The aim of this open call is to bring together designers and parties with a solid social or knowledge position. The Fund is challenging these parties to utilize this collaboration to achieve innovative, surprising solutions for today's design challenges.

Depending on the task, the results of the collaboration may assume a diversity of forms: a product, intervention or service, for instance. It is possible to work together with international partners. However, the applicant must be based in the Netherlands and there must be a predominantly Dutch interest in the project.

Creative Industries Fund NL is making € 270,000 available for this Open Call. The maximum contribution per project is € 45,000. Please note that this amount is granted in three phases.

phasing
The open call has three phases:

Phase 1: start-up phase – formalization of collaboration(s), funding, planning and research framework (3 to maximum 6 months). A maximum sum of € 10,000 per proposal is available for this phase.
Phase 2: implementation phase – further development and implementation of the project (maximum 2 years). A maximum sum of € 30,000 per proposal is available for this phase.
Phase 3: impact/presentation phase – possibility of additional funding to enhance the impact of the project outside the realm of the creative industries (maximum 6 months). A maximum sum of € 5,000 per proposal is available for this phase.

submission
The application for phase 1 can be submitted until Wednesday 7 April 2021 at the latest.
Read more about the Open Call and procedure here.

advisory committee
The members of the Creative Industries Fund NL's advisory committees are experts from the field. Each committee consists of a chair and a pool of advisers who work as makers, architects, designers, researchers or critics, or in another relevant discipline within the creative industries. They advise on the content-related and qualitative value of the submitted applications in the light of the Fund's grant schemes and objectives. This advice is offered to the Board, which then takes the decisions on whether to award a subsidy. New advisers are recruited each year.

selection
The independent external selection committee consisted of Arzu Ayikgezmez (chair), Ben Schouten and Valentijn Bijvanck. A record number of 174 candidates were presented to the selection committee. When composing the various advisory committees and filling the requested profiles, consideration was given to expertise, diversity, complementarity and specific specialisms within the committee.

diversity advisory committees
The advisory committees are an important link in the aim to achieve a more diverse and inclusive Fund. Not only do the committees evaluate the applications on the basis of the schemes and codes, they also represent the Fund to the outside world. Applicants must have confidence in committees and be able to identify with them to a certain extent. In the endeavour to broaden the scope of the Fund to include more diverse groups of applicants, it is therefore important that diversity is also encouraged in the committees. For this reason, the Fund, in parallel with its own search, entered into a partnership with Ocullus Consultancy. In close consultation with the relevant coordinators, Ocullus looked for candidates outside the direct sphere of the Fund. In addition to providing many insights, this has so far resulted in the nomination of at least four new advisers.

new advisers
As of 1 January 2021, the following advisers have been appointed to the various schemes:
Design: Miriam van der Lubbe (chair), Serana Angelista, Wasco/Henk van der Spoel, Saskia de Bodt, Niek Hilkmann, Anouk van Klaveren, Giorgio Toppin, Rachid Naas, Frank Verkade, Aisha Madu and Chris Mouw
Architecture: Joan Almekinders, Femke Bijlsma, Wouter Pocornie and Mathieu Schouten
Digital culture: Isaura Sanwirjatmo, Ard Bonewald, Katayoun Arian
Talent development: Paul Amoksi and Aiman Hassani

We thank all the outgoing chairs and committee members for their dedication and commitment during the past years. In addition, we would like to thank all the applicants for their interest and effort.

overview
An overview of all advisory committee members, the working method of (advisory) committees and ancillary positions is available here.

The COVID-19 crisis is affecting and disrupting society as a whole, and its consequences will be felt worldwide for a long time to come. The aim of the Fund is to contribute to reducing the impact on the Dutch design sector.

The paragraphs below set out all the measures being taken by the Fund.

second support package 2021
Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) Ingrid van Engelshoven has made an additional one-off amount of over € 10 million available to the Creative Industries Fund NL as part of the second support package for the cultural and creative sector. The aim of this support package is to maintain the vital chain components in the Dutch cultural infrastructure, in order to preserve the unique Dutch artistic product and to guarantee employment in the cultural and creative sector.
The Fund will offer additional support in this form in 2021:

Additional support grant scheme

As part of the second support package for the cultural and creative sector, the Creative Industries Fund NL has been able to draw up the Additional support for multi-year subsidized institutions Creative Industries Fund NL COVID-19 II Grant Scheme (RAOCCC-SCI-II). This grant offers an additional subsidy to the institutions supported by the Fund for several years and/or a bridging grant to those institutions that have seen their application rejected, but whose plan has been positively assessed.

Spatial Design Vouchers

On 1 April 2021, the Fund will start a voucher scheme for local authorities and semi-public organizations, which will enable them to grant a clearly defined design-research commission to a designer, collective or coalition, within certain thematic lines that link up with the National Environment Vision (NOVI). One condition is that the accumulated knowledge must be made available to the public as much as possible. Some € 5 million will be available for this scheme in 2021. With this grant we aim to counteract the decline in assignments for designers and at the same time create new sustainable forms of collaboration.

Building talent

In 2021, the Fund will also create at least 100 places under the Building Talent Grant Scheme for young professionals in the design disciplines who want to participate in a collaborative project with experienced design firms. With an additional investment of almost € 2 million, the Fund aims to strengthen the connection between recent graduates and the professional field.

Increase in subsidy budgets Design, Architecture, Digital culture, Talent development and Immerse\Interact with a total of € 1.2 million

first support package 2020
In 2020 the fund offered additional support in this form:

Regulation for additional support for multi-year subsidized institutions Creative Industries Fund NL covid-19

On April 15, the cabinet made an extra € 300 million available for the cultural sector. This support helps cultural institutions vital to the sector through the financially tough first months of the corona crisis. By supporting these crucial cultural organizations now, they can ensure that the flow of assignments, also towards the self-employed, gets going again after the crisis. The extra funds will be used, among other things, to increase the subsidies for institutions that are now supported for several years by the Creative Industries Fund NL. To this end, the Regulation for additional support for multi-year subsidized institutions Creative Industries Fund NL covid-19 has been set up. The additional subsidies that are provided under this grant scheme are determined ex officio - without an application - on the basis of a calculation of a percentage of the lost public income. You can find an overview of the subsidies provided here.

almost € 2 million extra for makers
In addition to the support for institutions, within the amount that the Fund receives from the € 300 million, an amount of almost € 2 million is available, specifically intended for makers.

The Fund uses these additional resources for makers as follows:

Increase in subsidy budgets Design, Architecture and Digital culture 2020;

To issue an open call aimed at the development of professional practice and cultural entrepreneurship in times of (post) covid (autumn 2020). View the selection here.

Issuing an open call aimed at talent development within the architecture disciplines. View the selection here.

A follow-up to Researching Remix, the Open Call Research, Act & Reflect. View the selection here.

general support measures for makers, institutions and festivals that have already been supported
The Fund is lenient with regard to projects that were supported before April 2020 that are affected by the consequences of the corona virus. This means that postponement (up to and including 2021), adjustment, postponement or discontinuation of the project is in principle accepted. This also applies to the reimbursement of eligible costs if the project can no longer be carried out.

The following applies:
• If your event or project has been canceled or rescheduled, please email your contact person at the Fund.
• If you receive an automatically generated message from the Fund about final reporting, but your event or project has been canceled or rescheduled, please email your contact person.
• You do not need to contact the Fund if you are in doubt whether your event or project will go ahead or not. Only in case of final cancellation or rescheduling, you email your contact person.

Fund accessibility
• The secretariat can be reached by telephone and can put you in contact with the right colleague, but as a rule it is more convenient to mail your contact person directly.
• The closing dates are unchanged and can be found in the information on grants on the website.
• Specific questions about the procedure, budget and/or project plan can be sent via email to one of the grants officers. First check if you can find the answer to your question in the Frequently Asked Questions.
• The committee meetings will continue as planned, but will mostly take place in the form of a video conference.
• All the Fund's information sessions, workshops and events on location have been postponed.
• The processing time of an application remains unchanged. You will receive an e-mail informing you of the decision 10 weeks after the closing date of the grant programme. Please note that your project may not start before you have received the result.

Syb Groeneveld, the Fund's executive director, responds enthusiastically: 'The additional funds give us the opportunity to provide extra impetus to building talent during this prolonged crisis and also to create new forms of commissioning that will strengthen the design sector in the post-COVID period as well.'

Start Spatial Design Vouchers on 1 April 2021
On 1 April 2021, the Fund will start a voucher scheme for local authorities and semi-public organizations, which will enable them to grant a clearly defined design-research commission to a designer, collective or coalition, within certain thematic lines that link up with the National Environment Vision (NOVI). One condition is that the accumulated knowledge must be made available to the public as much as possible. Some € 5 million will be available for this scheme in 2021. The Fund expects to give a strong impulse to the quality of design-research commissioning by means of the vouchers, and as a result to contribute to the quality of our living environment. After all, the Netherlands is faced with a number of complex transition challenges in areas such as vital inner cities, housing construction, climate and energy, agriculture and sustainability. These challenges have a major spatial impact and are in competition with each other for the scarce space in our country. This calls not only for an integrated approach, but also for radical new ways of collaborating, and for making smart combinations and astute choices. The connecting and imaginative power of design promotes the quality of collaboration within these often-complex transition challenges. The power of design enables parties and also departments to develop a common future perspective and to take the first concrete steps towards achieving it. The vouchers (up to an amount of approximately € 40,000) can be used precisely for this purpose.

Building talent
In 2021, the Fund will also create at least 100 places under the Building Talent Grant Scheme for young professionals in the design disciplines who want to participate in a collaborative project with experienced design firms. With an additional investment of almost € 2 million, the Fund aims to strengthen the connection between recent graduates and the professional field. In this COVID-19 period in particular this is extremely important, as many talents lack good commissioning clients. The new Open Call Building Talent will be issued in the spring. In addition, the number of one-year grants that can be awarded under the Talent Development Grant Scheme has been increased to 50.

Director Groeneveld: 'The challenges in this COVID-19 crisis are complex and cannot be solved by any individual organization or sector. We are very pleased that the minister has given us the space to fulfil this driving and connecting role in order to help makers in the design field to find innovative assignments. To do this, we are looking for collaboration with professional and branch organizations such as the BNO, the BNA and other parties such as Architectuur Lokaal, and in the network of the Federatie Dutch Creative Industries.'

Jann de Waal from the Topteam Dutch Creative Council adds: 'In the mission-driven innovation policy for the top sectors, the creative industry has a central role in upscaling and accelerating social transitions. These initiatives by the Fund fit in very well with that idea.'

The Fund expects that applications under this scheme will also be possible from 1 April 2021. Keep an eye on our website and newsletter for more information.

For information about the Spatial Design Vouchers, please contact project manager Maarten Tas and for Building Talent, project manager Carlijn Limburg.

The Open Call Research, Act & Reflect takes place against a background of public debate and protests against systematic inequality and discrimination. The Fund observes that in recent years initiatives have emerged in the Netherlands from makers and platforms who, based on a 'lived experience' and personal drive, address themes and question established systems that are not yet sufficiently seen and recognized within the design sector. These makers and platforms relate to design in their own unique way, and question with their practice what design is or could be. By means of this open call, the Fund aims to stimulate this kind of programme and, as a result, contribute to multiperspectivity and enrichment of the creative industry.

general impression
For many parties, it was the first time they had submitted an application to the Fund. The applicants approached the theme of the open call from a strikingly wide range of perspectives. Investigating decolonial thinking was a recurring theme in many applications, including some of the positively assessed proposals. Several proposals were also critical of the role and responsibility of institutions in the arts and culture sector. The Fund recognizes the importance of a sustainable dialogue in which organizations continue to question themselves critically about their own role and position.

selection
The advisory committee, which consisted of Harriët Mbonjani, Hicham Khalidi and Farida Sedoc, selected five programmes. Apart from the artistic ambitions and the approach to the chosen theme, the applicants submitting these plans were particularly well able to explain where they stand as an organization or collective at the moment, and how they want to develop themselves further in the coming year by means of the subsidy:

Wiaspora Proverbs – Bijlmer Parktheater (photo above)
In the project 'Wiaspora Proverbs: Visual Mixtapes of Truth' Simone Zeefuik and Richard Kofi will record a series of podcasts in the Bijlmer Parktheater. The term 'wiaspora' started by Zeefuik and Kofi is a fusion of the words 'wi', which means 'we' in several Afro-Caribbean languages, and 'diaspora'. It sums up what is central to this series of conversations: bringing together and being Afro-Dutch makers, researchers, teachers, social workers, writers and other opinion makers. Together they will discuss the representation of the Afro-Dutch community in cultural museums and institutions, public space, popular culture and films. The discussions centre on both tangible and intangible heritage. Zeefuik and Kofi intend the project to grow into a platform for art criticism and cultural production in 2021. The programme will be developed and implemented out of the Bijlmer Parktheater.

Atelier LFMC – LFMC
The interdisciplinary group of creatives LFMC is committed as a collective to an inclusive creative industry. In 2021, the collective will materialize as an organization and work towards a number of activities and presentations. In this programme, established and novice makers can develop and form themselves. Underexposed and under-represented makers can create without a filter or 'tone polishing', and without adapting to a dominant culture. Atelier LFMC's annual programme will consist of an online platform and offline productions. Atelier LFMC will continue to build on four pillars: community building, sustainable partnerships, radical equality including equality of opportunity, and quality and authenticity. For its annual programme, LFMC will collaborate with OSCAM, the museum platform for art, fashion, design, craftsmanship and development in Amsterdam.