New subsidy guide: the international support index

From now on, independent professionals, organisations and consortia operating in the creative industry and wishing to position their practice internationally can consult the International Support Index portal to find out what support grants or schemes are available for them. Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy have jointly developed this online tool, providing a comprehensive overview of all the financial and non-financial resources to support the internationalisation of the creative industry.

For professionals working in the sectors of architecture, design, digital culture, gaming, film and fashion, there are all kinds of opportunities to develop and grow their practice abroad. The national government is increasingly offering support schemes, managed by for instance the Creative Industries Fund NL, SEE NL, Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Fund for Cultural Participation, the Netherlands Film Fund and DutchCulture.

The International Support Index has been developed to make it easier to find these schemes. Through a step by step process, the online tool helps the users find the schemes that are available for them. This includes financial and non-financial forms of support, ranging from project grants and (travel) vouchers to artist-in-residence options, matchmaking or advisory talks with (local) experts.

Although the possibility of physical travel remains (very) limited at present due to COVID-19, professionals are increasingly seizing the opportunity to investigate their future possibilities, also internationally. The initial steps toward international activities require research and support, and often funding as well. But expanding an existing international practice can also pose many challenges. How do you develop an international strategy? How do you build a valuable network abroad? And what is the best way to finance your project? The portal helps to answer such questions.

The portal primarily aims to inform individual makers, companies and consortia in the sectors of design, architecture, digital culture, gaming, fashion and film. Additionally, the portal aims to inform funds and policymakers about existing schemes for creative makers and to identify possible gaps in what’s offered.

The International Support Index was created by the Creative Holland partnership and is supported by DutchCulture’s Mobility Info Point, the Creative Industries Fund NL, SEE NL, Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Cultural Participation Fund and the Netherlands Film Fund.