General information

After a successful first edition in 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the International Cultural Policy (ICP), is once again launching an "Open Call" for cultural activities in Morocco in 2024. This "Open Call" temporarily provides funding for Dutch-Moroccan partnership projects. 
Cultural professionals and institutions in the Netherlands are invited, along with Moroccan partners, to submit project proposals in the field of cultural collaboration between the Netherlands and Morocco. The project must meet at least two objectives of the embassy.

Objectives

The first objective is as follows:
1)    Promotion of institutional collaboration and exchange of expertise in the cultural domain.
To be eligible for a subsidy or contribution, the proposed activities must contribute to this objective.
Additionally, the project must contribute to at least one of the following objectives:
2)    Making culture more accessible, especially for young people.
3)    Promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment.
4)    Contribution to sustainability, sustainable development, circular economy, and/or combating climate change.

What are we looking for?

•    Projects that contribute to strengthening bilateral relations between Morocco and the Netherlands and lead to positive visibility of the Netherlands and the Dutch cultural sector.
•    Projects that take place in the Netherlands and/or Morocco, preferably in both countries. When assessing, projects are evaluated based on sustainability and their contribution to diversity, inclusion, and gender equality; priority is given to projects contributing to these aspects.
•    Projects in all cultural disciplines, as well as multidisciplinary projects. Priority is given to projects in the fields of design, digital culture, museum studies, performing arts, music, (im)material heritage, visual arts, and/or literature.
•    Projects that contribute to reaching individuals who typically have limited access to culture.

What are the criteria?

•    Projects must be developed by collaborations involving at least one Dutch and one Moroccan partner, each with a clear role within the project.

•    A lead applicant must submit the subsidy application on behalf of this collaboration:
-    Only Dutch legal entities can qualify for subsidy as lead applicants for a collaboration.
-    If the application is approved, the lead applicant receives the subsidy. The Dutch partner is responsible for disbursing funds to partners in the collaboration and any other involved third parties.
-    The lead applicant is also responsible for implementing the subsidized activities and complying with the obligations associated with the subsidy.
-    The lead applicant can request a minimum of 5,000 euros and a maximum of 25,000 euros for each application. The budget must be clearly justified and logically follow from the intended objective or activities. Note: Costs are eligible for financing when they are directly related to the proposed activity. A maximum of 75% of the total project budget is reimbursed.
-    The lead applicant must demonstrate in the project proposal that the project partners involved in the collaboration have sufficient experience and expertise in the relevant field to reasonably carry out the proposed projects. It must also be demonstrated that all involved project partners are aware of the project proposal and are contributing by signing the application form (Applicants form) by all parties involved as project partners or through a letter from the partner organization.

Specifications and how to apply

•    Projects can be submitted until Saturday, May 25th, 2024 at 11:59 PM. 
•    The start date of the project must be no later than Friday November 1st, 2024.
•    The project proposal must be submitted at least eight weeks before the start of the project.
•    The lead applicant must submit the project proposal in written English. 
•    The lead applicant must sign and submit the application. A complete application consists of three documents:

1)    A completed and signed application form with signatures from both Dutch and Moroccan partner(s).
2)    A substantive project proposal (description of the project, objectives, intended results, performance indicators) with a maximum of 3000 words. Here you can find the project proposal guidelines.
3)    A separate comprehensive project budget specified per activity. This project budget must be provided using the attached Excel document. This budget clearly specifies for which items funding is requested (how much funding is required for each component/aspect of the project) and how this funding will be spent, and also demonstrates how other costs will be covered (in relation to the required minimum contribution of at least 25% of the total project budget). Here you can find the explanatory note for the budget format.

•    Send the complete application here. Mention "Open Call Morocco 2024 – [project title]" in the subject line. You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
•    An application will, in principle, be processed within six weeks after receiving written confirmation of receipt. The assessment phase may be extended by four weeks in exceptional cases. If this occurs, you will be informed.
•    Funding will be granted in accordance with Article 2 of the Framework Subsidy Act of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Subsidy Decree of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Articles 5.1, 8.1, and 8.2 of the Subsidy Regulation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2006.
•    The Moroccan authorities will be informed about the project financed by the Netherlands and the involved partners.

What do we offer?

•    A total of 90,000 euros is available for this Open Call. Subsidies will only be granted to the extent that the resources of the ICP are sufficient. It is possible that not all applications will be approved. In the event of a positive decision, it may be that only a portion of the requested amount is awarded.

For additional information or questions, please send an email, indicating: “Open Call Morocco 2024.

* In the event of a difference of interpretation, the Dutch source text prevails.