Open Call Children and Youth Affected by Childcare Benefits Scandal
For who?
The Open Call Children and Youth Affected by Childcare Benefits Scandal gives institutions and self-employed people in the cultural and social domain the opportunity to develop cultural, artistic and/or social projects for children and youth affected by the Childcare Benefits Scandal.
Children and youth with little to no prior experience of taking part in cultural activities as a result of the Childcare Benefits Scandal are provided with a stimulating and inspiring experience. Active participation in culture has positive consequences, promotes personal development, and strengthens resilience and social connection. This Open Call, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, emphasises the need to promote cultural participation for the children and youth affected by this scandal throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
This Open Call is part of the 2022-2024 Making Culture Together grant scheme. The following parties can apply:
- Institutions in the cultural field (without commercial profit motives)
- Institutions in the social field (without commercial profit motives)
- Independent professionals in the cultural or social fields
When developing and implementing your application, you must collaborate with at least one other independent professional or institution from another field. For example, this might be a cultural foundation working with a youth coach, or a theatre producer working with a youth centre. Sole-traders without legal personality in the cultural or social domain are also acceptable as collaboration partners, but may not submit applications themselves.
For what?
You can apply for two types of projects.
1. Investigation:
If the application focuses on all of the following you can apply for Investigation:
- Establishing and strengthening the relationship between the child(ren) and adolescent(s) affected and the supporting party (collaboration partner);
- Jointly exploring ways of shaping the project, guidance and collaboration.
The earliest start date of the project can be no sooner than 8 weeks after submitting your application and its maximum duration is one year. The project must start no later than six months after submitting your application.
2. Project grant for cultural activities:
As well as Investigation, grants are also available for cultural activities. Research by Diversion shows that some affected children and youth prefer to choose among existing cultural offerings. Others want to actively participate in developing cultural offerings themselves. For example, using group meetings and creative workshops to gain insight into needs and develop activities together with relevant institutions and/or independent professionals in the cultural and social domain on that basis.
It is best if the children and young people affected make this choice themselves. It is critical that the direction be as much as theirs as possible. This means that applications should clearly show what role the affected children and young people want for themselves and how they will be provided with the support they need based on these wishes.
Frameworks
The framework for these cultural activities must be designed to increase children and youth’s access to active cultural participation, contribute to strengthening their resilience and connection to others, and encourage their personal, creative development though a collaboration between professionals and organisations in the cultural and social fields.
The project for cultural activities starts no sooner than 13 weeks after submission of the application and within 6 months at the latest. The maximum term is three years. The project must have a participant group comprising at least 50% affected children and youth.
How much?
A total of €5,094,600 is available for this Open Call. We subsidise up to 100% of the total project cost.
The maximum grant for an Investigation is €10,000 per pathway.
The maximum grant for a cultural activity is €125,000 per pathway.
How and when to apply?
Applications can be submitted through the My Fund online application environment accessible at cultuurparticipatie.nl until 31 December 2025 inclusive. We recommend contacting us at least once before submitting. You can ask questions about your application or submit a summary of it to us. It is also possible to go through the application form online with an advisor. If you would like to do this, please send an email to openoproep@cultuurparticipatie.nl.
Here you will find more information about submitting an application to the Cultural Participation Fund.
Good to know
In a nutshell, applications are assessed on three basic criteria.
- Quality of the content of the activity | What is its objective? What is the approach taken? And are children and youth involved in its design and implementation?
- Organisational quality | What are the qualities of the implementers and is the planning and budgeting realistic?
- Quality of the collaboration | Is there equal collaboration? Is adequate use made of each party’s knowledge? What is the division of roles?
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 only.
Questions & contact
Do you have any questions about this grant or is something not entirely clear? Please contact the contact person on this page.
