Five funders worth knowing if you're raising money for arts or culture anywhere in continental Europe. Two offer ongoing application routes, while others use specific calls or annual funding windows that are worth preparing for ahead of time.
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Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Germany
Germany's Federal Cultural Foundation, funding non-commercial, innovative artistic projects with an international context and genuine visibility in Germany, including projects led by eligible foreign organisations.
General Project Funding for exhibitions, performances, symposia and cross-disciplinary projects. Funding requests must be at least €50,000, with applicants providing at least 20 percent of project financing from their own or third-party resources.
View General Project Funding guidance and application ↗
Foreign organisations are genuinely welcome here, but your project needs real visibility in Germany. Make sure the required application materials are prepared in the appropriate language, and budget time for German translation where necessary.
Het Cultuurfonds, Netherlands
A major Dutch cultural and nature fund, formerly known as Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.
National cultural and nature projects through its standard project application route. Grants may cover up to 50 percent of costs, with maximum contributions of €35,000 or €50,000 depending on the project type.
The minimum project budget is €15,000 for this route. Regional applications have different limits and rules.
Start with the Voorwaardenwijzer eligibility check ↗
This fund covers culture and nature under one roof, so if your work sits between the two, lead with whichever angle is strongest rather than trying to give both equal weight.
King Baudouin Foundation, Belgium
One of Belgium's largest foundations, running a changing portfolio of themed funding calls across culture, social cohesion and the environment.
Funding varies significantly by the individual call. The foundation's priorities, eligibility requirements, grant sizes and application dates change throughout the year.
Browse King Baudouin Foundation funding calls ↗
Don't write a generic proposal and hope it fits something. King Baudouin's calls are usually tightly themed, so find the live call that matches your project first, then tailor your proposal to its specific brief.
Creative Europe, Culture Strand
The European Commission's main funding programme for the cultural and creative sectors.
European Cooperation Projects supporting cultural collaboration across national borders. Depending on project scale, these can co-fund between 60 and 80 percent of eligible costs.
Small-scale cooperation projects generally require at least three organisations from three different eligible countries. Larger project categories have additional partnership and funding requirements.
Planning ahead: The 2026 European Cooperation Projects call is closed. A future round may follow the programme's annual pattern, but the next application deadline should only be treated as confirmed when officially published.
Explore Creative Europe Culture Strand funding ↗
If you're based in an EU member state or eligible associated country, you may be able to lead a bid directly. Start building your consortium now. Partners are usually secured months before a call opens, so waiting for the call to land can put you behind.
Nordic Culture Fund
A joint Nordic fund supporting cross-border artistic and cultural cooperation, particularly collaboration connected with the Nordic region.
The fund has supported cultural collaborations through Project Funding and early-stage development through its Opstart programme. Its funding portfolio is being revised under a new 2026–2030 strategy.
New programmes are being introduced, including ENTER, which supports collaborative experimentation and development of ambitious new ideas.
Programme update: The Nordic Culture Fund announced changes to its grant programmes and application deadlines during 2026. Previous annual deadlines should not be assumed to apply to the next funding round.
Check Nordic Culture Fund programmes and deadlines ↗
This is a cooperation fund, not a single-country grant, so you need genuine partners across the Nordic region, not just a Nordic audience. Start those conversations well before the next window opens.