The central government in the Netherlands has several ways to support cultural organisations and artists. The most direct form of support is through the Basis Infrastructure for Culture (BIS). Within this programme there is a direct support of 119 cultural organisations (between 2025 and 2028) and six public culture funds, each focused on specific subdomains within the cultural field.
The culture funds are independent administrative bodies within the central government, executing the national cultural policy through the distribution of structural or project-based subsidies.
Performing arts
The domain of performing arts is by far the biggest recipient of funding within the BIS infrastructure, with a yearly budget of 273,4 million euros between 2025-2028.The Performing Arts Fund NL supports organizations and artists within the performing arts field, such as music, music theatre, dance, theatre and related festivals. The fund distributes a large part of the performing arts budget with 86 million euros a year (2025-2028). (see chapter 3.4)
Film and audiovisual arts
The second largest domain within the BIS is film and audiovisual arts, with a budget of 98,2 million euros on a yearly basis between 2025 and 2028.
The Netherlands Film Fund distributes a major part of these funds (89,8 million per year between 2025-2028), mostly to projects for the development, production and distribution of feature films, documentaries, short film, animation and experimental films. (see chapter 3.5.3)
Visual Arts
Between 2025 and 2028 the visual arts is the domain with the third largest budget in the BIS: a total of 55,6 million euros a year is spent on the production and presentation of visual arts.
Within this domain the Mondriaan Fund distributes most of the funding to individual artists and organizations for the collection and presentation of visual arts. The fund has a yearly budget of 43,8 million euros between 2025-2028. (see chapter 3.3)
Cultural education and participation
There is no direct funding of cultural organisations that produce activities for cultural education or participation, except for a knowledge and research centre for cultural education and amateur arts (LKCA).
Most of the cultural organisations and makers of projects for cultural participation are funded through the Cultural Participation Fund. This fund has a yearly budget of 48,9 million euros per year, between 2025-2028. (see chapter 5)
Design and digital arts
The central government also stimulates research and development of creative industries and digital arts. This is done through several festivals and some innovation labs. A total budget of 26,4 million euros is allocated on a yearly basis between 2025-2028.
The Creative Industries Fund NL distributes a large part of this budget (19,7 million euros on a yearly basis), mainly through the project-based grants or Open Calls around a specific topic. The fund focuses on three main areas of expertise (and their crossovers): design, architecture and digital culture. (see chapter 3.5.1 and 3.5.5)
Literature
Literature is another notable domain within the BIS infrastructure. A yearly budget of 23,8 million euros is spent on Literature between 2025-2028. Of this amount 17,3 million euros is distributed by the Dutch Foundation for Literature to authors and translators in the form of grants and residencies. This fund also promotes Dutch literature abroad. (see chapter 3.5.2)
Funds of Collective Rights Management Organizations
Collective Rights Management Organizations in the Netherlands reserve annually a small percentage for (Social)-Cultural projects. These include:
- Norma Fund (rights for performing artists on tv) distributes grants among performing artists
- Sena’s Performers Fund (neighbouring rights of performers and producers) fosters talent and promote a decent living wage for performers
- Buma Cultuurfonds (copyright) composers, lyricists and publicists) supports and promotes Dutch music (copyright) in both The Netherlands and key export markets through music events and prizes (Buma Awards).
- Pictoright Fonds (rights visual creators) supports with a social, cultural or educational purpose, intended for professional visual creators in one or more of the disciplines design/illustration, photography and visual art.
Public media funds
There are three public funds regarding media affairs: the Co-productiefonds Binnenlandse Omroep (Co-production Fund National Broadcasting), the Dutch Journalism Fund and the Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten (BJP Fund). (see for more information 3.5.3 media)
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