BNG Culture Fund Project Grants

BNG Culture Fund Project Grants is sponsored by BNG Bank. Supports cultural projects that add value to Dutch municipalities and their residents, focusing on art and culture projects fostering community engagement and social themes.

**The BNG Culture Fund supports art and culture that adds value to Dutch municipalities and their residents. We enable meaningful cultural projects and thus contribute to a better and more social society. ** ## Which projects does the BNG Culture Fund support?

The BNG Culture Fund can contribute to cultural projects with a clear beginning and end. When assessing applications, the fund uses the following criteria: ### Content-related criteria * The project is developed by **professional**artists or (heritage) creators. Always mention the names of involved creators and partners in the application and project plan.

* The project has **high artistic quality** and an corresponding approach. * The applicant has a convincing vision of the size and composition of the intended **audience**and what the applicant wants to achieve with the project. * For heritage projects, the project must have a clear historical connection to the **place or region** where it takes place.

* The BNG Culture Fund is cautious about awarding applications from institutions that receive multi-year operating subsidies from the national government. If such an application is submitted, explain clearly why a contribution from the BNG Culture Fund is requested. * For films, the work must qualify as an **auteur**film.

This means that the film reflects a filmmaker with a clear and distinctive artistic signature. In addition, the film should demonstrate a distinctive and clearly recognizable directorial vision, as well as originality in both form and execution. The BNG Culture Fund receives more applications than it can honour.

In 2026, the following types of projects will be prioritized: * Art and culture projects that foster **meeting and dialogue** between people, such as professional community art projects (providing that the artistic vision that of a professional creator is) and projects with an accompanying impact program. * Art and culture projects that focus on a **social theme**.

* Art and culture projects taking place in the provinces of **Limburg**, **Overijssel**, **Drenthe**, and **Zeeland**, as the fund aims to make art and culture accessible to residents of all Dutch municipalities (geographical distribution). In these provinces, a relatively small portion of the fund’s budget was spent in the past.

Therefore, projects from these provinces will be prioritized in 2026 (this concerns applications submitted up to and including 3 January 2027). Each year, the fund determines which provinces will receive extra attention. ### Which projects do we not support?

* **Amateur art** (projects by and for people engaging in art and culture as a hobby). * **Talent development** (projects aimed at talent aspiring to become professionals). * **Education**, meaning projects that are aimed at the education sector, or projects in which school pupils or students participate as part of a school programme.

Projects in which education forms only a small component may nevertheless be eligible. * Short or long term placing of **art in public spaces**. Temporary exhibitions and other types of public-facing projects in the public space are eligible.

* Creating and/or publishing **publications**such as books, magazines, and catalogues. * Projects focused on **construction**, **renovation**, **(re)design**, or **restoration**. * Projects aimed at regular operations, **investments in material and/or personnel costs**, or **management/overhead expenses**.

* Projects that mainly take place **outside the****Dutch Municipalities**. * Projects that **start**before the BNG Culture Fund communicates its decision on the application (see deadlines below). * The requested amount is **at least €5.

000** and **at most €15. 000**. * The requested amount is **at least 5%** and **at most 35%** of the total budget.

* The BNG Culture Fund **never** acts as t**he sole financier** of a project. Another sponsor can be, for example, a municipality or other government, another fund, a lottery, or a local sponsor. * If the project focuses on an audience in a specific location or region, involvement of **at least one local/regional sponsor** is required.

**Note**: The advisory committee and the board reserve the right to apply these criteria and conditions at their discretion. The BNG Culture Fund also reserves the right to reconsider an award in case of: * substantial changes to the budget or project design; * project execution more than two years after the award. Only **foundations**can submit an application to the BNG Culture Fund.

A foundation in formation is **not**eligible. An applicant who has received a contribution from the BNG Culture Fund can only submit a new application **three years** (36 months) after the award date. See table below.

## How do I submit an application? Applications can only be submitted by email to aanvraag. cultuurfonds@bngbank.

nl. Clearly state the name of the foundation and the project title in the subject line. * A fully completed and correctly signed application form by authorized persons (as shown in the business register extract of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce).

* A clear project plan of max. 3. 500 words.

* A detailed project budget including a coverage plan. * Current statutes of the applying foundation. * A recent business register extract from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.

**Only complete, correctly signed applications submitted by email will be processed. ** BNG Culture Fund has four application rounds per year. For the deadlines, please refer to the table underneath.

Applications received after the deadline or for projects starting before the indicated date will not be processed. Unfortunately, **no exceptions can be made**. ## **Applications submitted between April 1st and June 28 2026 will receive feedback by the end of September 2026.

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