Are you working on an innovative and experimental project in architecture, design or crafts? If so, your project may be considered for funding from Danmarks Nationalbank’s Anniversary Foundation.
In the assessment of applications, priority is given to good craftsmanship, high quality in expression and design, innovative and experimental projects – and to ensuring that with its funding the Anniversary Foundation makes a difference for the individual project. Funding is awarded to practising craftsmen, designers or architects.
The Foundation receives 4-500 applications and awards approximately kr. 3 million in grants each year. The Foundation awards about 100 grants of kr. 15,000-50,000 each.
The Foundation also makes kr. 100,000 awards in appreciation of the recipient’s dedication and an honorary award of kr. 500,000 kr. These are non-application awards.
The Anniversary Foundation was established in 1968 to mark Danmarks Nationalbank’s 150th anniversary. The reason for establishing the Foundation was a wish to support Danish crafts and the work with beautiful packaging and design of Danish products.
Can your project be considered for funding?
The Foundation mainly provides funding for the development and design of new products in the areas of design, crafts and architecture. Funding is also provided for the development of prototypes and product development.
Design, crafts and architecture exhibitions, fairs etc. in Denmark and abroad may also be considered for funding, and work and travel grants are awarded for artistic merit in architecture, design and crafts.
Funding for books and catalogues, movies and live pictures to promote the popularity of Danish design, crafts and architecture is provided only in very exceptional cases and only if the topic has not already been covered.
The Foundation uses a number of principles to prioritise funding
- Crafts over arts
- Practice over theory
- Specific new works over operating funding
- Performing and creative processes over documentation in the form of books and the like
- Craftsmen, designers and architects over institutions, galleries etc.
- Both new and established craftsmen are eligible to apply for funding.
- Specific works in Denmark and abroad
- Elements that make a significant difference in the creation of a new work
The Foundation does not provide funding for students or study-related projects; nor is funding provided for activities taking place before the board meetings.
Although your project may be within the scope of the Anniversary Foundation’s funding areas, there is no guarantee that you will be awarded funding. The number of applications we receive far outnumbers the funds available. No reasons are given for rejections of applications.
Please note that it is only possible to apply if you have a Danish civil registration number (CPR no.) or a Danish company registration number (CVR no.).
How to apply
Your application must meet the following formal requirements regardless of whether you are applying as an individual, company or group. The application will not be processed by the Committee of Directors if the formal requirements are not met.
The formal requirements are:
- A description of the objective, meaning of and motivation for the project and the reason why the Anniversary Foundation should provide funding for the project.
Maximum one standard page with 2,400 characters. - CV for the applicant and any other project participants.
Maximum one standard page with 2,400 characters. - Project budget of maximum one standard page with 2,400 characters.
- 1-4 pages of sketches of your project with a maximum of four images per page. Please note that these should be your own sketches and not mood boards.
For images, please provide information about materials, dimensions and year.
If you apply for a work, sketches must be included. - 1-4 pages of previous work with a maximum of four images per page. For images, please provide information about materials, dimensions and year.
Please note that you can submit a maximum of 10 pages.
If the project has multiple project participants, the Foundation requests a joint application. Grants are paid to your NemKonto (normal bank account that you assign as your NemKonto)
The Anniversary Foundation only accepts applications submitted through our application portal. Find a link to the portal below. You need to start by creating a profile. The next steps are to create your application and save it as a draft until you are ready to submit it. If you want to submit an application at some later stage, all you have to do is log into the existing profile to create a new application.
You need to select the category in which you apply for funding. Then complete the application form and attach your documents in pdf format. Please consider gathering your documents in one PDF file and uploading it under 'Application' and not anywhere else. It is the only place where uploading documents is mandatory. This helps ensure that you don't exceed 10 pages in total.
All applications with more than 10 pages attached will be rejected.
The Anniversary Foundation Board
The Anniversary Foundation Board has seven members. Governor Christian Kettel Thomsen is Chairman of the Board, and Anne Hedensted Steffensen, Managing Director, is Deputy Chairman. The other members are:
- Clothing designer Bettina Milling Bakdal
- Architect Christina Capetillo
- Ceramic artist Morten Løbner Espersen
- Designer Ditte Hammerstrøm
- Architect Dorte Mandrup.
The Anniversary Foundation Honorary Award
The Anniversary Foundation grants an annual honorary award of kr. 500,000 to a practising Danish architect, designer or craftsman. Clothing designer Nicholas Nybro received the honorary award in 2024.
Nicholas Nybro graduated from the Kolding School of Design in 2009. He has taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design and the Scandinavian Design School as well as at various colleges.
Over the years, Nicholas Nybro has designed costumes for theatre productions and films, has been set designer and costume designer for several productions, and has also designed his own collections.
Nicholas Nybro has received numerous grants and awards. These include H&M's special award, and most recently the Art Prize at the Danish Rainbow Awards for his exhibition ‘STOLT’, which featured 21 modern folk costumes. He also received accolades for his graduation collection from the Kolding School of Design and at the Italian fashion competition Mittelmoda.
Reasons given by the Board
Nicholas works with and on the human body at scales we rarely see unfolded to such an exuberant and imaginative extent as in his world.
Nicholas holds nothing back, but embraces a wide range of cultures and ideologies in his ‘expressive’ universe. Nicholas isn't afraid to be loud and out there, but never at the expense of his craft and approach to his profession.
He shares his work with great passion and humour. Especially on the theatre stage, where his work has been invaluable and helpful to the storytelling. Our specific focus on his major solo exhibition ‘STOLT’ at Designmuseum Danmark gave us an insight into Nicholas and his work with his fabulous interpretations of folk costume.
These are the reasons why Nicholas Nybro has been given Danmarks Nationalbank's Anniversary Foundation's Honorary Award 2024.
The honorary award will be presented at a reception for invited guests in early 2025.
Previous awardees of the Anniversary Foundation Honorary Award
You may download the photos of the Anniversary Foundation’s Honorary Award exhibitions next to each artist. The photos are in jpg format. If you wish to use the photos, you must explicitly credit Danmarks Nationalbank as the source, and the photos may not be altered or manipulated in any way.