Frequently asked Questions

The Federal Cultural Foundation supports artistic and cultural productions and grants funding to projects with themes that fall within the scope of federal cultural funding competence. All non-commercial fields and areas of cultural activity are eligible for funding, such as the fine arts, performing arts, literature, music, film, photography, architecture, cultural-historical exhibitions, new media, and related and cross-disciplinary art forms. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not fund projects that are already underway – only those planned for the future. In addition to application-based project funding, the Executive Board of the Federal Cultural Foundation also develops programmes of its own which address current cultural issues of importance. These programmes are not subject to the Jury’s funding decisions, though some include application-based funds.

In addition to application-based project funding, the Foundation’s Executive Board initiates special programmes that examine contemporary cultural issues. These programmes are comprised of various projects that generate a wide spectrum of cultural-political working and funding mechanisms. The Foundation could, for example, commission curators, initiate events or publications, or set up special application-based funds. Please note that the Foundation’s programmes generally do not accept applications for project funding. If a programme includes a fund that calls for project proposals, it will be specially marked as such. You can read more about our programmes and any applicable funding criteria on our website.

The Federal Cultural Foundation’s General Project Funding (external link, opens in a new window) department accepts funding applications for projects in all artistic fields twice a year. A jury, comprised of experts in these artistic fields, reviews the applications and informs the Executive Board of its funding recommendations. The Executive Board is responsible for approving funding for selected projects which require a minimum of 50,000 euro and a maximum of 250,000 euro. The Board of Trustees is responsible for approving funding that exceeds this amount. The Federal Cultural Foundation supports artistic projects and grants funding to projects that have an unmistakeable international context or otherwise clearly fall within the scope of federal funding competence. The Foundation can grant funding to all non-commercial fields and areas of cultural activity which include the fine arts, performing arts, literature, music, film, photography, architecture, cultural-historic exhibitions, new media, and related and cross-disciplinary art forms. The Foundation does not fund projects that are already underway, but only those that are planned for the future. The Federal Cultural Foundation does not provide funding to cover the operational costs of organizations and institutions, nor does it fund building projects or projects consisting solely of guest performances abroad. The Foundation grants funding to projects which fulfil these requirements and whose content is significant for current artistic or social discourse in Germany. Project administrators must also ensure that the project is publicly visible in Germany.

To be regarded as having an “international context”, a project must fulfil one of the following criteria:

• be carried out in cooperation with at least one foreign partner whose headquarters are located abroad
• hold at least one of its constituent events outside Germany’s borders
• require the significant involvement of artists from various countries
• require international cooperation for its preparation and research
• create a network connecting a large number of participants or project events
• require the participation of internationally renowned institutions.

Of course, the visibility of the project in Germany must be guaranteed. Publications for international projects must generally also be printed in German.

Should the project be unable to meet any of these criteria, the Executive Board may consider a project having an “international context” if its thematic orientation is deemed to be of such outstanding significance that it transcends national borders. The Executive Board will inform the Jury of such projects.