If you still have questions not answered

Here you will find frequently asked questions and answers and also contact information on the secretariat

Ready to apply?

Select the right funding for your project
Check the assessment criteria
Ensure the application is sent before the deadline

I AM READY TO APPLY

Download documents

All applications must be submitted online via My Page. You may find it useful to print a PDF version of the form in order to familiarise yourself with the criteria in advance.

Remember, however, that you should not complete the printed version by hand and post it to the Fund.

What is OPSTART?

OPSTART aims to develop the artistic and cultural field in the Nordic region by supporting promising project ideas with a clear development perspective and the start-up phase of new Nordic projects.

You can apply for max. DKK 25.000. Response within 20 work days.

What we fund

OPSTART supports people with a good idea for a new art or culture project and who will develop the project into a concrete Nordic co-operation.

The Nordic Culture Fund supports art and culture projects involving different Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Island, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Aaland Island). If your OPSTART project involves only two of these countries, the project must aim to extend the geographical scope. You must clearly indicate which other stakeholders and countries you intend to involve in the long term.

With the OPSTART grant you can develop the quality of the project, the Nordic relevance of the project and the level of substance in the Nordic co-operations.

Applications are welcome from all artistic and cultural genres, and from individuals, groups, organisations, institutions, associations and companies. Applicants need not be resident in the Nordic Region or be Nordic citizens.

What we do not fund

OPSTART supports a wide range of projects, but there are certain limitations:

OPSTART is for developing ideas together, not for funding ready-made projects
OPSTART supports new project ideas, so the applicant must not have applied to the Fund for funding of a similar idea in the past.
OPSTART does not support projects outside of the arts and culture, e.g. sporting events.
OPSTART does not fund research trips, study visits or school trips.
OPSTART does not provide grants for individuals or groups to participate in events.

Assessment criteria

Quality and methods

What contribution did this OPSTART project idea make to a reinvigorated and dynamic Nordic art and culture scene that is diverse, accessible and of high quality?

We evaluate the quality of the project idea on the basis of its originality, artistic or cultural objectives, content, feasibility, methods and impact on the target groups.

Nordic relevance and co-operation

The Fund assesses how the project extends beyond the national perspective, and the level of support - or potential level of support - for the project in relevant areas in the Nordic Region.

In addition to the three Nordic region, projects may include partners from outside the Region.

Finances

OPSTART grants are for max. DKK 25,000.

OPSTART typically funds travel and accommodation for meetings in the Nordic Region. You may also apply for money to cover other costs such as fees, materials or anything else needed to work on and develop the project idea together.

Note, that only 1/3 of the total funding for an OPSTART project may be used on expense fees.

There is no requirement for co-financing of OPSTART.

Project period

You can only apply for funding for activities that take place after you have received a response from the Nordic Culture Fund. The project can start 20 week days after the application date.

Repeat applications

Applications must be for new project ideas. In other words, you should not have sought support for the same or similar idea in the past.

If your OPSTART application is rejected, you may develop the project and re-apply.

Projects outside the Nordic Region

We support projects outside the Nordic Region if they are deemed mutually beneficial for the organiser and Nordic stakeholders in the arts and culture.

Active and competent international partners ought to contribute resources to the project, either financially or in kind. We also assess the Nordic relevance and level of interaction involved in the project. In addition, we assess the projects’ quality, planned follow-up activities, impact and level of general external interest.

Terms and conditions

Terms for applications

According to the Nordic Culture Fund’s rules regarding freedom of information, applications are public, but personal and banking information is not.

All grants are published on the Culture Fund’s website and in its annual report.

The Fund only receives electronic applications. Your online application must be submitted via the Fund's application portal. Applications submitted per. mail or e-mail is considered invalid.

Terms for approved applications

You must comply to the following rules if your project has been awarded a grant:

Changes in the project:

The grant must be used for the purposes described in the application. Significant changes in your project, in relation to the application submitted, must be approved in advance by the Secretariat. Significant changes are those, for example, that relate to:

• the participating Nordic countries
• the project partners
• the duration of the project

You should also contact the Fund if you pass formal responsibility for the project to any other party or parties, and if the project manager is replaced.

Grant payment:

As soon as your application is approved, we will initiate a bank transfer. All of the money will be paid in a singe instalment. All of the money will be paid in a singe instalment. It may take up to eight working days before the money reaches your account.

Crediting the Nordic Culture Fund:

Be sure to credit the Nordic Culture Fund and use the fund's logo and #OPSTARTfunding when publicising and presenting your project. The logo and more information on how to mention the Fund can be found on the Nordic Culture Fund's web page.

Project results and final report:

Within a month of the end of the OPSTART project, you must account for the project’s outcomes, future perspectives and the project's economy using a report form. Download the report form here (PDF). As part of this process, you sign a binding declaration that you used the funds for the purpose specified in the application. The end date is the date you have given in the application.

Reimbursement requirement:

If the grant is used for purposes other than those described in the application, the Fund may reduce the amount or require that the full amount is repaid. The Fund can also claim back the grant if it hasn't reveived the final report in the given time.

If any money is left over, the Fund has the right to claim its share of the surplus. The Fund's share of any surplus will correspond to its share of overall project funding.

If the money is not repaid, the case will be put in the hands of a debt collection Agency.

Random spot checks:

Each year, a number of OPSTART recipients are selected for random spot checks – so remember to keep all your accounts!

If you still have questions not answered

Here you will find frequently asked questions and answers and also contact information on the secretariat

Ready to apply?

Select the right funding for your project
Check the assessment criteria
Ensure the application is sent before the deadline

I AM READY TO APPLY

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED. IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO APPLY FOR puls.

In 2017–19, music venues and festivals will have a unique opportunity to focus on live music in the Nordic Region and present Nordic-based, promising artists with international potential. puls is a three-year funding programme that in 2017 alone will allocate DKK 3.5 million to around 35 venues and festivals across the Nordic Region.

puls aims to:

facilitate that artists based in the Nordic Region establish contact with promoters (venues and festivals) in the Nordic Region.
develop the work of concert promoters by forging Nordic networks
stimulate artistic renewal and make high-quality music available to more people in the Nordic Region
enhance quality and stimulate innovation in communications in order to generate a greater sense of cohesion and identity among audiences, artists and promoters.

Who is eligible to apply?
All concert promoters are eligible to apply, e.g. music venues and organisations that host concerts or festivals. Applicants must be based in a Nordic country and be professionally organised, e.g. as a not-for-profit association, fund or enterprise. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Promoters are welcome to submit joint applications for programmes, communication plans, curating and artistic development, e.g. collaborations between institutions and promoters, or regional or international partnerships between multiple promoters.

What puls funds
puls provides funding to enable promoters to put on programmes featuring promising artists based in the Nordic Region, and to communicate with audiences in a focused manner. Throughout the funding period, the promoters must work on the basis of a relevant Nordic programme, artistic vision and public communications strategy. Their focus may, for example, be on programme content, networking, artistic exchanges and public information.

In 2017, Nordic concert promoters can apply to become three-year puls promoters. Funding is allocated for specific programmes for one year at a time. Applicants in 2017 must plan a programme of between five and eight concerts, to take place in the period from August 2017 to 31 July 2018.

puls concerts must feature artists from minimum two Nordic countries other than the applicant’s own
The concerts must be minimum 50 % self-financed
Artists must be paid professional rates
All concerts must be open to the public
Applicants must attend an annual networking meeting and contribute to general communication work related to puls.

puls does not fund

Showcases and promotional gigs
Purchases of technical equipment
Concerts before August 2017.

Evaluation criteria Applicants must consider and account for the following:

The quality of the music programme and of the project’s long-term artistic ambitions and visions
The project’s cultural/artistic, regional and Nordic significance
Quality and innovation in communications and audience development
The applicant’s professional role and music-industry competences. Promoters of all sizes will be considered.
Quality of external collaboration (where relevant to the project).

Grants of DKK 8,000–12,000 per concert will be provided (one band = one concert). Further grants of DKK 15,000–25,000 are also available for communications and audience development.

Application by single promoter: In 2017, promoters can apply for funding for a specific programme of between five and eight concerts involving Nordic artists, to take place between August 2017 and 31 July 2018. Support may also be provided for a further 2–4 concerts, to be arranged by the promoters in co-operation with other promoters in receipt of puls funding, in order to create touring opportunities for artists.

Applications by multiple promoters: Where an application is made for a collaboration involving multiple promoters, funding may be provided for a larger number of concerts – up to a maximum of eight per promoter. Applications must include Applications must be submitted online along with the puls appendix. Applications may be submitted from 1 February 2017.

The application must include a brief description of the project, information and key data. The following attachments should be uploaded along with the application:

puls appendix (download the appendix here) - Programme of puls concerts for one year, with 5–8 concerts between August 2017 and 31 July 2018. If the concerts/events have not yet been fixed, provide as much information as possible for the planned/desired concerts for the period - Statement of the project’s artistic ambitions and potential over the three-year period - Audience strategy - PR plan and strategy - Description of network (if the application is submitted by multiple promoters) and network strategy.
Detailed budget and financing plan for the concerts
Applicant(s)’ programme for 2016
Applicant(s)’ most recent annual report(s).

Selection criteria for puls organisers: Promoters must apply to the Nordic Culture Fund to be puls organisers. A reference group comprising national arts funding bodies and music organisations will screen the applications at national level. The reference group consists of Danish Arts, Culture Council, State Culture, the Finnish Music Foundation (MES) and Iceland Music Export. The Nordic Culture Fund will screen applications from the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The expert group makes the final decisions based on the applications and the recommendations of the reference group.

Networking meeting for puls promoters: The national live music organisations will host annual networking meetings for all funding recipients. The first networking meeting will be held in Denmark in October 2017.

puls in 2018 and 2019: puls promoters must submit a brief annual evaluation of the period, along with an updated description of their artistic concept and a plan for audience development for the coming year. The Culture Fund intends to promote synergies between venues in order to generate touring opportunities for artists. This may lead to revised criteria for co-operation on the development of puls promoters’ programmes for 2018 and 2019.

HANDMADE

HANDMADE is the Nordic Culture Fund's three-year theme programme 2016–2018. Applications are welcome from projects that explore the theme from a variety of angles and as part of which the participants, and the artistic scenes in which they operate, would benefit from working with partners in other Nordic countries.

based on production by hand
internationalisation
development and communication.

HANDMADE may have been inspired by craft and design but is not restricted to those fields. Artistic production by hand often involves a crossover between disciplines and types of artist. HANDMADE is designed to reflect the diversity of the arts and crafts scene: All forms of art involve an element of craftsmanship and some form of reflection on production by hand.

HANDMADE is not a round box your square project must squeeze into – HANDMADE is what you make of it.

Apply for HANDMADE funding if your art or culture project revolves around craftsmanship. You are entitled to apply for OPSTART and/or project funding for your HANDMADE project.

Read more about the criteria for OPSTART and project funding

See HANDMADE funded projects

What people say about HANDMADE and the projects it funds

“HANDMADE is about discoveries: The very large begins with the small – on the periphery, in the undiscovered, the underestimated, the forgotten.”
“HANDMADE presents radically new perspectives by preserving, reinterpreting and developing what we can do with our hands. HANDMADE reclaims the arts and crafts and creates new from old.”
“Projects can be national or international, but need to have a Nordic perspective – an interpretation of what it means to be Nordic.”
“HANDMADE focuses on the small scale, where the body and hands are responsible for the artistic production – whether in the arts and crafts or projects that reflect on the scale, products and processes involved in production by hand.”
“One of the things HANDMADE really does right is to underline the collaborative aspect. Working together is the key to better results and opportunities to start something new – on an international level.”
“HANDMADE is embedded in local production as a response to globalisation’s outsourcing of production capacities.”

If you still have questions not answered

Here you will find frequently asked questions and answers and also contact information on the secretariat

Download documents

PDF application form? All applications must be submitted online via My Page. You may find it useful to print a PDF version of the form in order to familiarise yourself with the criteria in advance.

Remember, however, that you should not complete the printed version by hand and post it to the Fund.

Apply for funding

What is Project Funding?

What we fund

What we do not fund

Application deadlines in 2017 (Danish time, UTC + 1)

Assessment criteria

Nordic relevance

Quality of the project and how it develops art and culture in the Nordic Region

Quality and substance of the co-operation

Finances

Repeat applications

Projects outside the Nordic Region

Conditions

Project period

Applications

Publicity

If you still have questions not answered

Ready to apply?

Download documents

What is OPSTART?

What we fund

What we do not fund

Deadline for applications

Assessment criteria

Quality and methods

Nordic relevance and co-operation

Finances

Project period

Repeat applications

Projects outside the Nordic Region

Terms and conditions

Terms for applications

Terms for approved applications

If you still have questions not answered

Ready to apply?

HANDMADE

Application deadlines 2017

What people say about HANDMADE and the projects it funds

If you still have questions not answered

Download documents

Your application process

1. Your bright idea

2. Your application

3. Response and payment(s)