Tips on applying for funds

On this page we have listed some tips about funds and how to apply for them. Elsewhere on the website you will find an overview of many grants and funds.

Provide a broad funding mix

It is almost never possible to work entirely on the basis of funds. The provider of the fund will almost always ask for cultural entrepreneurship and to provide co-financing. A broad funding mix is an important part of this. This means having multiple sources of income to cover the costs of your initiative or project. It can be multiple grants and funds but it is even better if you also get income from your audience and from sponsorships.

First, check to see if you qualify for the fund

What is not unimportant is whether you are eligible for certain contributions at all. From (private) funds, concepts that have a purely commercial purpose will not often be supported. It is often important that your legal form is a foundation or an association. This means that as a BV or zzp-er you may not be able to do this at all. Many grants or funds have their criteria listed very clearly on their website. You can often also do a Quickscan, where by answering a few questions you will know fairly quickly whether you are eligible for a financial contribution or not.

First, review the terms and conditions and rules of the game

Rules of play or terms and conditions have been established by each fund . Generally, you can find this on the website of the relevant fund or you can request it from a contact person, if that information is listed. These rules and conditions can vary from fund. Read these carefully because it would be a shame if you invested a lot of time, energy and/or money in an application but it was rejected because you did not meet all the conditions. The rules and conditions may, for example, relate to the amount of money you can apply for, the period in which the initiative or project must take place or the documents that must be provided.

See where the common interests lie

To qualify for a fund , it is important that your initiative or project fits with the reasons the particular fund provider has for awarding that grant. Some think it is important that a particular topic be brought to the attention of a particular target group. They may also feel that an initiative or project should contribute to certain objectives of the person who created the fund . This could include themes such as education, sustainability or bringing attention to a certain artistic discipline.

Know your target audience

When applying for fund , we will always look at what the audience reach is. They will therefore always ask you to describe as clearly as possible what your target group is, how big it is and how you are going to reach it. This way they can better assess whether the desired effect can be achieved through your initiative or project and they can determine whether it matches their own objectives. In most cases you will be expected to include a communication plan with your application.

Establish yourself honestly and openly

It makes no sense at all to thicken things in your application or to talk around it. Just assume that these funds come into contact with these types of applications very often and they are knowledgeable enough. Your goal is to build a lasting relationship with partners and if it becomes clear that you have (deliberately) provided incorrect information somewhere, chances are that they will not want to help you with your next application. A fund will always ensure that its funds are spent appropriately and in line with its objectives.

Start the application on time

It takes time to apply for fund . Keep in mind that you will need to gather information or documents or request them from third parties. In addition, it is good to look at it several times because you will see new things or think of certain additions. Finally, you can also discuss it with other people so you are not alone. Some funds allow you to submit the first version before a certain date so that you can get feedback from the provider. In that case, you can use that feedback to make some adjustments that will give you a better chance of your application being honored.

Dare to ask

Each fund involves one or more people from that fund . Their details are often described in the explanation of the grant. In principle, they know everything about the fund in question and they are only too happy to help. They know very well that there are also people who are applying for the first time. If you don't understand something or are unsure about something, just ask. You may have to wait a while for an answer, but be nice and open. Then you will see that there is plenty of help available. In some cases there are even specific meetings where an explanation of fund is given. Even if you have no questions, it is useful to get in touch beforehand, tell them what your plan is and that you intend to apply. Then you have already met your grantee and in many cases you will get information that will benefit you and that you did not know beforehand would be useful to you.

Don't focus on applying for funds

Don't stare blindly at funds; start by looking at companies that can support your concept in products or services. Then you will see how much (cash) money you will actually need for the realization of your initiative or project. In terms of accountability and outside influence, sponsors are often easier to deal with than (private) funds. They often only have a limited budget available for a theme and they want to spend it as well as possible.


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