Eligibility
Do you award grants to individuals?
No, our grants are not intended for individuals. We only fund projects run by non-profit organisations operating for public benefit.
Is it possible for a representative from a commercial company to apply?
No, we award grants only to non-profit organisations. We have funded joint projects involving collaborations with or contributions from a limited company, but the project managing organisation must be from the non-profit sector.
Is it possible to combine funding from Signatur with financing from other sources?
Yes. Signatur supports both projects with multiple funders and projects where we are the sole funder, but our grant making criteria stipulates that a project should preferably be co-financed.
Projects based on multiple sources of funding must supply a detailed budget specifying the contribution of each funder.
For what time duration do projects in your programme run?
Most of our projects run for 1-2 years and we normally do not fund projects extending more than 3 years. We do welcome long-term relationships, but multi-year projects must submit a brief renewal application for each new project year, since Signatur does not sign donation agreements for more than one year at a time. The intention is, however, to extend the support for approved projects throughout the entire project period. Our aim is to support projects that have sustainability beyond Signatur’s involvement.
Our team is international, may I submit the application in English?
Yes, the Signatur board operates in both English and Swedish and you may choose to submit the application in either language. To access the English language version of the application system, please click here.
Do you fund projects that include partner organisations outside of Sweden?
Our funds are for the benefit of music in Sweden and other Nordic countries. We therefore welcome projects involving partners in the Nordic countries, but we do not award grants to organisations outside of these countries.
Are there any specific kinds of projects that you particularly welcome?
Yes, Signatur only supports projects that fulfil one or more of our grant making criteria.
We therefore particularly welcome project proposals that, within Sweden or the Nordic countries:
– provide broad access to qualitative music education;
– improve public access to high-quality music;
-broaden the base for music life;
– create better conditions for cultural integration through music;
– promote music-related performing arts, such as dance, ballet or theatre.
Read Signatur’s grant making criteria in full here.
Can a newly established organisation apply for a grant from Signatur?
In the second stage of the application process, applicants are usually asked to supply the organisation’s latest annual report. Newly established organisations are eligible to apply, but when a project proposal from a completely new entity proceeds to the second stage of the process, a careful due diligence check of the organisation’s steering documents, and the background of the project manager/team is undertaken to evaluate the organisation’s ability to implement the project.
Your website states that the applicant must fulfil Signatur’s accounting requirements . What does that mean?
Signatur only awards grants to organisations that can meet our specific requirements regarding financial reporting. Most projects submit two reports per project year, and in the report covering the full project year, the financial accounts must be verified by a qualified accountant/controller. Please read more about reporting under Reporting and Implementation.
Do we need to have any specific policies or guidelines in place to be eligible?
This is not a requirement for submitting an application. However, if your proposal proceeds to the second stage of the application process and your proposed project activities will involve the processing of personal data and/or contact with children or other vulnerable groups, Signatur will ask you to create written guidelines for data protection and/or safeguarding in the project/organisation. Please read more about this under Application Process.
Application Process
Where do I find the application form?
Click here to access our application system.
Can you provide an overview of the application process?
First, you complete our online application form, which includes a project outline. The board evaluates the proposals after the final submission date, and we aim to inform applicants of the board’s decision within two months of the submission deadline.
If your concept note application is rejected, you will be notified of this in the application system.
If your project is invited to the second round for assessment, Signatur will ask you to supplement your initial application with a more detailed project plan and a full budget. If Signatur is unable to grant support at the level you have applied for, you will be asked to revise your budget. We will also request additional information about your organisation, such as steering documents and your latest annual report.
If you do not already have relevant guidelines in place for data protection and safeguarding of vulnerable groups, you will need to create such policy documents if this is deemed relevant to the project. At this point, we will also ask you to prepare a short project presentation suitable for publication on Signatur’s website if the application is granted.
I have read the information on the website but I am unsure if our project proposal falls within the scope of Signatur’s funding criteria; may I contact you?
Yes, you will find contact details under Contact Us, and Signatur’s Programme Manager is happy to discuss project ideas with potential applicants. However, in the last few weeks before the submission deadline, we may not be able to deal with all enquiries, so if you wish to make direct contact, please make sure to get in touch well in advance of the final submission date.
When should we submit our application?
New applications are accepted and reviewed by the board once a year. When our application system has an open call, you may submit your proposal at any time, but it will not be evaluated until after the deadline stated in the system. In order to support you appropriately in case of technical problems, we advise you to submit your application during office hours (Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM), well in advance of the final submission deadline.
When does the application system open?
The 2024 call for applications will open on Monday 29 April 2024. Once you have registered an account, you can always log in to the system, but the application form is only available when we accept new applications. The opening of the call may change from year to year.
When does the application system close?
The deadline for submitting a proposal to the 2024 call for applications is Friday 6 September at 3pm. Applications that have not been registered before the deadline will not be processed.
Is it possible to apply for funding for a project that has already started?
No, the autumn deadline is for projects starting in March the following year at the earliest. The only exception is if a representative of Signatur invites an organisation already in receipt of support from Signatur to apply for supplementary funding.
Can I submit more than one application?
No, we will only consider one application at a time from one organisation.
I have problems with the digital application form. May I submit our application as a Word or PDF document by email instead?
No, but please email us if you experience technical problems. We will do our very best to help you solve the issue.
Do I have to complete the application form in one sitting?
No, once you are registered in our system, you will be able to log in and out of your account and complete the application in your own time.
What browser should I use when completing the application form?
Our system is compatible with all common browsers but make sure to update your browser to the latest version to avoid technical issues.
How much can we apply for?
Most of the applications approved for funding by Signatur in the last few years received grants ranging between SEK250,000-SEK700,000. However, our projects vary greatly in terms of size, scope and duration and the funds available for new projects vary from year to year.
Do I have to supply a budget with our application?
In the initial stage of the application we do not accept attachments, but the application form has a page where you will be asked to enter preliminary budget figures to provide us with an overview. If your project is invited for further assessment in the next step of the application process, the board will ask you to supplement the proposal with a full detailed budget.
How will I know that our application has been submitted?
After you have submitted an application, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also be able to login and see the content of your completed form in the system, but after the deadline it is no longer possible to edit the form.
May I submit important supplementary material after the deadline?
The board must have time to read the concept note application material before their meeting. Unsolicited supplementary material submitted after the deadline will therefore not be considered.
How and when do I receive notification of the board’s decision?
We aim to inform applicants if their proposal has proceeded to the next step of the application process within two months of the submission deadline. Rejections are notified via the application system only. Applicants whose concept notes have been selected for further assessment are notified via email.
What is the time frame and the process for the second round?
Applicants who proceed to the second stage of the application are invited to upload a full budget, a project activity plan and additional documentation in the application system. The process usually starts in October, but the final decision on funding is taken early in the new year. Since we must have agreements signed before the start of the project, we can only accept applications for projects starting in March at the earliest.
What kind of documentation is submitted in the second round?
The organisation’s latest annual report, including audit report, steering documents, guidelines regarding the protection of personal data and the safeguarding of vulnerable groups.
What is meant by the organisation’s steering documents?
Depending on the organisation’s legal entitity, this could include statutes, regulations, rules of delegation, policy documents, guidelines and strategies. Documents that regulate or indicate the activities and direction of an organisation.
Our organisation does not have the policy documents mentioned in the form. How does this affect our application?
If your application proceeds to the second round and it is considered relevant to the project work, your organisation will be asked to develop appropriate guidelines. Signatur staff are experienced in guiding applicants through this process.
What happens if our application is approved by the board in the second round?
If your project is approved, we enter into a contract that governs Signatur’s commitment to support the project during the first project year (in the case of a multi-year proposal) and your commitment to implement project activities and provide reporting throughout the project period. Once the agreement is signed, the project can commence. If the application is for a multi-year project, the agreement will specify the deadline for submitting a renewal application for the subsequent project year.
Our concept note application was rejected at the first stage. Can I find out why?
We are a small foundation with few employees and board members who have many other duties apart from their contribution to the work of Signatur. Therefore, unfortunately, we are not able to provide an explanation for each rejected application.
If our application is rejected, may we apply again?
Yes, but if you submit a new application for the same project, it will not be considered again.
Reporting and Implementation
What happens if the content or scope of an approved project changes?
If it is necessary to amend the project outline or budget, you should immediately contact the Programme Manager, Linda Krüger. The board may authorize changes that do not alter the project’s fulfilment of Signatur’s grant making criteria, but you must seek approval from Signatur in advance.
Will the organisation be liable for reimbursement if allocated funds are not used in accordance with the signed agreement?
Yes. We try to select responsible partners who we expect will use the funds in accordance with our mission, but we do monitor the progress of each project and should a partner breach our contract or fail to comply with our reporting requirements, Signatur may, as a last resort, require the funds to be reimbursed.
What are Signatur’s expectations regarding communication input?
It varies depending on the focus and size of the organisation and project, but all donation recipients must provide Signatur with text and images so that we can present the project on Signatur’s website. Before the start of the project, you will receive our communication guidelines, which contain more detailed information and instructions.
Should project reports be written in Swedish or English?
It is possible to report in either Swedish or English, but all Swedish language reports must include a brief English summary, so that the information is accessible to the entire Signatur board.
How do we submit our project reports?
Via Signatur’s application portal. Log in to the application form for the second stage/or the renewal application for multi-annual projects and upload the document through the report function.
When should we submit our reports?
Final reports and annual reports are submitted no later than 2 months after the end date of the project/project period specified in Signatur’s donation letter. Interim reports are normally submitted halfway through the project period, but the deadline may vary. The reporting dates for each individual project are specified in Signatur’s donation letter.
Do all projects submit multiple reports?
For some shorter projects, Signatur requires only one single final report, but most projects lasting more than 6 months submit a shorter interim report and a final report after the end of the project/project year. Multi-year projects submit two reports per year: an interim report and an annual report for the project year. Multi-year projects also complete a renewal application with activity planning and budget for each new project year. A project’s final report – the annual report for the final project year – should summarise the project as a whole and assess the extent to which it has achieved its objectives.
Do you have a template for interim reports and/or final reports?
There is no specific template, since the projects supported by Signatur vary greatly in character, but organisations that have been granted support have access to detailed instructions in the application system.
How do interim reports differ from final reports?
A final report should include an assessment of whether the results promised in the project plan have been achieved, while an interim report is preliminary and less comprehensive. Both interim and final reports should refer back to the project planning from the beginning of the project year, and comment on deviations from the original plan.
The accounts in the annual final report should be audited by a controller or accountant who is independent of the project management. Smaller organisations, such as non-profit associations (where finances are normally managed by the treasurer of the board), may, therefore, need to hire an external accountant.
Are organisations supported by Signatur required to have their annual accounts externally audited?
The audit of the organisation’s annual accounts does not have to be carried out by a certified auditor, but the accounts must be verified by a qualified accountant who is independent of the project management.
