Upstream Grant Scheme: Music x Design 2024 (Netherlands)

The scheme is, this year for the last time, open to collaborative projects between pop artists and designers or makers from the creative industry. Applications must be submitted by the party involved in the creative industry.

Scope and Objective

• This grant scheme applies to projects that contribute to stimulating high-quality crossovers between professional designers/makers from the Dutch creative industry and pop musicians. Projects focus on innovative, artistic applications of design, image or technology within the pop music sector. Projects result in creative industries fund NL physical and/or virtual presentations, product installations or interventions that can be shared with a wide audience.
• The scheme complements the Fund’s following general objectives:
  • promoting the development of artistic quality;
  • stimulating experiment and research;
  • strengthening the design disciplines’ international position.

Funding Information

• Within this grant scheme, applications will be accepted for:
  • a starting grant of a maximum of € 7,500; or
  • a project grant of a maximum of € 50,000.

Eligible Projects

• Grants are awarded to projects that focus on innovative (artistic) applications of design, image or technology within pop music.
•  The projects should result in physical and/or virtual presentations, products, installations or interventions that are shared with a wide audience.
•  The premiere of the projects must take place in the Netherlands.

Ineligible Projects

• No grant can be awarded within this scheme for:
  • projects in which none of the collaborating parties is primarily active within the disciplines of architecture, design or digital culture;
  • projects that do not go beyond regular practice, such as conventional video clips or stage concepts, merchandising and artist branding;
  • platforms and (cultural) organisations, they may be involved as partners but not act as main applicants of the project;
  • projects where there is no equal collaboration between a designer and music artist.

Eligibility Criteria

• A grant will only be provided when the following conditions have been met:
  • the project is in line with the Fund’s mission statement as expressed in Article 1 and the objectives expressed in Article 3;
  • the applicant is registered in the Commercial Register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce or at one of the Chambers of Commerce that fall within the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
  • the project mainly serves a Dutch interest;
  • the project starts within six months after the date of the decision;
  • the project period is no longer than 24 months;
  • there is a budget deficit and, in the board’s opinion, the need for a grant has been demonstrated;
  • based on the applicant’s working method, it can reasonably be expected that the goals set by the applicant will be achieved;
  • the applicant did not fall short in complying with its grant obligations in the context of a project for which the Fund previously provided a grant;
  • the results will be published or made publicly accessible in another way.
• If the application is submitted on behalf of a cultural institution or organization, the institution or organization will adhere to the following codes:
  • Fair Practice Code;
  • Diversity and Inclusion Code;
  • Governance Code for Culture 2019.

Ineligible

• No grant is provided to or for:
  • institutions that have a structural grant relationship with the Dutch Government or that have received a grant under the Four-year Institutional Grant Scheme for the Creative Industry 2021–2024 or the 1- and 2-year Activities Programme Grant Scheme from the Fund;
  • projects that have already been subsidized under one of the Fund’s grant schemes, with the exception of a starting grant;
  • projects initiated by applicants who, during the project period, have already received support for the implementation of their development plan under the Talent Development Grant Programme for the Creative Industry from the Fund;
  • projects for which, at the time of the application, an application is already being processed under another Fund grant scheme;
  • activities that have already taken place or started before the date of the decision;
  • projects with no reasonable amount of co-financing given the setup of the project, with the exception of a starting grant;
  • projects that are submitted again, after having been rejected by the board entirely or partially, with no changes in circumstances or new facts being specified by the applicant;
  • projects for which grant applications have already been submitted twice before and which were rejected or negatively assessed;
  • applications that are not submitted on time or are incomplete;
  • projects for which grant applications have already been submitted twice before and which were rejected or negatively assessed;
  • applications that are not submitted on time or that are incomplete;
  • study or training course projects;
  • acquisition of property, materials or equipment that will have a value after the end of a project;
  • activities and costs directly related to the founding of a company or organization;
  • activities that do not go above and beyond the regular business activities.

For more information, visit Creative Industries Fund NL.