Target Group
The Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion allocates funds to support artistic projects from specific disciplines as well as cross-sector works which will be realised in Berlin.
Eligible to apply are all subordinate institutions, institutions without legal capacity and foundations under public law for which Berlin’s Department for Culture is responsible. Included are also cultural institutions financed by Berlin’s districts; furthermore culture institutions organised under private law that receive institutional funding from the federal government (Bund), the Federal State of Berlin (Land), the Districts or the German Lottery Foundation Berlin (DKLB). To be eligible to apply, cultural institutions organised under private law and receiving a long-term funding must:
- receive a structural grant and
- have their own producing house and event venue and
- have their own curated programme.
Purpose of funding
The goal is to promote arts and cultural projects that correspond to Berlin’s self-image as an open, creative, history-conscious metropolis.
Support is granted to projects of the applicants named above that cannot be or are not adequately be funded by regular funding programmes of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion , e.g. festivals, co-productions, series (a minimum of three different events is mandatory) und individual projects (such as exhibitions, theater productions).
Eligibility and conditions
- You are a berlin based institution. The majority of artists involved in the project or the venue applying for funding is based in Berlin.
- Minimum fees for artists must be taken into account in the financing plan (please see “Empfehlungen für Honoraruntergrenzen”).
- Funded projects have to be realised and publicly presented in Berlin in the years in which they receive funding.
- People with disabilities have equal rights and are entitled to full participation in culture especially to reach cultural offers and access cultural activities. If you are planning barrier-free events please indicate your target group and which expenses in your financing plan correspond to this.projects which have already started are excluded from application
- Projects which have already started are not eligible.
- Pure film festivals and film series are excluded from funding.
Please note that here is no entitlement to funding
Funding volume
- Project applications with an application volume of more than 100.000,00 € for 2027 are not permitted. Applications for funding of 100.000,00 € or less in 2027 are still possible. This regulation does not apply to the funding year 2026. For the year 2026, applications with an application volume of more than 100.000,00 € are still permitted.
- Priority will be given to artistic (co-)productions. Applicants who are receiving institutional funding can apply for project-related support for rent and other running costs such as personnel and material expenses only if this is not covered by their existing regular funding.
- The funding only covers expenses directly connected to the project.
- Please note that projects can apply for one year (2026 or 2027) or, in justified cases, for two years (2026 and 2027).
Application procedure
Please refer to the current version of the information sheet for more details on submitting an application.
Note: The information sheet in German is authoritative.
