Open Call Grounding the Cloud Grant Program

Deadline: 14-Sep-2026

The Open Call Grounding the Cloud supports designers, makers, researchers, and collectives in the Kingdom of the Netherlands developing projects that explore and reduce the ecological impact of digital technology. Applicants can request up to €30,000 for projects lasting a maximum of one year, with support available for artistic development, research, collaboration, knowledge sharing, presentation, and documentation. What Is the Grounding the Cloud Open Call? Grounding the Cloud is an open funding opportunity for people working in digital culture who are addressing the environmental and social consequences of digital technologies. The call encourages applicants to make the normally invisible impacts of digital technology more tangible and understandable.

These impacts can include:

Energy consumption from digital services and data centres. Resource and raw material extraction. Environmental costs associated with digital infrastructure. Electronic waste and hardware disposal. Data storage and consumption. The ecological impact of generative artificial intelligence. Social and environmental consequences of current digital practices. The initiative encourages applicants to question existing digital systems and develop alternative, more sustainable approaches. What Types of Projects Are Supported? The programme supports projects that provide insight into the ecological footprint of digital technology and explore ways to reduce that impact. Applicants must also be registered with a Dutch Chamber of Commerce or an applicable chamber of commerce within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. What Does “Digital Culture” Mean in This Call? Digital culture broadly refers to creative, artistic, research and cultural practices that engage with digital technologies and their effects on society. For this call, digital culture can include work that investigates: The important consideration is that the project should have a meaningful relationship with digital technology and its ecological impact. Why Does Grounding the Cloud Matter? Digital technology is often perceived as intangible because many digital activities take place through screens and online systems. However, digital services depend on physical infrastructure, electricity, raw materials, hardware and complex supply chains. Grounding the Cloud encourages creators to expose and question these hidden environmental costs. The programme is particularly relevant because rapidly expanding technologies such as generative AI, cloud computing and large-scale data storage are increasing attention on the environmental footprint of digital systems. By supporting creative experimentation and research, the call aims to encourage more sustainable ways of thinking about digital culture. Intersectional and Collaborative Approaches The call encourages applicants to consider sustainability from an intersectional perspective. This means projects can explore how environmental impacts of technology intersect with broader social, cultural and economic issues. Collaboration is also encouraged, particularly where designers, makers and researchers bring different perspectives and expertise to a project. Applicants should develop a clear project concept that connects digital culture with ecological sustainability. A practical application process can be structured as follows:

Define the environmental problem: Identify the ecological impact of digital technology your project will investigate.

Develop the creative or research approach: Explain how the project will make the issue tangible or explore alternatives.

Explain the digital culture connection: Clearly demonstrate why the project belongs within the digital culture field.

Describe the development process: Outline research, experimentation, collaboration and production activities.

Set measurable objectives: Explain what the project aims to discover, create, change or communicate.

Prepare the budget: Request no more than €30,000 and ensure costs correspond to project activities.

Set the timeline: Keep the project within the maximum one-year duration.

Demonstrate eligibility: Confirm establishment within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the required Chamber of Commerce registration.

Submit the application: Provide all required information and supporting documents according to the call requirements.

What Makes a Strong Application? A strong proposal should establish a clear connection between technology, ecology and digital culture.

Applicants should explain:

What environmental problem the project addresses. Why the issue is important. What makes the proposed approach distinctive. How the project will contribute to more sustainable digital practices. Why artistic, creative or research methods are appropriate. Who will participate or benefit. How knowledge or results will be shared. What will be produced or documented. How the requested funding will enable the work. Projects should avoid presenting sustainability as a general theme without identifying a specific digital technology issue or ecological challenge. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Being too broad: Clearly identify the digital technology or practice being investigated.

Weak connection to ecology: The project’s environmental dimension should be central rather than incidental.

Ignoring digital culture: Explain the project’s relationship to digital creative or cultural practices.

Submitting a simple continuation: Existing projects need a clear opportunity for deeper exploration or reinterpretation.

Unclear budgets: Each major cost should connect directly to project activities.

Exceeding the funding limit: The maximum request is €30,000.

Ignoring the one-year limit: The proposed project must fit within the maximum duration.

Overlooking registration requirements: Applicants need appropriate Chamber of Commerce registration within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Frequently Asked Questions How much funding can be requested? Applicants