Program Description

The Infrastructure Funding Program aims to support and establish sustainable professional structures and conditions in the field of popular music and jazz.

Additionally, the program seeks to strengthen, establish, and develop regional and state-specific funding institutions and networks for popular music and jazz in close collaboration with federal states and municipalities.

Eligible applicants include natural persons, legal entities, or partnerships with legal capacity, based or residing in Germany, who can ensure proper management and demonstrate the intended use of the funding.

Applicants should have specific professional experience and ideally be planning or have already established a legal entity or partnership. This includes regional pop funding institutions and associations of the music industry in Germany.

Legal entities of public law (e.g., public corporations) are not eligible to apply.

1. Funding is provided in particular for:

1. • Activities implemented in collaboration with regional or nationwide stakeholders in the music industry that advance and support the professionalization of offerings and structures in the music scene in Germany.
   • Activities and projects creating sustainable structures for artist development, such as mentoring and workshops.
   • Exchange formats that support music creators, music companies, and industry stakeholders through communication and networking. These may include communication forums, online platforms, as well as qualifying or knowledge-building activities.
   • Studies, evaluations, and market research collecting scientific data on music culture and the music industry in Germany, analyzing them impartially, and making them publicly available.
   • Measures for developing structures to improve equal opportunities (inclusion, gender equality, diversity, etc.).
   • Activities and projects promoting the sustainability of the music industry in Germany (ecologically, structurally, and financially).
   • Recognitions for exceptional achievements in the music industry and culture that motivate others, work as exemplary models, and achieve structural policy effects (at the municipal, regional, or national level) for the music industry.
   • Other projects conducive to the establishment and expansion of structures within the scope of the program’s purpose.

Not Supported in This Program:

1. • Projects primarily focused on presenting artistic performances or artists in other ways (concerts, festivals, showcases, artist talks, etc.).
   • Projects aiming at construction work, renovations, or investments in individual institutions.
   • Projects in the field of musical education for children and young people or in the non-professional sector.
   • Projects promoting product developments of private institutions or companies.

1. The participation of additional partners is desirable for the sustainable continuity of the project. For regional infrastructure projects, the involvement of at least one regional or municipal institution is required, which should aim to ensure the project’s continuity in the medium term. This participation must be documented in writing in the form of a Letter of Intent. For nationwide infrastructure projects, the involvement of another natural and/or legal person in the project should be documented in writing through a Letter of Intent.
2. The funded projects must not compete with commercial offerings and thereby distort competition.
3. Environmentally sensible options should be chosen for the implementation of measures (reusable materials and equipment, minimal energy and resource consumption, sustainable events, and mobility concepts, etc.), which should ideally contribute to improving the applicant’s ecological footprint.
4. A diverse team in the execution of projects should be considered and pursued.

For regional infrastructure projects, the funding is capped at a maximum of 75% of the respective total expenses per project. The demonstrated share of own funds and third-party contributions from other public (regional or municipal) funders and private sponsors must be at least 25%. In any case, a public funding body at the state, regional, or municipal level must be involved. The funding per project is limited to 50,000 EUR per year.

For nationwide infrastructure projects, the maximum funding ratio is 75% of the respective total expenses with a demonstrated own contribution of at least 25%. The funding per project is limited to 80,000 EUR per year.

No applicant or co-applicant, including legally independent subsidiaries or affiliated companies according to § 15 of the Stock Corporation Act, should be the beneficiary of funding amounts from Initiative Musik exceeding 150,000 EUR per year.

Projects with eligible total expenses of less than 10,000 EUR generally do not receive consideration.

The funding will be disbursed to project carriers during the funding period. Initially, 90% of the approved funds will be disbursed. The remaining 10% of the funding amount will be disbursed after receiving the utilization report (see IX. Final Audit) and confirming a positive audit result (retention).

The funding application must be submitted online through the designated funding portal of Initiative Musik. Application decisions are communicated up to three times a year, and application deadlines will be announced in a timely manner through Initiative Musik’s communication channels.

The application should primarily include the following program-specific documents:

• Brief description of the applicant (mandatory)
• Business registration, trade license, commercial register entry, or entry in the association register or foundation directory
• At least one “Letter of Intent” from additional indirect partners
• Description of the funding project (mandatory):
  • Initial situation
  • Goal(s) / Idea
  • Organizational implementation
  • Perspective beyond the project
  • Timeline
  • Objectives
  • Financial expenditure

In an expenditure and financing plan submitted to Initiative Musik, the applicant must realistically and plausibly present project-related expenses, the applicant’s own contribution, any third-party contributions, and the requested funding amount. The applicant guarantees at the time of application that the declared own funds (including third-party funds) are available.

Funding decisions are made by a jury, evaluating applications solely based on the submitted documents. The jury’s decision is final, and there is no legal recourse or entitlement to funding.

Criteria for selecting projects include:

• Expected positive effects on the music scene in Germany and/or on a regional and/or state level.
• Expected positive structural policy effects for the music industry at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
• Improvement of infrastructure for music creators, music companies, and other professional players in the music industry.
• Enhancement of transparency, networking, communication, visibility, qualification, and efficiency for music creators, music companies, and other players in the music industry.
• Expected positive effects on equality of opportunities and sustainability.

Funding decisions are communicated to the applicants in writing by Initiative Musik’s office. The selection decision will not be justified.

The allocation of funding is exclusively for individual cases. It is one-time and does not establish a claim for further funding and/or an increase in the scope of funding. The funding period for the project is typically up to 12 months.

If the project work is suspended for more than six months or if more than six months elapse between approval and contract conclusion, Initiative Musik is entitled to withdraw after setting a deadline that is not met.

The infrastructure funding of Initiative Musik aims to initiate and establish sustainable structures. In the case of regional infrastructure projects, which are intended to be primarily supported by the states and municipalities in the medium and long term, funding by Initiative Musik is possible for a maximum of three consecutive times. Longer funding for nationwide infrastructure projects is examined on a case-by-case basis and depends, among other factors, on the extent to which nationwide relevance can be demonstrated.

Initiative Musik verifies whether the implemented project corresponds to its content and purpose as stated in the submitted application.

The project carriers are obligated to demonstrate the use of the granted funds within three months after the end of the funding period to Initiative Musik or, if applicable, to the partner commissioned by Initiative Musik for implementation, in accordance with the provisions of Initiative Musik’s General Funding Conditions.

Further details are regulated in Initiative Musik’s General Funding Conditions.