Funding areas and criteria
The Capital Cultural Fund was initiated by the German Federal Government together with the State of Berlin in order to promote important cultural projects in the federal capital that enhance the image of Germany as a whole. The Federal Government and the State of Berlin have earmarked €15 million annually for this purpose.
Funding areas
Natural or legal persons can apply for funding for concepts in practically all areas of the arts. Funding applications can likewise be made for projects involving more than one area of the arts as well as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projects. Funding is available for both small and large projects.
The categories
- Visual arts
- Performing arts
- Film
- Literature
- Media art
- Music
- Transdisciplinary arts
- (Contemporary) history
Inter- and transdisciplinary projects are also eligible for funding.
Funding criteria
The main criteria in selecting projects for funding are artistic quality and high-value content. The Capital Cultural Fund supports projects with national and international relevance. We are looking for innovative approaches that can contribute to the development of the arts as well as projects that build on and develop significant traditions. The projects should be designed for presentation in Berlin but should also be relevant to general or specialized audiences outside the capital.
Exclusion criteria
Commercially viable projects are not eligible for funding. This also applies to any costs already covered by institutional funding.
The Capital Cultural Fund’s remit does not cover the following:
- Financing purchases
- Restoring/digitizing/archiving art objects and collections
- The exclusive production of publications or media
- Developing/maintaining/operating websites as well as apps or exclusively podcasts
- production/postproduction of films/ documentaries
- Student projects at colleges and universities
- Applications for purely institutional funding and funding over several years
- The funding of prizes
- Purely digital or streaming formats
- Projects applied for by political parties or party-affiliated foundations and/or unions are excluded from funding.
Accessibility for people with disabilities
One of the goals of public cultural funding in Berlin is to enable the greatest possible participation by people with disabilities in publicly funded projects. For this reason, the Capital Cultural Fund asks all applicants to design their projects to make them accessible for people with disabilities. You can download further information about this in the funding criteria section.
Ecological sustainability
The HKF is committed to the environmentally conscious, resource-conserving use of its funding. The project organiser should take this objective into account in the planning, implementation and follow-up of the project within the framework of the applicable legal provisions. For example, the guidelines of the German Federal Cultural Foundation
Kompass für nachhaltiges Produzieren im Kulturbereich | Veranstaltungen klimabewusst planen und umsetzen
(in German, more information in English can be found here can be used as a resource.
