Overview of grants and funds
Here you’ll find a handy overview of grants and funding opportunities. There are options available for a variety of topics, so there’s a good chance you’ll find something that fits your project or initiative.
Looking for grants and funding for your cultural project? On this page, you’ll find an overview of funding programs tailored to different themes and stages of your initiative. There’s a good chance you’ll fund a fund your plans, whether you apply on your own or work with a fundraiser.
Through Cultuur Academy , we Cultuur Academy you get started with practical information, tips, and examples of things like a project plan, budget, or communication plan.
Below is an overview of grants and funds, organized by deadline: first, programs with a fixed deadline; next, funds with multiple deadlines; and finally, funds that accept applications on an ongoing basis. Click on the title to fund directly to the fund website.
Grant and funding deadlines
Every six months, we publish a new list of current deadlines. Click here for the deadlines from January through June 2026.
Arts & culture schemes with multiple deadlines
- Province of Gelderland / Culture and Heritage Participation
For activities that contribute to culture or heritage participation in innovative ways. - Netherlands Film Fund
All deadlines of the Netherlands Film Fund with various schemes both for creators and film festivals can be found here. - The Dutch Foundation for Literature
All deadlines for grants in the field of literature from The Dutch Foundation for Literature can be found here.
(National) All deadlines for the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds ( national) for projects in the visual arts, music, theater, film, literature, culture, heritage, etc., can be found here.- European Commission / Grant Deadlines (Creative Europe / Media Program)
For international collaborative projects. - European Cultural Foundation
Grant for European cooperation and research projects and international travel expenses for artists. - Norma fund
For projects involving, in particular, professional artists - performers. - fund for Cultural Participation
Various cultural education grant applications for topics such as cultural education, urban arts, as well as getting residents involved in your performing arts programming. - EUregion grant
This is a grant for cross-border cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany in the areas of education, society, culture, housing and work. - Bad Weather fund
This is for festivals that face bad weather and therefore loss of revenue. It is only for festivals subsidized by OCW or one of the state cultural funds for a period of at least three years.
Local governments
Most local governments large and small have their own arts and culture subsidy schemes for artistic projects and often amateur arts organizations. If you search on "municipality and culture subsidy" through the search engines yourself, you will come a long way. You can already click through to Arnhem, Nijmegen, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen, Lelystad, Lingewaard, Rheden and Utrecht.
Provincial governments
Many provinces have numerous grant programs both in the area of culture and for things you may never have heard of. The combined provinces account for more than 300 subsidy schemes. Below are links to the subsidies of all provinces in the Netherlands. Gelderland, Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland.
Continuous applications arts & culture, no set deadline
- Dutch fund the Performing Arts
Grants for, among other things, organizing pop festivals featuring Dutch bands. - Mondriaan fund
Various programs focused on talent development within the arts. - Fund21 / Arts and Culture
Divergent arts and culture projects. - VSB fund / Arts and Culture
Diverse arts and culture projects. - BankGiroLoterij fund from DOEN Foundation
Program for arts and culture initiatives in the Netherlands. - Blockbuster Fund
Loans or guarantee contributions for cultural public events with wide reach. - Zabawas
For projects focused on culture, nature, medicine, sports or education. - Brabant C fund
Investment Fund with innovative funding opportunities for cultural projects. - Dioraphte
Projects and activities in the fields of music, theater, film, dance, literature and visual arts.
International Voucher Grant to cover travel and accommodation expenses, among other things, for a presentation abroad in the fields of digital culture, design, and architecture.- Reading Foundation
Projects focused on reading promotion.
Arts and culture loans
Culture Startup Loan For loans to creatives, artists, and cultural organizations ranging from €2,500 to €500,000.- Deposit funds in partnership with Triodos Bank
Funds that guarantee loans making you more likely to qualify for a loan. - Borgstellingsfonds Creatieve Industrie Arnhem
For loans starting at €50,000 in partnership with Triodos Bank. - fund Squared
Interest-free loans for artist, photographers and designers up to €8,000.
Funds for more social and community projects
- Orange Fund
Projects focused on participation and meeting. - KansFonds
Projects focused mostly on the participation of vulnerable groups. - DOEN Foundation
Social projects among others aimed at a sustainable world. - Erasmus+
European funding among other things for youth and youth work, international exchanges but also educational projects. - VSB fund
Projects focused on people and society. - Fund21
Projects focused on youth and society. - fund Sluyterman van Loo
Projects aimed at the elderly. - Roman Catholic Old Poor's Office
Projects aimed at the elderly. - Elder Fund
Projects aimed at the elderly. - Triodos Foundation
For community projects. - Janivo Foundation
Projects aimed at children and youth (including art projects). - Children's Stamps Foundation
Projects for vulnerable children. - Jantje Beton
Grant for children's playgrounds. - Dutch Foundation for the Disabled Child
Initiatives for children and youth with disabilities. - fund Disabled Sports
To enable people with disabilities to participate in sports. - Alert fund
For small-scale progressive projects set up by young people between the ages of 15 and 32. - The X-Y Action Fund
For activist projects around the world. - The National fund for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Care (vfund)
For peace and liberation projects, among others.
Media
- Stimulation Fund for Journalism
Various grants aimed at investigative journalism. - fund Special Journalism Projects
Grants for various journalism projects. - Democracy and Media Foundation
Projects aimed at independent, critical journalism. - Zip code Lottery fund
For journalism projects in developing countries and countries in transition. - Stichting Co-productiefonds Binnenlandse Omroep (Co-bo fund )
For film, feature films, broadcast performing arts, documentary. Only a Dutch national public broadcaster can apply. - Lira fund
Projects involving professional poets, writers, translators and editors. - Leiden Media Fund
Focused on investigative journalism in Leiden (deadline October 1, 2018 and April 1, 2019). - Luis in the Pels Foundation
Focused on investigative journalism in The Hague.
Grants for businesses and entrepreneurs
- Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland
More than 100 grants for entrepreneurs in numerous fields ( energy, agriculture, transport, learning, innovation, nature). - I'm Starting
Overview of grants - measures for start-up entrepreneurs.
Enterprise Funds
Many cities have their own entrepreneurial fund aimed at projects that strengthen the economy. Doing your own search on "entrepreneurial fund and your city" will no doubt get you there. In any case, here are some for you: Arnhem, Nijmegen, Eindhoven, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Utrecht and Zwolle.
Sustainability and environment
- Energy subsidy guide
Here you can see what subsidies you may qualify for. - Energy Savings Loan
Loan up to a maximum of €50,000 at low interest to make your home more sustainable.
Local and regional governments
As a rule, both local and provincial governments have numerous subsidies in the area of sustainability. Some municipalities have their own schemes and others are more likely to refer you to national schemes. It is best to take a look at the municipal website under subsidies. The subsidies of the various provinces can be found here: Gelderland, Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland.
Grant for digital projects
DEN, the knowledge institute for culture and digitization, has created a subsidy guide for cultural projects in which digital technologies play an important role. Also working on such a project and looking for suitable funds? Check out the subsidy guide on their website.