Design Sector Internationalisation Grant Scheme – Netherlands
Section
The Creative Industries Fund NL is seeking applications for its Design Sector Internationalisation Grant Scheme to focus on international research and collaboration with activities primarily taking place abroad.
This scheme provides grants to professional designers, makers, observers, agencies or cultural institutions belonging to the creative industry for international collaborative projects.
This scheme complements the Fund’s following policy objectives: enhancing international collaboration within the various design disciplines. This scheme complements the following objectives of the International Cultural Policy: The Dutch cultural sector having a strong position abroad by means of sustainable collaboration, exchange and visibility. Deploying the power of the cultural and creative sector to promote sustainable development, using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding framework.
The scheme applies to projects initiated by professional designers, makers, observers, agencies or cultural institutions with a grant requirement starting from €10,000 and with a maximum grant requirement of €50,000. The projects must be brought about in collaboration with one or more international partners and contribute to strengthening international exchanges and long-term international collaboration within the context of the Dutch creative industry.
The submission procedure involves an annual announcement by the Fund in the Government Gazette and on its website regarding grant periods. A maximum of 40 applications can be processed per grant period, within which a maximum of 10 revised applications and 10 follow-up applications are included. Applications must be submitted in the Fund’s application platform and will be reviewed in the order of submission. Applications that do not meet the entry requirements or are incomplete will be rejected, while eligible applications will be submitted to an independent advisory committee for advice.
Entry requirements specify that the applicant must be a professional maker, observer, design agency, cultural institution or organisation who demonstrably positions themselves within the creative industry, and must be registered in the Business register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce or in one of the Business registers that fall within the Kingdom. Applicants already receiving funding under certain government or Fund schemes, or those linked to educational institutions, market expansion, trade missions, and similar activities are not eligible. Additionally, only one application can be submitted per grant period, and previous recipients must wait twelve months before reapplying.
The scheme excludes grants for activities that have already taken place, educational programmes, reprises, serial production, property acquisition, regular business activities, or activities related to company founding and market exploration. Travel under the project is assessed for safety and sustainability, with restrictions applied to destinations under red travel advice.
A complete application must include a fully completed application form with applicant details, international collaboration partners, project summary, positioning within the creative industry, project plan, balanced budget with co-financing, timetable, communications plan, CVs of key implementers, relevant portfolio, letters of intent from partners, project image for communication purposes, and a digitally certified extract from the Business register.
The advisory committee assesses applications based on artistic value, effectiveness of setup, positioning and relevance within the Dutch creative industry, and the setup of collaborations. If applications exceed the grant ceiling, prioritisation is based on scores, with further priority given to applications related to the 24 countries listed in the International Cultural Policy Framework 2025-2028. Application closes on 2 October 2025.
