Organizer Information
The German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes) was founded on 21 March 2002 at the initiative of the then Federal Minister of Culture, Julian Nida-Rümelin, and is financed by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. It is a civil-law foundation headquartered in Halle an der Saale, and its founding was intended in part to strengthen the profile of eastern German culture within a reunified Germany. Since its establishment, the Foundation has become one of Europe's largest publicly funded cultural foundations, having financed roughly 4,000 innovative programmes and projects with a total of around €700 million. Its funding activity is organized primarily through General Project Funding, its own thematic funding initiatives, the Cultural Beacons programme (which gives multi-year support to major recurring institutions such as documenta, the Donaueschinger Musiktage, and the Berlin Theatertreffen), and large-scale model projects addressing pressing social and cultural issues.
Title & Description
Funding Guidelines of the German Federal Cultural Foundation — General Project Funding
This document sets out the general funding guidelines governing how the German Federal Cultural Foundation awards project funding. The Foundation supports artistic productions and thematic areas that fall within the federal government's cultural funding responsibilities and that carry particular significance for current artistic and social discourse, with a chief objective of promoting innovative programmes and projects in an international context. Funding decisions for amounts under €250,000 are authorized by the Foundation's Executive Board; applications requesting more than €250,000 require approval from the Board of Trustees. The guidelines describe what is and is not eligible for funding, how institutions may apply, and how funded projects are subsequently audited and contractually bound.
Categories
- Performance
- Visual Arts
- Literature
- Sound/Music
- Architecture
- Curatorial
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Art Management
Eligibility
- Open to institutions with headquarters located in Germany or abroad
- The applying institution's legal form (foundation, association, public or private corporate enterprise, private company, etc.) has no bearing on the funding decision
- Generally not open to individuals or groups of individuals who are not firmly established within an organization
- As a rule, not open to applicants already receiving financial support from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media or an affiliated institution
- Only projects that have not yet commenced prior to the Foundation's funding decision are eligible
- Applications are rejected as a formality, without jury review, if a jury member has a professional, contractual, or functional relationship with the applicant (personal bias)
- Applications that have already been reviewed and rejected by an expert jury may not be resubmitted within the same funding area
Program Benefits & Awards
- Project funding for amounts under €250,000, approved by the Foundation's Executive Board
- Project funding for amounts over €250,000, subject to Board of Trustees approval
- Funding is generally awarded as partial financing to be expended for the intended purpose
- Exceptional multi-year funding for recurring "cultural beacon" event series is possible, capped at one-sixth of the Foundation's total budget over a five-year funding period, subject to Board of Trustees approval
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Applications must be submitted using the Foundation's specific online tools
- Applications must be submitted in German, though other language versions may also be included
- Required forms must be complete and submitted on time
- Written confirmation from all listed sponsors, cooperation partners, and key participating artists must be included
- Supplementary materials may be included but must be submitted exclusively in digital form
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Second Application Deadline: 31 January 2027
Location
Germany
Additional Details
- The Foundation does not grant operational funding to institutions — only project funding
- It does not finance purchases, construction measures, projects consisting solely of guest performances abroad, or expenditures on printing alone
- As a rule, the Foundation does not fund event series or regularly recurring projects, aside from the "cultural beacon" exception described above
- Individual projects within an event series or recurring project are generally still eligible for funding through General Project Funding
- Funded projects must ensure visibility in Germany; media produced with the Foundation's project funding must include a German-language version
- The Foundation sends applicants prompt confirmation of receipt and conducts a preliminary assessment against requirements, deadlines, and funding criteria, but generally does not proactively contact applicants to clarify or complete application sections
- Use of awarded funds is audited under the budgetary laws of the Federal Republic of Germany; payment is dispensed only upon signing a funding contract, and the Foundation may demand partial or total repayment if contractual provisions on fund use, project execution, or publication of results are not met
- All submitted applications are archived by the Foundation