Development of the composition and criteria of the Cultural Basic Infrastructure (BIS)
The basic idea of the BIS was that its composition should not alter very much from one policy period to another. The six public funds were meant for innovation and for supporting smaller groups and individual artists. In the first period 2009-2012, 172 cultural institutions and seven public funds were part of the BIS. In the period 2017-2020, this number fell to 85 cultural institutions and six public funds, as a result of government budget cuts amounting to €200 million (one fifth of the budget for culture).[1]
In the current period (2025-2028) the number is 117. As in 2021, to join the BIS, a cultural institution had to subscribe to three codes of conduct: Fair Practice Code (fair payments), Governance Code Culture and the Code for Diversity and Inclusion.
The assessment criteria for the BIS 2025–2028 period were:
- Artistic quality, by (inter)national standards.
- Social significance: the cultural sector has long expressed a desire to make its social significance more visible. Institutions are expected to explain in what ways they engage with society. This may concern the value an institution provides to its immediate community or its concrete contribution to broader societal challenges.
- Accessibility, including activities related to education and participation, physical accessibility, geographical reach, affordability, and innovative plans for digital access.
- Sound business operations: realistic, entrepreneurial plans and budgets, including innovation and sustainability.
- Geographic distribution, fitting to the activities that subsidies are requested for.
The visibility of social significance and attention to geographic distribution were relatively new as assessment criteria. The other criteria were constant, although the wording varied. The rules for a minimum own income percentage in the first periods of the BIS were abolished from 2021, in part as result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A problematic side of the BIS that has been expressed by institutions that are not part of it, is the somewhat rigid character that favours the more canonical arts. In their recent advice Access to culture – towards a new system in 2029 the Council of Culture has addressed this issue by arguing “for a new system with a more open and varied funding methodology that can effectively respond to diversity, differences and dynamism within the sector. Including a separate regime for a limited number of large or unique cultural organisations within the national portfolio (…) with funding for eight years.” (see also chapter 2.1 key developments)
Social safety
In recent years there has been growing attention for the social safety in cultural and broadcast organisations, referring to issues of misconduct in the work environment, such as harassment, discrimination and intimidation This was fuelled by several incidents that came to light through journalist research. In 2018 support service Mores was founded, providing a safety net for workers in the cultural, creative, and media sectors who are dealing with transgressive behaviour. In 2022 the Council for Culture published an advise on the subject. For that reason, a Commission of Inquiry into Behaviour and Culture of Broadcasters, led by former Minister Martin van Rijn, was installed. The resulting report Nothing seen, nothing heard, nothing done: the lost responsibility (published in January 2024) critiqued the lack of social safety at broadcast organisations.
In response to the report, the umbrella organisation Dutch Public Broadcaster (NPO) has drawn up an action plan. Former Minister Eppo Bruins sent a progress report to the House of Representatives in November 2024. He concludes: “(…) the broadcasters have made an energetic start with the follow-up to the recommendations from the report, but at the same time paint a worrying picture when it comes to the actions which are necessary to actually initiate change. This requires continued efforts and critical self-reflection from all broadcasters”. Bruins announced several measures, including extra money to activate the necessary culture change and a tightening of the Code of Conduct for the integrity of public broadcasting.
[1] See for more detail about the development of the BIS : Boekman Extra #25: Ontstaan en ontwikkeling culturele Basisinfrastructuur – Boekmanstichting
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