FAQ

The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation supports projects focused on New Music. Areas of support include:
– Festivals
– Concerts with premieres and revivals
– Sound art/installations
– Composition commissions
– Symposia
– Publication of musicological writings
– Academies
– Educational programms
– Projects for children and young people

Here you can find an overview of our currently funded projects.

The Foundation exclusively supports projects related to New Music.
We do not support:
– Marketable music productions / recordings / CDs
– Internal university projects
– Dissertation projects

No, the Foundation does not offer scholarships.

No, it is not possible to apply for a Composer Prize.

The Foundation supports projects worldwide.

No, the Foundation does not provide general institutional grants. We only support specific projects.

Within project funding, the Foundation supports educational projects and children’s and youth projects that specifically focus on contemporary music. Funding for youth projects supports projects that may not exclusively focus on contemporary music. More information on funding for youth projects

Each institution can only submit one project funding application per deadline. However, it is possible to simultaneously apply for the Ensemble Prize or youth project funding.

Each institution can be supported with one project per calendar year. A maximum of three projects can be supported within three consecutive years or periods (e.g. biennials). After that, there must be a break of at least one year before additional support can be considered.

No, an application for funding that has already been rejected cannot be resubmitted.

Applications can only be submitted by the organizing institution or an ensemble involved in the project. Individuals cannot submit an application.
Self-funding applications are not permitted, i.e., applicants cannot request funding for themselves personally.

Applications can be submitted in either German or English.

Applications can only be submitted online via the Foundation’s application portal.

Applications can be submitted through March 1 and October 1.

For the March 1 deadline, applications can be submitted for projects starting no earlier than July 1 of the same year.
For the October 1 deadline, applications can be submitted for projects starting no earlier than January 1 of the following year.

Applications for long-term projects may be submitted well in advance.
For example, if a composition commission is planned, the application can be submitted before the commission is officially granted. However, please ensure that at least the premiere concert is part of the application, as the Foundation can only support projects that have a concrete implementation plan.

To submit an application, key project details—such as the participating ensembles and musicians, concert programs, venues and dates—should be confirmed, depending on the type of project. A detailed cost and financing plan must also be included.
Details can of course be adjusted during the application process.

No, the Foundation does not allocate separate budgets to different funding categories. The distribution of the overall funding budget across various areas is determined during the selection meeting.

Along with the fully completed application form, please submit:
-A cost and financing plan
-A project dossier (optional)
-Depending on the project, additional materials related to participating composers

The project dossier allows you to share further relevant information that could not be included in the application form. It can be up to eight pages long.
Depending on the project type, it should include:
-Concerts/Festivals: Program ideas and concepts, complete concert programs, short bios of participating artists and ensembles
-Composition commissions: Information on instrumentation and work duration, full concert program, short bios
-Symposia: Participant information, conference program, possibly abstracts of presentations
-Publications: Short bios of authors, table of contents, possibly excerpts
-Academies: Details on the call for applications and selection process, short bios of instructors, educational concept, repertoire
-Educational / children’s and youth projects: Short bios of those involved, educational concept

If your project involves younger or lesser-known composers, the Board of Trustees requires representative scores and recordings. If the composers are not familiar to the entire Board of Trustees, your application may be declined due to insufficient material.
Please provide adequate and meaningful documentation. If you are unsure whether you should submit composer materials, feel free to clarify this with us before submitting your application.

Scores and recordings should be submitted via a cloud service of choice.
Insert the link in the application form. The files should be clearly labeled and accessible until the review meeting of the Board of Trustees (in May and December). Please do not use file transfer services with limited availability or download-only links.

No, links to websites do not count as composer materials. However, you may include them in the short bios in the project dossier as supplementary information.

Yes, you may include additional documents such as Letters of Intent from composers/ensembles/festivals, venue confirmations, etc.
Please ensure all files are well organized and clearly labeled.

The cost and financing plan is a central document of the application. Please submit the plan in tabular form. It should include all expenses and income related to the project.

A complete plan for the entire project is required.
Even if you are only requesting support for a composer commission, please submit a cost and financing plan that at least includes the premiere concert.

This depends on your project, but possible items include:
-Personnel fees / artist fees
-Travel and transportation costs
-Event and production expenses
-Marketing and public relations
-Outreach and education
-Other material costs
Please list fees individually, not grouped.

Provide all revenue sources, including:
-Grants from other institutions and foundations
-Your own contributions
-The requested grant amount
Please indicate which funds have already been approved and which are still pending.

The amount depends on the total project volume and support from other funders.
Ideally, at least one additional institution/foundation should contribute a similar amount to what is requested from the Foundation.
As a general guideline, the requested grant should not exceed one-third of the total project costs.
Grants over €50,000 are only awarded in rare exceptional cases.

The Foundation primarily supports artistic costs, such as artist fees. Other expenses may also be funded, but should make up only a small portion of the requested amount. Please note that the applicant cannot apply for support for themselves. No funding can be granted for members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Yes, and this is expected. The Foundation can only contribute if other funders are involved at a similar level.

The cost and financing plan should be in tabular format, easily readable and printable in A4 format.

Yes, please report any updates via the application portal, such as:
-Revised timelines
-Changes in ensemble lineup
-Funding confirmations or withdrawals
-Adjustments to the cost and financing plan

An international Board of Trustees reviews and decides on all submitted applications.

Meetings of the Board of Trustees usually take place in May and December.
You will be notified a few weeks later via email through the application portal.
No advance notice by phone is possible.

Before the contract is issued, you will be asked to confirm all information provided in the application so that your contract is based on the current status of your project. We additionally require a project photo, which you can submit via cloud in the application portal, as well as any confirmations from involved composers.

Key points of the funding agreement can be found here.

The grant is paid out in two tranches. 80% of the funding amount is usually paid out by the end of June, the remaining 20% after submission of the final project report.

Yes, the Foundation requires confirmation within 10 days of receipt. For projects funded up to the end of 2024, please confirm by emailing this form to application@evs-musikstiftung.ch.
For projects funded from 2025 onwards, confirm via the application portal.

Yes, please submit changes for approval.
For projects funded up to 2024, via email: antrag@evs-musikstiftung.ch.
For projects funded from 2025 onwards, via the application portal.

Please credit the Foundation in all project-related materials (e.g., website, brochures, programs, posters, flyers). Specific details will be included in your funding agreement. You can find the logo under Downloads.

Yes. All materials using the Foundation’s name or logo must be submitted for approval in advance:
For projects funded up to 2024, email: netz@evs-musikstiftung.ch
For projects funded from 2025, via the application portal.
Please allow at least two working days between submission and approval.

Yes, a final project report must be submitted within three months of project completion. A checklist for form and content can be found here.

The final 20% will be transferred within 30 days after the final report has been submitted.