The focus is on the contribution of the festival to strengthening public interest in the creative industry in the relevant region, the significance of the festival for the creative industry, the extent to which the application is effectively designed and support is created for the festival, and the business health of the organisation.

This scheme is open to cultural institutions or organisations that organise festivals within the Dutch creative industry, specifically in the fields of design, architecture and/or digital culture. It supports the preparation, organisation and implementation of festivals that contribute to increasing public reach and interest in these sectors. The festival must take place in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, with an audience strategy aimed at attracting at least one thousand physical visitors per edition, except for festivals in the Caribbean region where this requirement does not apply. Applicants must specify the region for which grant funding is requested, defined as the location where the main festival activity will occur.

The maximum grant amount available is €85,000, with a total budget of €1,350,000 for the scheme. Applicants must include at least 20% co-financing for costs specifically incurred for the program section focused on the creative industry. Applications will be assessed by an independent advisory committee based on the scheme’s conditions, criteria, and objectives. In each region, the two highest valued, positively assessed applications will be awarded grants.

The application process involves an initial formal requirements check by the fund office, an independent assessment by the advisory committee, and a final decision by the Fund’s board. The closing date for submissions is 8 October 2025 at 16:00 CEST. Successful applicants must submit accountability reports via the application environment within two weeks before the project’s completion.

For more information, visit Creative Industries Fund NL.