A recent survey conducted by Blauw Research among grant recipients shows that 79 per cent is satisfied to very satisfied about the services of the Performing Arts Fund NL. A stakeholder survey conducted by BMC among representatives in the sector likewise reveals a predominantly positive view of the Fund. The surveys also identify areas of improvement for the Fund.
Grant applicants particularly appreciate the clear communication, easy accessibility, and the helpfulness of the Fund’s staff members. Stakeholders perceive the Fund as professional, competent and visible. They also cite the quality and commitment of the Fund staff members.
The results of both surveys show an acknowledgement of the Fund’s impact in the sector. According to the stakeholders, the Fund has a good understanding of developments in the field and remains in step with changes. Stakeholders appreciate the Fund’s efforts with respect to cultural codes and social safety.
According to the surveys, a growing number of organisations are finding their way to the Fund. Thanks in part to improvements in grant schemes and programmes, the Fund’s reach among different target groups is visibly increasing. The stakeholders specifically note how the efforts to increase the Fund’s accessibility in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is bearing fruit. However, they also point out the diminishing chance of a successful application, given the growing number of applications with an unchanging budget.
Applicants are predominantly positive about the Fund’s website. They particularly appreciate the comprehensible language and the provided information. These experiences still refer to the Fund’s previous (now renewed) website. Wishes collected in the survey, such as for a grant finder to help applicants find suitable grant schemes, have been incorporated in the new website, launched in early 2026.
Applicants and stakeholders also identify a number of points for improvement. There is a need for more clarity regarding grant conditions and criteria, and there are questions about the expertise of advisory committees. Applicants and stakeholders feel that the eligibility conditions are not always suited to individual makers and small parties.
Stakeholders would additionally like to see more attention for innovation, experimentation and regional spread in the Fund’s policy. They also have concerns about what they perceive as an increasing juridification of the grant award process. They would like to be more actively involved in the development or revision of grant schemes, and to receive feedback on how their input is incorporated. There are also calls for the Fund to play more of a steering role in developments affecting the grant system.
The improvement points that emerge from the surveys will be taken on board in the Fund’s further development. A number of issues will be addressed in the development and revision of grant schemes, such as clarifying the grant conditions and criteria, and involving the overall sector. Other attention points will be addressed as we head towards the next policy period, starting 2029, depending in part on the Minister’s instructions for the Fund.
In order to monitor its services, every two years the Fund hires an external agency to conduct an appreciation survey among applicants. All applicants of 2025 were contacted for the most recent survey (Blauw, 2026). The Fund also arranges for a stakeholder survey among a broad representation of the sector, once every three or four years. For this survey, BMC interviewed nineteen stakeholders in early 2026. These surveys were also part of the general assessment (‘visitatie’) ordered by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).
You can read the results of the appreciation survey and stakeholder survey here.