RKP - Regional Culture Programme NRW

• Strengthening the region’s appeal and identity, both internally and externally
• Promoting culture at the highest level and across the board
• Ensuring cultural participation
• Enhancing the external perception of art and culture in the regions
• Developing and strengthening models of cooperation with other sectors (e.g. youth work, business, urban development or tourism)

Whether it’s dance, theatre, music, literature or any other art form: the RKP supports projects across all artistic disciplines. Interdisciplinary projects are also eligible. It is important that your project is collaborative (see eligibility criteria).

Through the RKP, you will receive funding of up to 50 per cent of the total costs.

For your project to be eligible for funding from the RKP, it must meet the following criteria:

• at least three partner organisations from at least two local authorities
• contemporary marketing measures
• a regional focus, including in relation to the key themes of the respective region (see Regional Cultural Profile for the RKP in the Münsterland)
• Appropriate artistic or cultural quality
• Promotion of cultural participation

These requirements apply throughout the state. Funding is generally provided for projects lasting one year or up to three years.

The selection of projects recommended for funding is carried out by regional expert panels. The criteria on which the expert panels base their decisions are, in particular:

• the scope and quality of the collaborations/network
• the artistic and cultural quality of the project
• The extent of cultural participation
• Degree of regional relevance / cross-border relevance (in the cultural regions of Aachen, the Lower Rhine and the Münsterland)

If a project has previously received funding from RKP on more than three consecutive occasions, the expert jury will, from the fourth funding application onwards for that project, also assess the following criteria:

• Structural impact (e.g. impact on regional collaborations in at least one cultural sector)
• Contemporary development of the project
• The project includes measures to ensure accessible cultural participation for artists and cultural audiences with physical, sensory, cognitive or mental disabilities

Essentially anyone: local authorities, districts and private applicants (associations, private organisations, companies, charitable organisations and individuals) can submit applications to the RKP. The eligibility criteria differ for local authority and non-local authority applicants in terms of the level of own contribution and the minimum grant amount.

From the 2022 funding year onwards, you can apply for ‘supplementary funding for accessibility measures’ for your RKP project, up to 5,000 euros per project. If your application is successful, these funds will be granted in addition to the RKP project funding. You can find further information on accessibility measures in the guidance document and the glossary. You can download the application form here.

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia wishes to ensure fair pay for artists. To this end, Section 16(3) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Cultural Code stipulates that minimum fee thresholds must be observed for all state funding from 2026 onwards. The state’s fee matrix is used to determine the relevant minimum fee.