Musikfonds — Outer Ear (Participatory Contemporary Music)

Outer Ear funds participatory projects that put the making of music in front of an audience rather than the finished piece. The programme wants the experimental, the unfinished, the detours and the doubts to be audible: musical interventions in public space, workshop and meeting formats, inclusive projects, collaborations with civil-society or non-profit initiatives. The people it hopes to reach are those who have had little contact with experimental music. Pure mediation or outreach formats that do not lead to presenting a work created within the project are excluded.

It is open to professional musicians, composers, bands, ensembles of any size and institutions working in contemporary music, with a registered office or residence in Germany. Non-academically trained musicians from the DIY scene are explicitly welcome; students cannot apply, and purely amateur projects are out, though amateurs can take part in a project. International collaboration is encouraged, but the work itself must be carried out in Germany.

Grants run from €25,000 to a maximum of €50,000, awarded as a non-repayable fixed sum for a project lasting up to two years. You must cover at least 10% of total expenditure yourself, which can include other public funding, sponsorship, donations, ticket income or participation fees. Eligible costs include artistic fees at a minimum of €300 per concert, production and event costs, room and equipment hire, travel at federal rates, KSK and GEMA contributions, planning, PR and documentation.

The second round runs 1–30 October 2026, closing 6pm CET, for projects starting from January 2027. Applications are online and need a two-page artistic concept, a plan for meeting the sustainability aims, short biographies, current music samples, and a cost and financing plan. A five-person independent expert committee decides. Nothing may be contracted or begun before the grant agreement is signed.