Det norske komponistfond

This fund pays a composer's fee for writing new music — the writing itself, not recording, production or performance costs, and not lyrics. Every genre qualifies, but the work must be unfinished when you apply and headed for a public outing, live or on streaming; micro-venues don't count. Theatre, dance and ballet scores are excluded, as are students receiving Lånekassen support and pure field recordings.

You need to be a composer living and working mainly in Norway with a public track record as one. Collaborators — commissioners, ensembles, venues, festivals, producers — can also apply on a composer's behalf, up to two applications each deadline. Where several composers share a project, each files separately for their own share of the fee.

There is no set award. You calculate the fee from the fund's published rate table, and if a partner in the project receives significant state funding they are expected to cover at least a third of the fee themselves, or half for state-funded institutions.

Applications go through the fund's own portal, which opens roughly three weeks before each deadline (2 March and 2 October, 13:00). You attach a one-page project description with a schedule, three work samples — two of them audio, mp3, five minutes maximum — a CV, and, above NOK 150,000, confirmation of a booked public performance. The board weighs your funding history, sustainability, and any undelivered work from earlier grants. Since early 2026 you must also confirm the piece is not composed by generative AI. Guidelines and the portal are in Norwegian.