Durchstarten – Questions and Answers

Cooperation partners

• What is a cooperation partner (“Kooperationspartner“)?
• Can I cooperate with an institution or association I already working for?
• How can I find cooperation partners?
• My cooperation partner won’t be doing the project with me anymore. What can I do?

Deadlines, project duration & money

• For how long and how often can I get funding?
• How often can I apply for funding?
• When can I start with my project and when do I need to finish it?
• How much money can I get per project?
• A friend of mine and I want to carry out the project together. Can both of us get money?
• What is a beneficiary (“Zuwendungsempfänger*in“)?
• What can I use the money for?
• How much money can I earn as an expert?
• Do I need to tell you what I’ve spent the money on?
• I get social benefits such as “Hartz IV“ or BAföG. Can I still get money for my project?
• All this sounds complicated. Can you help me?
• Where does the money for Durchstarten come from?

Application

• How can I apply for funding?
• I cannot fill in the application forms by myself. What kind of support is there?
• What do you mean by “project manager” (Projektverantwortliche*r)?
• What do you mean by “co-manager” (Co-Leitung)?
• Why do I have to fill out the “project manager information” form in addition to the application?
• Can you help me write the application?
• In what language can I write the application?
• My German is not so good. Can you help me translate the application?
• In the application, you ask about my experiences as the person responsible for the project. What do you mean by that?
• I have already handed in my application but I would like to make some changes. Is that possible?
• Why can’t I fill in the application form?
• My cooperation partner might not be able to sign the application in time. Can we hand in the signature later?
• Who is an “authorized signatory” (unterschriftsberechtigte Person)?
• I will work together with several project partners. Do all of them have to sign the application form?
• What will happen to my data?

Other

• Where can I find participants for my project?
• What residence status and work permit do I need in order to be allowed to receive your funding?
• Where can I find examples of projects funded by Durchstarten?
• How can I contact you?

What is the purpose of Durchstarten and who is it for?

Public funding should be accessible to everybody. However, some people are faced with so many barriers that they can’t apply for public funding for their own projects. This applies to young people without funding experience, people with disabilities, people with migration background and refugees, people without formal training, among others.

Through a simplified application process, we want to lower the barriers within the funding system, so you can be more active in the field of Arts Education.

What is Arts Education (“Kulturelle Bildung“)?

For us, Arts Education means the engagement of children, teenagers, and young adults in the wide field of arts and culture. They use arts and culture as a means to deal with topics they find interesting and relevant. Furthermore, the young people have a say in how projects are designed.

What do you mean by “barriers”?

For us, significant barriers in the application process mean that people can’t apply for public funding in other funding programmes, because they are faced with a variety of obstacles within the system of the application process. Such obstacles can be, for example:

• Language:
  “I fled my country of birth and have been learning the German language for only a year now. How can I manage to fill in an application form of 10 pages?“
• No accessiblity:
  “I’m blind. This is why I’m using a screen reader that reads the the contents shown on the computer screen out loud. Many application forms can’t be read properly by the screen reader.”
• Bureaucracy, lack of experience, no support networks:
  “I've had good ideas for a long time and have even tried to get funding before. But I failed because of the bureaucracy—so many steps and technical terms that I don't know. How could I? I've just finished my training and have no experience with self-employment and funding stuff. And I don't have any contacts in my circle who could help me with that either."
• No formal training
  “To get funding, I need a degree in an artistic field almost everywhere—but I never gained my knowledge at university or anywhere else; I acquired it all through practical experience.”
   

Applications are submitted on the basis of self-assessment. Ask yourself: “Am I one of the persons Durchstarten was designed for? Or do I actually have the possibility to hand in anapplication for funding programmes such as funding stream 1 or 3  (‘Fördersäule 1’ and ‘Fördersäule 3’)?”

What kind of projects do you fund?

Your project has to meet the following conditions:

• Tandem principle: You, a person from the field of arts and culture, are leading the project while working with at least one project partner from the field of education or youth (e.g., school, youth club, refugee accommodation, educational association, etc.). Two individuals cannot cooperate as main partners. Therefore, you must sign the application together with an association, institution, or similar partner.
• Young people up to the age of 27 living in Berlin are participating in the project. They are actively involved in the course and the content of the project and are given space to influence the process. However, the person(s) carrying out the project can be older!
• You are doing something artistic in the project. For example: music, dance, rap, graffiti, theatre or performance. In so doing, you are dealing with topics the participants find interesting.

Can people over the age of 27 participate in my project?

Yes. However, the majority of the participants mustn’t be older than 27 years.

Can I get funding if I don’t want to work with young people?

No. But there are funding programmes that might apply to you, such as the Berlin Senate’s programme „Weltoffenes Berlin“. You can also consult Kreativ Kultur Berlin.

Do I need previous project experience in order to apply for funding?

No.

Can I get funding if I’m under the age of 18?

No. However, you can still come to our information events and submit an application as soon as you are of legal age and have legal capacity, and you can get involved in projects and participate in them, of course.

What is a cooperation partner (“Kooperationspartner“)?

A partner with whom you collaborate in the project. You yourself come from the arts and culture sector and need at least one cooperation partner from the education or youth sector through whom participants can take part in your project. This is usually an association, institution, or organization. For example: youth club, youth art school, educational association, daycare center, school, refugee accommodation, etc. A cooperation between two individuals as main partners (page 1 of the application) is not possible. In addition to your main cooperation partner, you can have other cooperation partners in your project.

There are various possible partners:

• Partners from the field of arts/culture: include individual artists (dance, music, singing, acting, or other). Or a person who has artistic skills but does not work as an artist. Cultural partners can also be institutions such as a theater, a cultural association, or an art initiative.
• Partners from the field of education: come from the fields of school education, training, or counseling. For example, a school, a daycare center, an educational association, or an educational initiative.
• Partners from the field of youth: come from the fields of youth leisure, education, and youth accommodation, such as a youth leisure facility, a youth club, a self-organized group, or an independent meeting place.

If you are unsure whether you can cooperate with a cooperation partner or not, please contact us! Please also contact us if you are more involved in education or youth work and have questions about possible partner constellations.

Please submit a letter of intent for all other organizations, associations, or institutions with which you are working alongside your main cooperation partner. Your main partner only needs to sign the application.

Can I cooperate with an institution or association I already working for?

You cannot be a member of this association or institution, neither in its board nor for other administrative tasks. Moreover, you cannot be employed there. However, cooperation is possible in case you’ve only occasionally taken on tasks for this institution or association. You cannot cooperate with the university, college, or other institution where you are currently completing your education or studies as the main partner. Your college, university, or educational institution can only be involved in the project as an additional partner.

How can I find cooperation partners?

For example, you could look for partners using Kubinaut. Or you could personally ask schools, youth clubs, or other institutions in your neighbourhood.

My cooperation partner won’t be doing the project with me anymore. What can I do?

Please inform us immediately and search for a substitute partner as soon as possible.

For how long and how often can I get funding?

Only one time for a duration of up to 12 months. Durchstarten is meant to help you get started, so that later on you can apply in our other funding programmes. There you have the possibility to get funding more than once.

How often can I apply for funding?

Once a year. You can find the deadlines on Instagram,www.durchstarten.berlin or in our newsletter.

When can I start with my project and when do I need to finish it?

Usually, you can start in spring (March) and you have to finish by the end of March of the following year. 

How much money can I get per project?

In total, 12,000 EUR maximum. You can get a maximum of 1.000 € per person and month, including material costs. 

A friend of mine and I want to carry out the project together. Can both of us get money?

Yes. The project budget (fees, material costs, and equipment costs) is up to €1,000 per person per month. However, the total cost of the project cannot exceed €12,000.

Examples:

✔ Project duration: 6 months, 2 people at €1,000/month (fees and material costs), project total: €12,000
✔ Project duration: 5 months, 1 person at €1,000/month, 2 people at €500/month (fees and material costs), project total: €10,000

Not possible:
✘Project duration: 6 months, 3 people at €1,000/month (fees and material costs), project total: €18,000

We transfer the money to the person responsible for the project, i.e., the grant recipient. 

What is a beneficiary (“Zuwendungsempfänger*in“)?

The person receiving funding from us. They are responsible for the project, manage the money, pay other people working in the project and attend our exchange meetings to report on the project. Also, they will submit a written final report once the project is finished. There can only be one beneficiary in each project.

What can I use the money for?

Only for things needed for the project, such as fees (e.g. for artists), materials or rental costs for technical equipment.
You can find a detailed list on what you can and can’t spend the money on here.

How much money can I earn as an expert?

There is no prescribed rule for this. However, we recommend you to calculate 40 EUR per hour as a rough guideline for artistic and pedagogical work. When estimating your working hours, please take into account the time you will need for preparation and follow-up work.

Do I need to tell you what I’ve spent the money on?

Yes. You will have to hand in a report of about 2 pages, in which you are also listing all your expenses („Verwendungsnachweis“ or “Abrechnung“). You don’t have to submit all your fee contracts, bills and receipts. However, please keep them in case we have an inquiry and need to see them.

I get social benefits such as “Hartz IV“ or BAföG. Can I still get money for my project?

Yes. But you need to inform the office (“Amt”) responsible for your social benefits about the fee you will receive in the project. They might consider your fee when calculating your social benefits.

All this sounds complicated. Can you help me?

In case you get funding from us, you will take part in altogether 4 coachings in which we will explain how everything works.

Where does the money for Durchstarten come from?

Durchstarten is a project of the Berliner Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung. This fund is a funding programme of the city of Berlin organized by Stiftung für Kulturelle Weiterbildung und Kulturberatung. The project fund receives about 3 million EUR per year in order to support artistic projects with young people.

How can I apply for funding?

1. Download the application here: Application
2. Download the “project manager information” (Infos zur Projektleitung) form here: project manager information. This form must be completed by yourself and any other individuals with whom you are co-managing the project, if applicable. The application is not valid without this form!
3. Fill out the application and project management information digitally and save them. If you have any problems filling out the forms, please open them with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it at get.adobe.com/reader/.
4. Send us the following documents digitally and by mail by the application deadline:

Digitally to info@remove-this.durchstarten.berlin:

• Application
• “Project manager information” form for you and, if applicable, other people with whom you are co-managing the project
• Letters of intent for all other project partners (groups, associations, or institutions) involved in the project alongside your main cooperation partner

Please do not send us scans; send us the digitally completed documents instead. We do not require signatures for the digital submission.

By mail:
- Original application signed in blue by you and your main cooperation partner
- Original “project manager information” form signed in blue for you and, if applicable, other persons with whom you are co-managing the project
- Original or digitally signed letters of intent for all other project partners (groups, associations, or institutions) involved in the project alongside your main cooperation partner

To:
Berliner Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung
c/o Stiftung für Kulturelle Weiterbildung und Kulturberatung
Spandauer Damm 19
14059 Berlin

The application must be sent by mail by the deadline. The application is only valid if the postmark shows a date no later than the deadline date. Personal delivery is not possible. For letters sent by registered mail, please select the “Einschreiben Einwurf” option!

I cannot fill in the application forms by myself. What kind of support is there?

If you have a disability or illness and encounter technical barriers in the application, please contact us at info@durchstarten.berlin or 030 3030444-57.

Support from the ACCESS program

ACCESS is a program for accessibility in cultural funding. The program supports people with disabilities or chronic illnesses who encounter barriers submitting funding applications. ACCESS also supports Deaf and neurodivergent people. Costs incurred during the application process, such as DE-DGS interpreting, assistance services, or technical aids, can be covered by ACCESS. Further information is available here.

What do you mean by project manager (Projektverantwortliche*r)?

A person who carries out the project and is the main contact person for the project. Even if you are managing the project together with other people (co-management), one person must sign the application together with the cooperation partner. This person is also the grant recipient. This means that they receive the money every month and manage it. They write a report when the project is completed.
Project managers are people from the field of arts and culture. They can also be people who have experience in artistic work with young people or want to gain such experience. You do not necessarily need to be professionally trained in the field. In the application, you can describe what experience and knowledge qualify you as a project manager.

What do you mean by co-manager? (Co-Leitung)

As a rule, you as the project manager will manage the Durchstarten project on your own. However, you can also manage/lead it together with one or more other people. All persons who manage/lead the project together with you must fill out the “project manager information” form, just as you do. All persons managing/leading the project must belong to the target group of the Durchstarten funding program. This means that they must also be affected by barriers in other funding programs.
The contact person from the institution, association, or organization with which you are cooperating is not considered a co-manager. People whom you involve in the project only temporarily, e.g., for a workshop, are also not considered co-leaders. 

Why do I have to fill out the “project manager information” form in addition to the application?

You want to apply for our accessible funding program. What makes “Durchstarten” special is that it creates access to funding for people who have little chance in other funding programs and have therefore never managed their own funded project in Germany. This is due to barriers in the application process and project implementation. 
In order for us to assess whether you are one of the people for whom “Durchstarten” was developed, we need some information about you. Of course, you and your background are more than just checkboxes—but the questions in this form serve as important guidance for us. 
If you do not belong to the target group of “Durchstarten,” your project cannot be funded through “Durchstarten,” even if it is a good project. In that case, our Fördersäule 1 (funding pillar 1) is more suitable for you. We recommend that you use this form for self-reflection: Do I belong to the target group? Do I have the resources and networks to apply for funding elsewhere, perhaps with support? Or is “Durchstarten” exactly the right program for me?
If you are working with other individuals: The form must be completed by all persons who are co-managing the project with you. The contact person of your cooperation partner is not a co-manager and therefore does not need to complete the form.

Can you help me write the application?

No. If you have general questions regarding the application don’t hesitate to ask us. However, we can’t fill in the form with you. If you need advice for the concept of your project, we invite you to make a personal appointment with us.

In what language can I write the application?

German. But don’t be afraid of making mistakes! What is most important is that you describe what you want to do.

My German is not so good. Can you help me translate the application?

No. But maybe you could ask your cooperation partner for help or use a translation tool.

In the application, you ask about my experiences as the person responsible for the project. What do you mean by that?

Please describe here what distinguishes you as the creator of the project. For example, you can describe what experiences you’ve already gained in Arts Education, arts or culture. Maybe you’ve already participated in some projects yourself? Maybe you’ve already dealt with the participants of your project in the past or you have a lot in common, and that’s why you know what topics they're enthusiastic about? What experiences have you already gained in the artistic field or in working with young people?

I have already handed in my application but I would like to make some changes. Is that possible?

No. But of course you can inform us about additional information regarding your project per e-mail or telephone.

Why can’t I fill in the application form?

There are some pdf readers that can’t read the form properly. Please download Adobe Acrobat Reader (freeware) to fill in the form.

My cooperation partner might not be able to sign the application in time. Can we hand in the signature later?

No.

Who is an “authorized signatory” (unterschriftsberechtigte Person)?

The application is only valid if the application bears the original, legally binding signatures of persons authorized to sign or persons with the appropriate power of attorney. Persons authorized to sign include, for example, school administrators in schools, the chairperson or management (in accordance with the articles of association) in associations, or the management in limited liability companies (GmbHs). 

I will work together with several project partners. Do all of them have to sign the application form?

Only one cooperation partner can sign the form, along with the person responsible for the project. For each additional institution, association or organization involved in the project, a signed Letter of Intent (“Absichtserklärung”) has to be submitted along with the application. In this letter, the partner declares their interest in participating in the project.

People with whom you are co-managing/co-leading the project must fill out the form “project manager information.” They do not need to sign a letter of intent.

What will happen to my data?

Please see our privacy statement here: Datenschutz Antrag (in German).