Culture and Art Programme

• The programme funds all phases of art and culture projects:
  • preparatory work, production, performance, and dissemination.
• Funding is available for projects that produce art, culture, and other forms of creativity, as well as to organise and run skills enhancement projects in the fields of art and culture.
• Funding can be granted for all types of costs directly related to the project.

The projects can include:

• Creating or presenting artistic works, projects, or initiatives involving a creative process
• Creating opportunities for artists and cultural practitioners to engage with audiences
• Developing and sharing knowledge and/or working methods
• Organising discussions and debates, as well as seminars and workshops

Funding is not available for:

• Touring existing productions or works
• Day-to-day running of institutions or ongoing operations
• Core funding for long-term or recurring projects, such as annual festivals
• Creation of works without active co-operation beyond the applicant, such as solo exhibitions
• Film and television production, computer game development, or book publishing
• Projects undertaken as part of formal education
• Commercial activities intended primarily to generate profit
• Projects outside the arts and cultural sector, such as sporting events
• Projects that have already commenced before a funding decision has been made and communicated
• Activities that have already been carried out

Project duration

• Projects may commence no earlier than 10 weeks after the application deadline.
• Projects may run during the year in which the application is submitted and the following two calendar years (i.e. the application year plus two additional years).

• Anyone within the field of art and culture can apply, as long as the project meets the programme criteria and is realised by way of co-operation with partners from at least three countries, at least two of which must be Nordic.
• In this context, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland are considered as Nordic countries.
• Country affiliation is assessed according to the partners’ registered addresses, not nationality. The person submitting the application does not need to be resident in the Nordic Region, as long as the Nordic dimension of the project is met in terms of its partners and content.
  Example: An applicant from Lithuania or Canada can submit an application for a collaborative project if there are also partners from Finland and Åland.

• You can apply for funding for all phases of a project, starting with preliminary work to the implementation of a complete project.
• The amount applied for must be realistic in relation to the size of the project. The larger the amount applied for, the larger your own funding contribution must be, e.g. by way of funding from other contributors.
• Co-funding is seen as an important part of the project’s prerequisites.

A project can be granted

• up to EUR 7,000 without other sources of funding
• up to EUR 40 000 with at least 30% co-funding
• up to EUR 100 000 with at least 50% co-funding

This means that the contribution from the Culture and Art Programme can cover between 50% and 100% of the project’s total costs, depending on the amount applied for.

We recommend that all costs within the project are collated in a single application to Nordic Culture Point. For instance, all travel costs can be included in the application to the Culture and Art Programme.

Co-financing

• Co-financing can include “funding in-kind”. Funding in-kind consists of goods or services rather than money. An example of this can be working hours.
• The way you value working hours must be specified in the budget and the sum must be reasonable in relation to the tasks and their length.

Other Nordic funding

The maximum amount of funding from Nordic co-operation (e.g. Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Culture Fund, NAPA, Nordplus, Nordisk Film og TV Fond and Nordic Culture Point) may not exceed 85% of the project’s total budget. Bilateral or national funding does not count as pan-Nordic in this context.

Please note that you may use the budget template. Clearly specify the costs for which funding is being requested.

• The budget attachment can be prepared using the budget template provided via the relevant link.
• Upload relevant documentation relating to the planned partnership, such as an agreement or letter of intent.

The project application is assessed based on the following criteria:

Collaborative dimension

• The project must be collaborative with partners with addresses in at least three different countries, at least two of which must be Nordic.
• The application must state why it is important to carry out the project as a collaboration between the participating partners. What are your expectations of the collaboration? Are experiences and knowledge disseminated between the project participants and/or organiser? Is the collaboration innovative or does it promote expertise?

Nordic dimension

• The programme is financed with Nordic tax funds, so the project must develop cultural and artistic fields in the Nordic Region, regardless of where it will be implemented. The Nordic dimension can be found in the form or content of the project, in a special theme or as a special need that the project wants to address.
• The Nordic representation is determined based on the participants’ country of residence, not nationality.
• It is beneficial for the project to promote language comprehension in the Nordic Region and mobility between the countries, as well as to strengthen the experience of solidarity between the inhabitants of the countries.

Quality

• The expert group examines the artistic quality of the project and how realistic and feasible the project plan is in practical terms. For that, clear descriptions of the collaborative partners and objectives, timetable, financing plan and budget are needed.
• The questions asked in the application are how the project can develop and raise the quality of art and culture in a wider perspective? Is the project innovative or does it develop expertise? Are the results of the work long-lasting?

Sustainability

• The sustainability of the project is assessed from a social, economic and ecological perspective. Does the project promote an inclusive and diverse art and culture scene in the Nordic Region? Is the project ecologically sustainable? Does the content promote the competitiveness of Nordic cultural and artistic fields?

• The assessment of applications to the Culture and Art Programme is also influenced by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ co-operation programme for culture 2025–2030, which outlines the Nordic Council of Ministers’ view on sustainability within cultural policy co-operation: Together for a creative, sustainable, and visible Nordic Region.

Make sure you always mention who funded your project in your project communication – together we demonstrate that a form of funding is required.

Projects that have been granted funding from the Culture and Art Programme must use the Nordic Council of Ministers’ logo in their materials.

Download the logo and get tips on how you can refer to us in texts and on social media here.