Content
Funding Criteria for General Project Funding at the Federal Cultural Foundation
Effective 13 December 2008
1. General criteria
The Federal Cultural Foundation was established in 2002 by the German federal government, represented by the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs. The Foundation supports art and culture within the scope of federal competence. One of its main objectives is to promote innovative programmes and projects in an international context.
The Federal Cultural Foundation supports artistic productions and grants project funding for thematic areas which fall within the scope of the federal government's cultural and artistic funding activities. Funding can be awarded to all non-commercial areas and fields of creative activity: the fine arts, performing arts, literature, music, film, photography, architecture, cultural-historic exhibitions, new media, applied and cross-disciplinary artistic and cultural endeavours. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not fund projects which are already in progress, but only those planned for the future.
In addition to supporting third-party projects, the Foundation's Executive Board develops programmes of its own with a focus on current cultural issues. These programmes are not subject to the decisions of the Jury.
The Executive Board decides on General Project Funding applications which require a minimum of € 50,000 and a maximum of € 250,000. Its decisions are based on an assessment by the Jury which selects applications solely on their qualitative merits. The Board of Trustees reviews applications for projects that require more than € 250,000, again on the basis of the Jury's assessment. The Board of Trustees also decides in cases when the Executive Board and the Jury are unable to reach agreement on a funding decision. The Executive Board provides the Jury with relevant documentation on projects which it considers suitable for funding and summons the Jury at regular intervals. The Jury's decisions are made in closed sessions.
The Federal Cultural Foundation does not grant "operational funding" to organizations (see explanation in 3(c) below), except in the following:
- the Sociocultural Fund,
- the Arts Fund Foundation,
- the Performing Arts Fund,
- the German Literature Fund,
- the German Translator Fund,
- other organizations, for which a total of € 500,000 is available annually
The Foundation will only consider granting operational funding to a new organization when an existing funding relationship has ended.
Permanent event series are also ineligible for funding, except for the following recurring events:
- documenta, Kassel,
- berlin biennale,
- Theatertreffen Berlin,
- Donaueschinger Music Days,
- transmediale Berlin
- other organizations, for which a total of € 500,000 is available annually
The Foundation will only consider granting funding to a new, permanent event series when an existing funding relationship has ended.
2. Applicants
The Federal Cultural Foundation can award funding to organizations situated either in or outside of Germany. The legal form of the applying organization (e.g., foundation, association, public corporation or private company) plays no role in the funding decision. As a rule, the Federal Cultural Foundation does not fund projects by individuals or groups of individuals who are not firmly established within an organization. Furthermore, the Federal Cultural Foundation does not provide funding for projects which are already receiving financial support from the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs or an affiliated institution thereof.
3. Funding requirements
The Federal Cultural Foundation bases its funding decisions in accordance with the cultural-political scope of competence shared by the federal government and the individual states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It supports current projects that have an unmistakably international context, or otherwise fall within the agreed scope of federal funding competence. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not grant operational funding, nor does it fund purchases, building projects or projects comprised solely of guest performances held abroad. The Foundation funds projects which satisfy the above criteria and whose content has special relevance to current artistic and/or social discourse. Applicants must ensure that their projects are publicly visible in Germany.
The Federal Cultural Foundation bases its decisions on the following definitions:
(a) A "project" is taken to mean the production, planning and/or implementation of individual events or series of events, e.g., exhibitions, performances and symposiums. The Federal Cultural Foundation generally does not grant funding to permanent event series, but is willing to fund parts of or individual projects within such series.
(b) The Federal Cultural Foundation considers projects to have an "international context", if
- they are coordinated in cooperation with at least one partner located outside the Federal Republic of Germany, or
- at least one of the important project events takes place outside the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany, or
- they require the significant involvement of artists from different countries, or
- international cooperation is necessary for their preparation and research, or
- they bring together a large number of participants or constituent projects, or necessitate the involvement of internationally renowned institutions.
Should the project meet none of these criteria, the Executive Board may consider a project to have an "international context" if its thematic orientation is deemed to be of such outstanding significance that it transcends national borders. The Executive Board of the Foundation will expressly inform the Jury of such projects.
(c) "Operational funding" refers to the funding of the infrastructure or running operations of existing or planned institutions, e.g., museums, theatres, associations and trusts. Although such funding is not granted, the Federal Cultural Foundation may fund individual projects planned by such institutions. It may also provide start-up funding for a strictly limited period, provided that the applicant has secured funding for the stable continuation of the new institution.
4. Form of application
Please send your application to:
Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Franckeplatz 1
06110 Halle an der Saale
The Federal Cultural Foundation encourages applicants to use the online application forms on its website. For those with no Internet access, applicants can also receive these forms by mail on request. Applications can be filled out in German or English.
Applications will only be considered if:
- the forms are completely filled out
- they include written confirmation by all listed sponsors, cooperative partners and artists whose participation in the project is crucial for its execution
- at least 20 percent of the total cost of the project has been secured with one's personal resources and/or third-party financing
The funding criteria may vary for other programmes and funds initiated by the Foundation. Please refer to the respective calls for proposals which are posted on our website.
Applications should also include documentation that clearly and adequately conveys the character and significance of the project, (e.g., additional descriptive texts, images and audio-visual media). Applicants should submit materials which are self-explanatory to facilitate processing of their applications. The Federal Cultural Foundation stores all applications in its central archive. All provided documentation will be returned to the applicant as long as the shipping fees are within reasonable limits.
5. Submission deadlines
Funding applications may be submitted at any time. The Foundation's funding decisions are based on the Jury's recommendations which are made twice a year at its joint sessions. Applications submitted later than January 31st or July 31st (as determined by the submission date of the online form or fax, or by the postal mark on the envelope) cannot be considered at the next Jury session, but may be resubmitted for the session thereafter.
The Federal Cultural Foundation only supports projects which have not begun prior to the Jury session. The dates of upcoming Jury sessions are always posted in advance on our website. If the applicant fails to meet the posted deadline and begins the project before the Jury has had a chance to consider the application, it will be automatically rendered ineligible for funding. Furthermore, funding will not be granted to projects which have not yet secured the entire portion of personal and/or third-party financing by the submission deadline.
6. Funding procedures
The Foundation's General Project Funding department provides funding in the form of co-financing. The Jury can attach conditions to its recommendation to fund a particular project, for example, to require other sponsors to confirm their readiness to contribute to the project's financing.
The Federal Cultural Foundation informs the Board of Trustees of the project funding that the Executive Board has awarded on the basis of the Jury's recommendations. The Foundation maintains close contact with the federal government, with which it coordinates its funding policies, in particular with the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs and with the Foreign Office.
The use of funds granted by the Federal Cultural Foundation is audited in accordance with the budgetary law of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal Cultural Foundation may only effect payment of funding upon closure of a funding contract provided by the Foundation, whose stipulations concerning the use of funds, the execution of the project and the publication of its results or documentation, must be strictly observed. This contract also stipulates the form in which proof is to be given to the Federal Cultural Foundation that funds have been used for the purpose for which they were intended (proof of expenditure). If the recipient fails to meet the contractual stipulations, s/he will be required to return the funds already paid out, in whole or in part, at the discretion of the Federal Cultural Foundation.
7. Review of applications
The Federal Cultural Foundation confirms receipt of each application as quickly as possible. It examines whether the submitted application complies with the form of application described above and meets the submission deadlines and funding criteria, after which it informs the applicant accordingly. The Federal Cultural Foundation generally does not contact applicants on its own initiative in order to clarify or complete sections of the funding application.
8. Validity of the funding criteria
This version of the funding criteria went into effect on 13 December 2008. The Federal Cultural Foundation reserves the right to amend it as its funding activities require.
The Federal Cultural Foundation was established in 2002 by the German federal government, represented by the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs. The Foundation supports art and culture within the scope of federal competence. One of its main objectives is to promote innovative programmes and projects in an international context.
The Federal Cultural Foundation supports artistic productions and grants project funding for thematic areas which fall within the scope of the federal government's cultural and artistic funding activities. Funding can be awarded to all non-commercial areas and fields of creative activity: the fine arts, performing arts, literature, music, film, photography, architecture, cultural-historic exhibitions, new media, applied and cross-disciplinary artistic and cultural endeavours. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not fund projects which are already in progress, but only those planned for the future.
In addition to supporting third-party projects, the Foundation's Executive Board develops programmes of its own with a focus on current cultural issues. These programmes are not subject to the decisions of the Jury.
The Executive Board decides on General Project Funding applications which require a minimum of € 50,000 and a maximum of € 250,000. Its decisions are based on an assessment by the Jury which selects applications solely on their qualitative merits. The Board of Trustees reviews applications for projects that require more than € 250,000, again on the basis of the Jury's assessment. The Board of Trustees also decides in cases when the Executive Board and the Jury are unable to reach agreement on a funding decision. The Executive Board provides the Jury with relevant documentation on projects which it considers suitable for funding and summons the Jury at regular intervals. The Jury's decisions are made in closed sessions.
The Federal Cultural Foundation does not grant "operational funding" to organizations (see explanation in 3(c) below), except in the following:
- the Sociocultural Fund,
- the Arts Fund Foundation,
- the Performing Arts Fund,
- the German Literature Fund,
- the German Translator Fund,
- other organizations, for which a total of € 500,000 is available annually
The Foundation will only consider granting operational funding to a new organization when an existing funding relationship has ended.
Permanent event series are also ineligible for funding, except for the following recurring events:
- documenta, Kassel,
- berlin biennale,
- Theatertreffen Berlin,
- Donaueschinger Music Days,
- transmediale Berlin
- other organizations, for which a total of € 500,000 is available annually
The Foundation will only consider granting funding to a new, permanent event series when an existing funding relationship has ended.
2. Applicants
The Federal Cultural Foundation can award funding to organizations situated either in or outside of Germany. The legal form of the applying organization (e.g., foundation, association, public corporation or private company) plays no role in the funding decision. As a rule, the Federal Cultural Foundation does not fund projects by individuals or groups of individuals who are not firmly established within an organization. Furthermore, the Federal Cultural Foundation does not provide funding for projects which are already receiving financial support from the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs or an affiliated institution thereof.
3. Funding requirements
The Federal Cultural Foundation bases its funding decisions in accordance with the cultural-political scope of competence shared by the federal government and the individual states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It supports current projects that have an unmistakably international context, or otherwise fall within the agreed scope of federal funding competence. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not grant operational funding, nor does it fund purchases, building projects or projects comprised solely of guest performances held abroad. The Foundation funds projects which satisfy the above criteria and whose content has special relevance to current artistic and/or social discourse. Applicants must ensure that their projects are publicly visible in Germany.
The Federal Cultural Foundation bases its decisions on the following definitions:
(a) A "project" is taken to mean the production, planning and/or implementation of individual events or series of events, e.g., exhibitions, performances and symposiums. The Federal Cultural Foundation generally does not grant funding to permanent event series, but is willing to fund parts of or individual projects within such series.
(b) The Federal Cultural Foundation considers projects to have an "international context", if
- they are coordinated in cooperation with at least one partner located outside the Federal Republic of Germany, or
- at least one of the important project events takes place outside the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany, or
- they require the significant involvement of artists from different countries, or
- international cooperation is necessary for their preparation and research, or
- they bring together a large number of participants or constituent projects, or necessitate the involvement of internationally renowned institutions.
Should the project meet none of these criteria, the Executive Board may consider a project to have an "international context" if its thematic orientation is deemed to be of such outstanding significance that it transcends national borders. The Executive Board of the Foundation will expressly inform the Jury of such projects.
(c) "Operational funding" refers to the funding of the infrastructure or running operations of existing or planned institutions, e.g., museums, theatres, associations and trusts. Although such funding is not granted, the Federal Cultural Foundation may fund individual projects planned by such institutions. It may also provide start-up funding for a strictly limited period, provided that the applicant has secured funding for the stable continuation of the new institution.
4. Form of application
Please send your application to:
Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Franckeplatz 1
06110 Halle an der Saale
The Federal Cultural Foundation encourages applicants to use the online application forms on its website. For those with no Internet access, applicants can also receive these forms by mail on request. Applications can be filled out in German or English.
Applications will only be considered if:
- the forms are completely filled out
- they include written confirmation by all listed sponsors, cooperative partners and artists whose participation in the project is crucial for its execution
- at least 20 percent of the total cost of the project has been secured with one's personal resources and/or third-party financing
The funding criteria may vary for other programmes and funds initiated by the Foundation. Please refer to the respective calls for proposals which are posted on our website.
Applications should also include documentation that clearly and adequately conveys the character and significance of the project, (e.g., additional descriptive texts, images and audio-visual media). Applicants should submit materials which are self-explanatory to facilitate processing of their applications. The Federal Cultural Foundation stores all applications in its central archive. All provided documentation will be returned to the applicant as long as the shipping fees are within reasonable limits.
5. Submission deadlines
Funding applications may be submitted at any time. The Foundation's funding decisions are based on the Jury's recommendations which are made twice a year at its joint sessions. Applications submitted later than January 31st or July 31st (as determined by the submission date of the online form or fax, or by the postal mark on the envelope) cannot be considered at the next Jury session, but may be resubmitted for the session thereafter.
The Federal Cultural Foundation only supports projects which have not begun prior to the Jury session. The dates of upcoming Jury sessions are always posted in advance on our website. If the applicant fails to meet the posted deadline and begins the project before the Jury has had a chance to consider the application, it will be automatically rendered ineligible for funding. Furthermore, funding will not be granted to projects which have not yet secured the entire portion of personal and/or third-party financing by the submission deadline.
6. Funding procedures
The Foundation's General Project Funding department provides funding in the form of co-financing. The Jury can attach conditions to its recommendation to fund a particular project, for example, to require other sponsors to confirm their readiness to contribute to the project's financing.
The Federal Cultural Foundation informs the Board of Trustees of the project funding that the Executive Board has awarded on the basis of the Jury's recommendations. The Foundation maintains close contact with the federal government, with which it coordinates its funding policies, in particular with the Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs and with the Foreign Office.
The use of funds granted by the Federal Cultural Foundation is audited in accordance with the budgetary law of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal Cultural Foundation may only effect payment of funding upon closure of a funding contract provided by the Foundation, whose stipulations concerning the use of funds, the execution of the project and the publication of its results or documentation, must be strictly observed. This contract also stipulates the form in which proof is to be given to the Federal Cultural Foundation that funds have been used for the purpose for which they were intended (proof of expenditure). If the recipient fails to meet the contractual stipulations, s/he will be required to return the funds already paid out, in whole or in part, at the discretion of the Federal Cultural Foundation.
7. Review of applications
The Federal Cultural Foundation confirms receipt of each application as quickly as possible. It examines whether the submitted application complies with the form of application described above and meets the submission deadlines and funding criteria, after which it informs the applicant accordingly. The Federal Cultural Foundation generally does not contact applicants on its own initiative in order to clarify or complete sections of the funding application.
8. Validity of the funding criteria
This version of the funding criteria went into effect on 13 December 2008. The Federal Cultural Foundation reserves the right to amend it as its funding activities require.
