The most important key points
Topic / section
Region
Entry / entry deadline
all year round
Funding type
Financial support (usually between CHF 2'000 and CHF 25'000)
Financial support for the dissemination of cultural works
The creative phases of ideation and production are followed by the diffusion phase. This is where artistic works and the public come together.
Perceptions and experiences of culture and media are changing: social developments such as digitalisation, the climate movement and participation and inclusion efforts are transforming the way in which culture and people can be brought together. A sustainable cultural life needs concepts that address this change, demonstrating or testing new approaches to the presentation, perception and understanding of culture.
The Migros Culture Percentage of the Migros Cooperative prioritises innovative diffusion concepts and pilot projects in its funding programme. Priority is also given to artistic endeavours that depart from traditional sector-based thinking and focus on the exchange between artists and audiences instead.
Requirements
- The funding programme is open to creative artists and organisations that support and disseminate culture in the fields ofvisual arts, comics, film, jazz, classical music, cabaret, literature, pop, digital culture, dance and theatre.
- Both Swiss nationals and foreign nationals living in Switzerland can apply for funding for their projects.
- Applicants may be based abroad but must be actively involved in shaping cultural life in Switzerland.
- Each applicant or institution may only apply for support once per year and per funding body (except production companies).
- Diffusion projects must be carried out in Switzerland and serve the supra-regional dissemination of Swiss cultural creation.
a) As locally anchored formats (festivals, platforms), they must demonstrate supra-regional media attention and audience resonance, and at least one third of their team must consist of cultural professionals from Switzerland.
b) As individual formats, they must take place at venues in at least at least 3 cantons (in Ticino: 3 venues).
- The project realisation phase must start no earlier than 4 months after the application and take place within a precisely defined and limited period of time.
- Projects need to demonstrate a need for financing that cannot be covered by the public sector and/or include activities that are not part of a performance agreement.
- The application relates exclusively to the diffusion phase and includes a budget that also relates exclusively to the diffusion phase.
What we support
When assessing applications, we pay attention to the following points:
The project
- needs to be professionally implemented
- is contemporary
- is unique in Swiss cultural life
- is innovative, i.e., actually perceived as new by recipients
- is guided by clear questions and interests
- is targeted (i.e., stands out from the crowd in terms of content and quality)
- is relevant to an extended circle of recipients
- is of supra-regional importance (or a regional pilot project with corresponding potential)
- is oriented towards the overarching social values of diversity, inclusion, participation and accessibility
- has the potential to secure funding from at least one otherprovider
- Production costs, projects in the production phase
- Infrastructure and operating costs
- Projects with a regional character (except pilot projects)
- Institutions abroad
- Performances abroad
- Sector-specific projects in the fields of photography, design and architecture (without participation in other disciplines)
- Non-contemporary styles of all disciplines (except classical music)
- Completed projects
- Deficit guarantees
- Translations
- Lay culture
- Commercial projects
- Commissioned work
- Charity events
- Private and charity events
- Fundraising measures
- Purchase of musical instruments or museum exhibits
- Installation of art on buildings
- Projects of schools, technical colleges or universities
- Projects that arise as bachelor's, master's or diploma theses
- Projects in the context of scientific research
- Didactic projects
- Requests for scholarships
- Monographic projects, in particular monographic publications
- Services to be provided under subsidy contracts
Deadlines and decisions
Applications may be submitted at any time.
After the formal review, a committee of experts will decide whether or not to award a grant.
The written response to the application will be sent no later than 3 months after receipt of the application.
Funding type
This support consists of financial contributions (usually CHF 2'000 to CHF 25'000).
Important links
Contact
E-Mail: foerderbeitraege@mgb.ch
Phone: +41 58 570 41 90 (Tuesdays between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m.)
FAQ – Questions and answers
Visual arts, comics, digital culture, film, jazz, classical music, cabaret, literature, pop, dance, theatre and interdisciplinary projects. All other disciplines (e.g. photography) can only be supported in conjunction with one of our sponsored disciplines (as part of a cross-disciplinary project). Priority is given to innovative projects and projects of a pilot nature that take artistic risks and venture new approaches to working methods.
Funding for the production phase can be applied for regionally at the respective Migros Cooperatives.
The Migros Culture Percentage of the Migros Cooperative Federation cannot guarantee funding over multiple years. Applications can be submitted annually for recurring projects such as festivals; they are re-evaluated annually/each time in line with our diffusion promotion programme.
To be considered for national funding, the project must either have a national presence with venues in at least 3 cantons (in Ticino: 3 venues) or, as a locally anchored format, have a national media presence and audience response. Another requirement is that at least one third of the participants must be cultural professionals from Switzerland. Pilot projects do not necessarily have to meet these requirements.
The project implementation may start no earlier than 4 months after the application has been submitted. Applications may be submitted at any time.
Once submitted, applications are considered finalised. Please do not send any additions.
In the areas of ideation and diffusion, the decision will be communicated after 3 months at the latest. We will let you know by email if your project has been accepted or denied.
Yes, applications can be submitted simultaneously to the Migros Cooperative Federation and to a regional cooperative. Applicants must submit their application independently; no exchange of applications takes place between organisations. The Federation of Migros Cooperatives and the regional cooperatives decide and communicate independently of each other.
No. Once an application has been rejected, it will not be reviewed a second time.
The application form should only include the budget for the diffusion phase of the project. In addition, the total budget can be attached as an appendix.
The Migros Culture Percentage seeks to support its applicants’ projects with substantial funds. It does not set a minimum or maximum amount. ‘Substantial’ means that the amount granted is essential for designing and realising the project as planned. In the area of diffusion, our award relates exclusively to the budget for this phase (not to the total budget of a project).
Yes
No. Foreign nationals living in Switzerland can also apply for funding for their project. The projects submitted must actively shape cultural life in Switzerland and be implemented here.
Festivals can apply for funding to cover individual parts of their programme or the entire event as part of the Migros Cooperative's diffusion funding programme, provided that they can clearly demonstrate their supra-regional appeal. Our diffusion funding programme does not provide for a guaranteed multi-year period. For festivals, as with other categories, innovative diffusion concepts are prioritised for funding.
Yes, tours are included in the Migros Cooperative Federation's diffusion funding programme. A tour can be subsidised if it has a supra-regional impact, i.e. if it includes performances in at least 3 cantons (in Ticino at at least 3 venues). Parts of the tour may take place abroad, but only performances in Switzerland are financed.
Yes, the final report is mandatory. Our acceptance letter should be kept safe, as it contains the evaluation date. Approximately 3 weeks before this date, you will receive an email asking you to complete the evaluation report in the application portal. Please do not send your final report by post or email.