Hauptstadtkulturfonds

15 April, 2024

©Hauptstadtkulturfonds

The Capital Cultural Fund sponsors cultural projects and events— including inter- and transdisciplinary projects—in practically all areas of the arts. Funded projects should be of significance to Berlin as the German capital and also of national and international relevance.
In addition to funding individual projects, the Capital Cultural Fund also funds the presentation of especially successful projects (Wiederaufnahme) as well as selected festivals of cultural and political relevance.

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.

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

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.

Dates and deadlines

The deadlines for applying for funding for projects to take place the following calendar year are usually April 15 and October 1. Decisions on the selection of projects for funding are usually announced in July or December.

You cannot apply for funding for the current year.

Further information on the website of the Capital Cultural Fund

For further reading

Guides | Guide to Public Project Funding in Germany

This introduction to public funding in Germany is part of our series on funding and the application process. Our guide provides an overview of the background and general framework for cultural funding in Germany, the specifics of German funding law and, in the final section, practical issu...

Marta Stankevica, CC BY 4.0 Woman_Writing_a_Letter

Guides | How do I write a funding application?

This guide on writing applications encourages you to view the process less as a necessary evil (which it undoubtedly is) and more as a way of refining your project's concept.

Ensemble Prize (15.03.2023)

The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation has founded the Ensemble Prize to provide long-term, individual support for the structural and artistic development of young ensembles. It comes with up to € 75.000 for each ensemble.

The Grants Program (15 Feb 2024)

Enabling better living conditions for the next generations: this is our mission. The Allianz Foundation works with European partners who are committed to social justice, open societies, and maintaining a livable planet. We support initiatives with civil society, ecological, cultural and a...

»experimente#digital« Aventis Foundation (31 Dec 2023)

With the cultural initiative »experimente#digital«, we support projects of professional cultural institutions that deal with the connection of culture and technology. Our goal is to support the creative use of digital technologies in the fields of art, culture and society, thereby enabling...