Currently 32 active visual and media arts grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the Netherlands. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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The NORMA Fonds redistributes copyright remuneration collected by Stichting NORMA into cultural, social and professional projects involving performing artists, and is one of the few Dutch schemes with four intakes a year and a genuinely short cycle. Both arts-sector organisations and individual arts professionals may apply, though the applicant needs a bank account and legal footing and cannot be a BIS-funded institution. The project must centre on performing artists in the copyright sense, meaning people who perform a copyright-protected work: musicians, dancers, actors, voice actors. This fits live experimental music, sound performance and performative media-art work, but not object-based exhibitions or non-performative installation programmes. The maximum grant is EUR 10,000, the total project budget must stay under EUR 150,000, the applicant's annual budget under EUR 500,000, and at least a quarter of the project budget must be earned from audience income, so this is a top-up rather than a primary funding source. Budgets must honour NORMA's 2026 performer wage norms. Applications are submitted online during a one-month window each quarter; the next round runs 1 to 30 October 2026, closing at 23:59. TIMING RULE: decisions arrive no later than eight weeks after the deadline, and the premiere date must fall at least eight weeks after the application deadline. Organisations that already received a NORMA Fonds grant in 2024 or 2025 are excluded, and supporting staff may not exceed 2 FTE.
The Stokroos Seed Grant supports early-practice visual artists, designers and craft practitioners in the Netherlands with an unrestricted budget for a self-defined plan: EUR 5,000 for individuals, EUR 7,500 for duos, EUR 10,000 for collectives. The plan must start at least 10 weeks after submission, last no longer than a year, and can take place anywhere in the world. WHO IS ELIGIBLE: makers who between 2018 and 2022 completed their first subject-specific HBO or MBO programme, or started their practice without formal training (first public presentation or commission marks the start); at least 21 years old; living and working in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year; not enrolled in a study or post-academic programme during the grant period. RESTRICTIONS: one application per person every two calendar years, a lifetime maximum of two Seed Grants, and only one application per year across all Stokroos schemes. DEADLINE: the autumn window runs 1 September to 31 October 2026, but the form CLOSES EARLY once 60 eligible applications are received, so apply as soon as possible. TO APPLY: online form (Dutch or English) with portfolio PDF (max 20 pages, 10MB), CV, work and plan descriptions and a timeline; response within about 8 weeks. Recipients acknowledge Stokroos in communication about the plan.
The Netherland-America Foundation funds professional artistic and cultural projects that show a clear exchange between Dutch and American artists, institutions or audiences, such as exhibitions, performances and other cultural initiatives that promote dialogue and collaboration. Both emerging artists and established organisations may apply. NOT FUNDED: applicants who are not working cultural professionals, seminar attendance, degree tuition, residencies, research, projects without a Dutch-American connection (these are not forwarded to the committee), and projects already underway or finished at the time of review. TIMING: apply at least 6 months before the money is needed; a letter of intent is optional and encouraged for projects 9 or more months out, after which the committee may invite a full application. Recent grantees must wait three years before reapplying. Letter and budget in English, addressed to the NAF Cultural Committee; include visuals where relevant. QUARTERLY CUT-OFFS: 1 February (window 2 Nov-1 Feb, results mid-March), 1 May (results mid-June), 1 August (results mid-September) and 1 November (window 2 Aug-1 Nov, results mid-December). Submit via Submittable.
Witte Rook (Breda) and the Ukrainian platform IZOLYATSIA run Digital Explorers (Across Borders), a fully online residency program exploring the artist-in-residence of the future through cross-border collaboration. Each of three phases pairs one artist from the Netherlands with one from Ukraine, working together for about three months on the common.garden platform. WHAT YOU GET: EUR 1,800 fee plus EUR 1,000 material budget per artist (both excluding VAT), expert discussions, technical support, a physical and online exhibition (final exhibitions planned for spring 2028) and a published article about the creative process. ELIGIBILITY: artists and makers working in digital culture and interested in new technology who live and work in the Netherlands or Ukraine; proficiency in English required. APPLICATION: in English via the IZOLYATSIA platform; motivation letter (max 1,000 words), CV (max 3 A4 pages) and portfolio (max 10 A4 pages, 20 MB); applicants indicate a first and second priority phase. PHASES: 'Form' (January to March 2027), 'Content' (May to July 2027), 'Analysis' (September to December 2027). DEADLINE: 15 November 2026, 23:59 CET.
The Jan van Eyck Academie's general open call for its 2028 residency year: 30 to 32 artists, curators, designers, writers, architects and other artistic researchers spend 11 months (15 January to 15 December 2028) in Maastricht, across material-based and research-driven practices, with access to the academy's labs and community. Individuals, duos, collectives and candidates with children can apply; duos and collectives submit one application and pay one fee. SUPPORT: monthly stipend of EUR 1,500 (EUR 2,000 with children; duos EUR 1,500 each or EUR 2,500 combined for life partners; collectives up to EUR 4,500 combined), with rent including service costs deducted; EUR 2,000 annual working budget; newly built furnished private studio apartments (families get a spacious private apartment; collectives up to three studio apartments, possibly on rotation). ELIGIBILITY: no nationality or age restriction; sufficient English required (Dutch and English are the working languages); full-time alumni of the Rijksakademie or De Ateliers are not eligible; the academy is not an educational institute and provides no degrees or ECTS. FEES: application fee EUR 65 excl. VAT (EUR 78.65 incl. VAT), waived for applicants from and living in OECD DAC-list ODA recipient countries; enrolment fee EUR 2,750 excl. VAT for accepted participants. APPLY via the Dapple platform with an artist statement (250 words), motivation (500 words) and project proposal (500 words) in English (or one video/audio/link covering all three), plus one PDF (max 10 MB) with recent work from the last five years (max 25 pages) and a CV (max 2 pages); applications cannot be changed after submission. TIMELINE: call opened 5 October 2026; selection outcome mid-May 2027. DEADLINE: 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET.
Amsterdam Light Festival invites light art concepts for its 16th edition (2027-2028), presented along and on the canals of Amsterdam. WHO: creatives from all over the world, individually or as a team; multiple submissions are allowed and existing work may be considered. A second strand, Open Call X Amarte (supported by the Amarte Fonds), is for makers based in the Netherlands who are new to the medium of light art and seeks concepts for walking visitors. WHAT YOU GET: an artist fee of EUR 4,000, with the costs of producing the artwork and travel covered, plus technical support from the festival; Amarte selections receive an EUR 4,000 fee and a EUR 20,000 production budget. APPLICATION: read the Artist Briefing, fill in the submission template and submit via the portal linked from the briefing; see the FAQ at amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/faq-open-call. DEADLINE: 7 December 2026, 23:59 CET.
The Acquisitions scheme helps Dutch museums and other cultural heritage institutions buy objects that enrich the Dutch National Cultural Heritage Collection, across everything from contemporary art to natural history collections. Acquired objects must be displayed to the public on a (semi-)permanent basis. CONDITIONS: the estimated value of the object must exceed EUR 50,000; complete provenance research is required; the applicant must contribute significantly to the acquisition costs; where multiple items are involved they must form an inseparable ensemble; the institution must follow the lending guidelines and remain the permanent owner. NOT FUNDED: artists' estates, constructional provisions, or passive conservation. APPLY online through the Mondriaan Fund digital system after registering an account, with valuation reports, condition assessments, provenance research, a presentation plan and an itemised budget. Rolling deadline, but allow about three months for processing.
Art Fair International covers stand rental for galleries taking visual art from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to an art fair, and stand rental plus travel and transport costs for art book publishers at art book fairs. WHO CAN APPLY: Dutch and non-Dutch galleries that have signed and actively apply the Gallery Fair Practice Code, and art book publishers. CONDITIONS: an invitation from the fair is required; the artists presented must be artistically and substantively active in professional visual arts; a maximum of one application per fair per calendar year; no more than three awards annually. AMOUNTS scale with how much of the stand is given to artists from the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, as set out in the funding notes. APPLY through the Mondriaan Fund digital application system after creating an account, at least six weeks before a fair on the fund's established list, or three months before a fair that is not listed.
Artist's Fee reimburses part of the compensation an institution pays an artist for work on an exhibition: producing new work, production-related labour, event activities, and providing artwork for presentation. It does not cover expenses such as materials or transport. WHO CAN APPLY: visual arts institutions in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom that publicly exhibit contemporary visual art and/or heritage without a sales objective, and that subscribe to the Fair Practice Code, the Culture Governance Code and the Diversity and Inclusion Code. CONDITIONS: the artist must hold a bachelor's degree in visual arts or have at least three years of professional experience; the fee must comply with the Fair Pay Rate Table 2023; the application must be submitted at least two months before the exhibition opens; the exhibition must open within 12 months of application; artist invoices must be paid within one month; and institutions already receiving other fair pay funding for 2025-2028 are not eligible. AMOUNT: up to 50% of the standard amount excluding VAT where the fee meets at least 100% of the guideline, with a minimum application of EUR 100. APPLY through the online system after creating an account, with a signed artist contract, the exhibition budget, artist CVs and a recent Chamber of Commerce registration. Note for artists: this is applied for by the institution, not by you, but it is worth pointing an exhibiting venue towards.
Art Heritage Festival supports festivals, biennales, triennales and similar events dedicated to the presentation of visual art and/or heritage, held in physical spaces and occurring no more than once a year. The scheme backs activities that reach diverse audiences or create meaningful public engagement with art and heritage. WHO CAN APPLY: non-profit organisations based in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom; institutions for art education and post-academic institutions are excluded. NOT FUNDED: journals, publications, documentaries, symposia, conferences or online-only festivals. CONDITIONS: events must be publicly accessible and held no more than once a year; the project cannot receive simultaneous funding from other Mondriaan Fund grants or specified national cultural programmes; the organisation must subscribe to the Fair Practice Code, the Culture Governance Code and the Diversity and Inclusion Code; and fair artist compensation is mandatory where artists are involved. AMOUNT: up to 40% of eligible project costs, on a project budget above EUR 25,000. APPLY through the Mondriaan Fund online system after registering an account. Allow three months for processing; activities that have already happened cannot be funded.
Art Heritage Presentation funds presentations that are innovative and non-standard, rather than business-as-usual programming: exhibitions featuring internationally renowned artists, engaging shows offering fresh perspectives, public co-creation projects, and presentations built around special loans or commissioned work. WHO CAN APPLY: cultural institutions in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom that focus on presenting cultural heritage and/or visual art, including museums, art centres and archives; art education and post-academic institutions are excluded, and the institution must be a non-profit legal entity established in the eligible territory. CONDITIONS: presentations must be open to the public; festivals, biennales and other events recurring annually or less often are handled by the separate Art Heritage Festival scheme, not this one; the organisation must subscribe to the Fair Practice Code, the Culture Governance Code and the Diversity and Inclusion Code; and artist fees must be realistic and included in the budget. AMOUNT: up to 40% of variable project costs, on a project budget above EUR 25,000. APPLY online after registering an account, with an institutional profile, project plan, presentation plan, itemised budget and, where applicable, artist information with visual documentation.
Collection Mobility supports the revaluation of a collection and, where applicable, the selection, disposal and/or relocation of parts of a collection. NOT FUNDED: construction work, building preservation, archaeological excavation, passive conservation or documentation. WHO CAN APPLY: Dutch museums and other cultural heritage institutions that are publicly accessible, manage nationally or internationally significant collections, and are registered with the Dutch Museum Register. Joint applications are encouraged and, where relevant, institutions must apply together. CONDITIONS: applicants must follow the Basic Principles for Smarter Loan Transactions in the Netherlands; collections must be disposed of in line with the Guideline for the Disposal of Museum Objects; and the applicant must contribute significant funding itself. AMOUNT: up to 40% of eligible costs, determined per application. APPLY through the online system at mondriaanfonds.nl after creating an account, with organisational information, collection details, a project plan, a budget and supporting documents.
The closest thing the Netherlands has to a dedicated regional art-and-technology fund, being a public-private scheme co-financed by ASML and sited in the country's main technology region. It funds professional cultural projects of high quality with national or international reach, which in practice covers festivals, exhibitions and public programmes including media art and creative technology work. Private-law legal entities only (stichting, vereniging or BV); both new and existing cultural organisations qualify. Projects are assessed on societal impact (must address at least two of accessibility, inclusivity, diversity, social cohesion), cultural entrepreneurship and sustainability, alongside professional artistic quality. Applications are accepted all year round via a two-stage route: an intake where Brabant C scouts give an initial assessment, followed by a full application, pitch session and decision. TIMING RULES ARE STRICT and are the main planning constraint: the full application must be submitted a minimum of 12 weeks before the project starts, and the project may not begin until at least 12 weeks after a complete application has been approved. The internal clock runs roughly two weeks for a completeness check, about six weeks to the pitch session, and about four weeks from pitch to decision. Brabant C never covers more than half the budget, so a matched partner is required from the outset. A separate Brabant C matching scheme for impactful culture projects is open year-round through 31 December 2026 for Brabant-based organisations outside the Brainport region.
Since 2025 Het Cultuurfonds runs a dedicated application route for individual makers and collectives, separate from its project grants for foundations and associations. The ontwikkelbijdrage awards up to EUR 5,000 for research, workshops, masterclasses, courses and training, experiments and equipment, and for the pre-phase of a project, giving makers room to test and develop an idea before it has to be fully executed. It is open to all disciplines: visual artists, theatre makers, spoken word artists, photographers, musicians, ceramicists, restorers and more. A separate matchfundingbijdrage of EUR 250 to EUR 1,500 supports crowdfunding campaigns for public-facing projects such as exhibitions or performances. The route is run with voordekunst. Applying is a two-step process: a short vooraanvraag (pre-application) answered within one week, then a full application answered within four weeks, with development funds paid out within two weeks of approval. Rolling intake, no application fee.
Amarte Fonds is a private Dutch foundation that supports the arts, with rolling (continuous) contributions for visual artists and independent curators. There are two contribution types: a development contribution of up to EUR 2,750 and a project contribution of up to EUR 5,500. Up to 80 percent is paid in advance, with the remainder after the final report is approved. Applicants must be based in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom (the ABC and SSS islands). The fund also supports work across theatre, film, music, literature and interdisciplinary projects through specific programmes. There is no fixed deadline and no application fee; decisions are relatively fast. Apply year-round via the online portal.
Commission artists to create new work in publicly accessible spaces such as hospitals or museums. Open to individuals and organisations. Continuous deadline.
Support for visual artists with 4+ years of experience to expand their portfolio, increase visibility or conduct research. Continuous deadline.
Rolling project funding from the Mondriaan Fund for visual artists who want to carry out a concrete artistic plan, research project or working period in the Netherlands or abroad. The fund's definition of visual art is broad and explicitly includes installation art, conceptual art, performance, artistic research, photography, audiovisual, digital, sound and (new) media art, and art in public space. AMOUNTS: a fixed contribution of EUR 2,785 per month for up to 6 months, or a flexible contribution for up to 12 months sized to the project budget; hired expertise, materials and equipment can be part of the budget. The fixed contribution cannot be awarded within 1 year of receiving an Artist Start grant. ELIGIBILITY: visual artists from the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, professionally active for at least 1 year. CONDITIONS: applicants must contribute at least 10 percent of the sum requested; this own contribution may be personal investment, third-party support, an interest-free loan from Fonds Kwadraat or crowdfunding. APPLY at any time through the Mondriaan Fund online application system; allow around 3 months processing once the application is complete.
Support for visual artists at the beginning of their careers with plans for new work. Continuous deadline.
Support for owners and managers of objects registered as protected heritage. Continuous deadline.
Voucher to assist hiring artisans for artistic research or work production. Continuous deadline.
Voucher covering childcare costs for visual artists with dependents under compulsory school age. Continuous deadline.
Funding for developing and deepening artistic practice. Continuous deadline.
Quick-response voucher for visual artists, curators, art critics and art observers based in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom who have been invited to take part in a public programme abroad. Eligible activities include giving a lecture, performance, book presentation or taking part in a panel at a contemporary visual art institution, venue, festival or symposium outside the Netherlands. Participation in an exhibition and commercial gallery or art fair contexts are not eligible. Visual artists need at least one year of professional practice; curators, critics and art observers need at least two years. Applicants cannot be enrolled full-time in a Bachelor's, Master's or postdoctoral programme. The voucher covers travel and accommodation up to EUR 2,500. Rolling intake, but the timing window is strict: applications are accepted a maximum of 4 months and a minimum of 5 weeks before the activity starts. No application fee.
Fonds 21 supports professional, high-quality art and culture projects by Dutch non-profit organizations (foundations, associations and non-profit BVs/NVs), across performing arts, visual arts, film, literature and interdisciplinary work, with additional pillars for arts education and youth & society. The minimum request is EUR 10,000 with no stated maximum, and roughly EUR 11.5 million is available annually. Applications are accepted year-round via the online portal (after a short eligibility snelcheck) and must be submitted at least four months before the project start date. Free-of-charge events are generally not supported; the fund expects most programming to be paid-access. No application fee.
Het Cultuurfonds (formerly Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds) invests over EUR 40 million per year in culture and nature in the Netherlands. Foundations and associations can apply year-round for project grants (typically EUR 15,000 to EUR 50,000 at national level), and since 2025 individual makers and collectives can apply for up to EUR 5,000. Provincial chapters run their own quarterly rounds for regional projects, and numerous themed funds (EUR 5,000 to EUR 25,000) cover specific disciplines. Rolling intake via the online application portal. No application fee.
VSBfonds supports cultural initiatives that make it possible for everyone in the Netherlands to take part in art and culture, spanning ten programme lines from professional performances to community arts. Applications are accepted year-round with no deadlines from foundations, associations and applicants without a formal legal form, and must be submitted at least four months before the initiative starts (two months for amateur arts). A two-minute online quickscan checks eligibility before the formal application. No fixed minimum or maximum amount; the request should be proportionate to other funding. No application fee.
The Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, one of the Dutch national cultural funds (annual budget around EUR 30 million), currently has several schemes open for applications: cultural education in vocational education (mbo, EUR 5,000-55,000), cultural education in vmbo/vso/pro (EUR 10,000-65,000), cultural education for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom (EUR 5,000-50,000), an open call for design-based learning platforms (up to EUR 75,000) and an interdisciplinary scheme for professional makers (EUR 12,500-50,000). Most schemes target cultural institutions, in some cases in partnership with schools. See the subsidies overview for per-scheme conditions. No application fee.
AFK is the City of Amsterdam's arts fund and the main route to project money for artists and organisations working in the city, and it was the significant gap in this desk's Dutch coverage. The Projectsubsidies 2026-2028 scheme funds art and culture projects across disciplines, split into four categories by scale and applicant type; requests up to EUR 7,500 in categories 1 and 2 are assigned to an assessment round by monthly draw, with published loting and gesprek dates. ELIGIBILITY: you must live or work in the municipality of Amsterdam or in Zaanstad, Oostzaan, Landsmeer, Waterland, Haarlemmermeer, Amstelveen, Ouder-Amstel or Diemen. Both individual makers and organisations can apply depending on category. NOTE: AFK periodically closes individual categories when demand outruns budget (categories 3 and 4 for professional art were temporarily shut in May 2026 and reopened on 1 July 2026), so check which categories are open before you start. Applications are in Dutch through the AFK portal. Phone 020 520 0520, weekdays 09:30-12:30 and 13:30-16:00.
The Performing Arts Fund NL's Internationale Werkreis voor Individuen pays travel and accommodation for a short trip abroad that serves your artistic orientation or professional development: conferences, workshops, lectures, panels and festivals without a sales or performance goal. Makers may also attend an invited performance of existing work abroad if they add an activity such as a rehearsal, lecture or workshop. WHO: individual professional performing artists (theatre, dance, music, music theatre, performance) active in the Dutch performing arts field. WHAT YOU GET: up to EUR 2,500 (Europe and Caribbean Netherlands) or EUR 4,000 (rest of the world) per trip; one award per calendar year. APPLICATION: rolling via Mijn Fonds from 16 weeks to 4 weeks before the first activity, while the annual budget lasts. DEADLINE: rolling.
The Snelloket is the Performing Arts Fund NL's fast-track touring grant for Dutch companies, ensembles, bands, performance makers and DJs invited to perform abroad. WHO: groups or performers with legal personality (stichting, vereniging, bv or nv; sole traders and partnerships are excluded) that have given at least ten professional performances at relevant Dutch venues or festivals in the previous 18 months. A management, booking agency or label with a structural relationship may apply on the artist's behalf. WHAT IT FUNDS: travel, transport and visa costs for at least three consecutive performances confirmed by foreign venues or festivals; flights under 600 km, accommodation and per diems are excluded. WHAT YOU GET: up to EUR 6,000 within Europe or EUR 10,000 outside Europe per application, twice a year at most. APPLICATION: rolling via Mijn Fonds, between four months and one month before the first show, with a decision within a month. DEADLINE: rolling.
The Mondriaan Fund's International Art Presentation grant helps art institutions and festivals abroad present current work by living visual artists from the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, covering costs that raise the work's visibility and fall outside the host's regular budget. WHO: internationally recognised institutions outside the Kingdom whose main purpose is showing contemporary art (not sales); commercial galleries are excluded (they use Art Fair International). Dutch and Caribbean-Kingdom artists with at least one year of professional practice can apply for their own personal costs. WHAT IS FUNDED: return travel for the artist and guest curator (one production trip and one opening visit), up to EUR 1,000 per person for lodging, transport and insurance of the work, up to 50 percent of production costs for new site-specific commissions (the host must pay the artist a realistic fee), up to 25 percent of publication costs and up to 50 percent of film subtitling. Artists may not be asked to pay to take part. Guest curators from the Netherlands need at least two years of curatorial experience. APPLICATION: via the Mondriaan Fund's My Fund system with a plan, presentation plan, CVs, consent declaration, itemised budget excluding VAT, quotes above EUR 1,000 and visual documentation; processing takes about three months. DEADLINE: rolling.