Deutscher Kulturförderpreis
As the only nationwide, cross-industry award for corporate cultural engagement, the German Award for Cultural Sponsorship (Deutscher Kulturförderpreis) highlights the high quality and diversity of cultural sponsorship by the business community. By recognizing the best sponsorship projects, the Kulturkreis demonstrates the important role that corporate engagement plays in Germany’s cultural landscape.
Evaluation Criteria
In its search for the most outstanding examples of corporate cultural sponsorship, the jury is guided by the following criteria:
Artistic Quality: Is the project of exceptionally high artistic quality? Does it address issues that are relevant to the cultural sector? Does it focus on a specialized area that has received little attention elsewhere?
Innovation: Does the project try something new? Does it explore paths that have not been taken before? Does it involve taking risks?
Commitment: Does the company demonstrate above-average engagement in terms of size as well as financial and personnel resources?
Sustainability / Impact: Is the support provided exceptionally substantial? Is the project designed for the long term? Does it impress through particularly sustainable and effective approaches? Does the company enable a strong network that opens up new opportunities and areas of impact for the participants?
Regulations
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The company must have its headquarters or a branch in Germany.
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Corporate foundations may also submit an application – the award will be presented to the parent company.
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The cultural sponsorship project must not be part of the company’s core business.
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The project must have an impact on the German cultural landscape.
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The project must still be ongoing or have been completed within the past two years.
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Multiple project submissions per company are allowed.
Dates and Deadlines
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Application Deadline: Submission of documents by Friday, February 13, 2026.
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March 2026: The nomination jury reviews all submissions and selects 15 projects for the German Award for Cultural Sponsorship. The nominees will be publicly announced and receive media attention in the following weeks.
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April 2026: The final jury conducts an in-depth review of the nominated projects and selects the winning companies and foundations.
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June 2026: At the formal award ceremony hosted by Hapag-Lloyd in Hamburg, the winners will be announced. All nominees will receive recognition for their projects.
