How to submit an application to the Performing Arts Fund NL
If you already know what grant you want to apply for, you will need to create an account with the Performing Arts Fund NL. You can find out how to apply for a ‘My Fund’ account on our website. You only need do this once. Some grants can only accept applications from organisations, usually foundations. If this is your case, select ‘sign up as an organisation’. Other schemes are open to applications from individuals in their personal capacity. If this is your case, select ‘apply as an individual’.
You can apply for both types of account if both are relevant to your work. This website shows you what sort of account is required for each Performing Arts Fund NL grant scheme.
You can then access the My Fund application system through your account. For the grant in question, choose ‘submit an application’ and a Dutch-language application form will open. You may fill this form out in either Dutch or English. Most grants require you to submit a project plan and attachments in addition to the application form. This is indicated in the ‘How and When to Apply’ section for each scheme. Please note that all official communication about your application will come through My Fund. You will receive an email notification whenever there is a message for you.
Some of the Performing Arts Fund NL grants have deadlines. See the ‘How and When to Apply’ section in the online scheme description. Be sure to submit the application before the deadline and pay attention to the closing time of 23.59 (CEST/CET). It is sometimes possible to submit a draft application by email in advance. We state whether or not this is possible at the bottom of each grant on our website.
Application in process
After you have submitted your application, we will check that it is complete. If your application is incomplete, one of our staff members will contact you. You will then be given 5 working days to complete your application. If the application is still incomplete at the end of this five-day period, we regret that we will be unable to process it.
If the application is complete and meets the conditions set forth in the scheme description and the general terms and conditions, we will take it into consideration.
After submitting your completed application, please allow for processing time; this varies by grant and can be found on our website. Sometimes, it takes us longer to process applications at the Fund than we initially estimate, if, for example, we receive more applications than anticipated. Grants are never awarded retroactively. This means that the project for which you are applying for funding must not have already started at the time of application. Therefore, please ensure that you submit your application to us well before the desired start date of your project.
Application assessment
Most grant applications are reviewed by an advisory committee consisting of external advisors from the performing arts, headed by an independent chair. That advisory committee assesses applications on the basis of the criteria outlined in the online grant description. The committee then makes a recommendation to the board of the Performing Arts Fund NL on whether or not to award a grant. For some grants, it is the fund staff themselves who make recommendations on applications, after which the board makes a decision.
Grants are only awarded to applications which are given positive assessments. The Performing Arts Fund NL may ask the committee to weigh up a range of projects to which they have given positive assessments. The diversity of projects, regional distribution and a balanced allocation between the different types of projects will play a role in this process. The board may also decide to award a lower grant amount than requested, depending on the budget available.
After processing, the board’s decision will be communicated digitally to the applicant’s file in My Fund.
