Get off to a better start with Opstart

What is Opstart?

Opstart is designed to give collaborative projects in the arts and culture a good start.

The programme supports projects with concrete ambitions to develop cooperation across the Nordic countries. At least two partners from two different Nordic countries must have confirmed their participation in the project before applying, and their roles must be described in the application. If there are partners from only two different Nordic countries participating in the Opstart project, one of the concrete objectives of the project should be to widen Nordic participation. The application must clearly indicate how and which other stakeholders and from which countries the project intends to involve in the long term.

The Nordic countries are Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Åland. Participation from outside the Nordic countries is also welcome.

You can apply as an individual, group, institution, association or company, as well as a public or private organisation. Opstart welcomes applications for projects with a global vision that can help create new relevance for Nordic art and cultural cooperation. Therefore, you do not need to be a resident of the Nordic Region or have Nordic nationality to apply.

Notice that Opstart does not support:

• projects that do not have a clear link to the arts and culture (for instance sporting events, business development, technological innovation, and projects within journalism and social sciences),
• school trips or research trips of individuals,
• participation of individuals and groups in events and activities, and
• fully developed projects that can apply for Project Funding. If you apply for Project Funding, do not apply Opstart at the same time but include your development phase in the Project Funding application.

Assessment criteria

Applications are assessed on the basis of two general criteria and the project’s own context and coherence:

Content in the project and Nordic relevance

The Fund evaluates the content of the Opstart project and its contribution to developing the artistic and cultural life in the Nordic region.

The Fund assesses the level of engagement – or potential level of engagement – in the project in relevant areas in the Nordic Region and eventually outside the region. Furthermore, the Fund evaluates which grade the project will create value mutually for all the project partners.

The Fund evaluates whether the initial phase in the project meets the criteria for Opstart, by considering

• if the objectives, content, participation, method and economy in the project are described sufficiently and thoroughly
•  if the development perspective in the project is sufficiently clear.

Finances

The Fund assesses the extent to which the budget is realistic and well worked out in relation to the content of the project, and the extent to which the collaborative and Nordic ambitions are reflected in the budget.

The budget in your application must be detailed; Specify for example travel information (persons, routes, duration), fees and materials needed.

Opstart is typically applied to cover travel and subsistence expenses in connection with development meetings in the Nordic region. A maximum of 50% of the amount requested can be budgeted for project participants’ fees.

Opstart grants are for max. DKK 25,000. There is no requirement for co-financing of Opstart.

Terms and conditions

Project period

• You can only apply for funding for activities that take place after you have received a decision from the Nordic Culture Fund. The project can start 20 workdays after the application date.
• The project should be completed within one year of the project’s start date. Please contact the secretariat if a granted project cannot be finalized within the planned time frame.

Applications

• If an application is rejected, the applicant may apply to Opstart once more for the same project.
• The Fund accepts only electronic applications, which may be submitted via the Fund’s applications portal. Applications submitted by post or e-mail will not be considered.

Publicity

• The Fund’s grants are published on our website and in our annual report.
• According to the Nordic Culture Fund’s rules on public access to information, a list of applications is in the public domain, but the applications are not.

Succesful applicants

• The Fund’s general rules on crediting, payment, final reporting and accounting apply to the Opstart grant. Read more here.