Co-creation – Communities
You can apply for this grant from 12 January 2026 at 1:00 pm (Dutch time zone) and 8:00 am (Caribbean time zone). We will process applications in order of receipt, until the budget is exhausted.
For whom?
- Communities (amounts up to € 25,000)
At least three people who have signed a collaboration agreement. - Cultural or cultural heritage organisations (amounts up to €50,000)
For example: theatres, archives, producers or museums. But also ‘smaller’ foundations or associations with a cultural or cultural heritage objective. For example: a choir or an association of carnival float builders. - Cultural or cultural heritage professionals (amounts up to €25,000)
For what purpose?
This grant is intended for intangible cultural heritage and cultural heritage projects by and with communities. It is important that there is genuinely an activity involved. Consider things like performing or passing on a craft, customs, traditions or rituals, such as certain forms of music and dance, storytelling and the processing of fabrics. From Dabke dance evenings or basket weaving to Winti theatre concerts. Don’t worry if the cultural heritage you practice is not (yet) on an official list or has not yet been ‘approved’ as cultural heritage by others. As long as it is of value to the community and to society, and you clearly explain why in your application.
What is a community?
The Fund considers a community to be a group of people who feel connected to each other through a shared culture, interests, origin or background. A group that shares traditions, customs and rituals together, or keeps intangible cultural heritage and cultural heritage alive. For example: by collecting or passing on knowledge about a shared past and the impact of this past in the present.
Members of a community trust each other, collaborate naturally and share knowledge and experience. A community does not need to be formally organised or have existed for a long time. A community can, for example, be based on (or consist of) an ethnic group, a subculture, a regional group or a cultural heritage community.
How much?
There are two types of grants:
- Paragraph 1 for amounts from €1,000 up to and including €25,000.
This paragraph is intended for intangible cultural heritage and cultural heritage projects by communities, cultural organisations and cultural professionals. Are you an organisation or professional? Then you always collaborate with a community during the preparation and implementation of your project. In 2026, 2027 and 2028, there is an annual budget of €875,000 for this paragraph. - Paragraph 2 for amounts from €25,001 up to and including €50,000.
This paragraph is intended for intangible cultural heritage and cultural heritage projects by cultural organisations. The project is always prepared and implemented together with a community. In 2026, 2027 and 2028, there is an annual budget of €1,070,000 for this paragraph.
How and when to apply?
The scheme will first open on 12 January 2026. We will process applications in order of receipt, until the annual budget is exhausted. When an annual budget is exhausted, the scheme will close temporarily. The scheme will then reopen in the following calendar year.
Good to know
Communities, cultural organisations and cultural professionals who apply for a grant must be established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They can collaborate with a community, organisation or professional from another country for the project, as long as the results of the project benefit society in the Kingdom.
More information about the conditions, assessment criteria and the information we need to process your application can be found via the button below on the Cultural Participation Fund website. This information is available in Dutch and English.
Questions & contact
Do you have any questions about this grant or is something not entirely clear? Please contact the contact person on this page.
