Grounds for exclusion

Applications that are not eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:

  • initiatives that do not match the objectives, pillars and core values* as defined by Democracy and Media Foundation;
  • initiatives that fall outside Democracy and Media Foundation’s geographical scope;
  • initiatives that primarily have political/party political or religious objectives;
  • government initiatives and initiatives of government-affiliated implementing bodies;
  • stand-alone debates, lectures and other types of events that are not embedded in a broader strategy;
  • developing, maintaining or improving websites or applications if that does not substantially improve their impact;
  • normal business expenses associated with a project, for example production or other costs of a publisher when publishing a book;
  • applications whose sole purpose is to purchase materials or inventory;
  • initiatives that have only a commercial objective;
  • initiatives whose costs are disproportionately high relative to the gains;
  • initiatives of organisations that have equity that should enable the applicant to find alternative funding for the project costs;
  • investments in real estate;
  • initiatives relating to WWII commemoration that do not have a clear link to the present, unless they are related directly to the history of Dutch national newspaper Het Parool.
  • Projects and organisations with clear added value in the Netherlands are prioritised. Within the Netherlands, projects with an international and/or national relevance are prioritised, as are local projects that are part of a broader change strategy. Projects outside the Netherlands are supported only very rarely and projects outside the Council of Europe are not supported at all.

* individual freedom, justice, equality, pluriformity, vigor, openness, integrity, a constructive-critical outlook, international perspective, diversity and inclusivity.