International Support for Galleries and Independent Exhibition Spaces (ISGIES)

This grant scheme aims to strengthen the participation of Norway based galleries, independent exhibition space and publishers at art fairs abroad, contributing to increased demand and internationalisation of contemporary art and contemporary crafts in Norway.

All applications are administered by OCA on behalf of OCA and Norwegian Crafts, with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality.

The budget for ISGIES in 2024 is NOK 4.000.000. Distribution of support will be granted continuously during the year until the budget is spent.

IMPORTANT:

The ISGIES scheme is currently closed for new applications for 2024.

Apply here

Application Process

Applications are only accepted via stikk.no. Read the extended guidelines on stikk.no thoroughly before filling in the form. For questions, please contact OCA's Grants Administration Manager Anne Charlotte Hauen.

Who can apply?

Norwegian galleries and independent exhibition spaces that have entered into a binding agreement with one of the art fairs listed in the overview of eligible art fairs below, as well as Norwegian art book publishers that have been invited to participate in one of the listed art book fairs below.

Kunsthalls, art societies, art centers and individual artists are not covered by this scheme.

Criteria for applications

Grants are awarded within the criteria and available limits of the grant scheme if a gallery or independent exhibition space exhibits at least one contemporary artist who is Norwegian or Norway based at one of the international art fairs listed in the overview of eligible art fairs.

Grants are awarded within the criteria and available limits of the grant scheme if an art book publisher registered and operating in Norway exhibits at least three publications about or featuring Norwegian or Norway based contemporary artists at one of the international art book fairs listed in the overview of eligible art fairs. At least three of the publications presented must be registered with an ISBN. Publications that present artists who are involved in the publishing company are not included in this minimum requirement.

OCA and NC (when it comes to contemporary crafts) will produce and revise the list of eligible fairs annually. The list is completed by 1 October the previous year and will be available at www.oca.no and www.norwegiancrafts.no. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis within the available limits of the grant scheme.

What can be applied for

The following categories can be applied for:

Participation fee (documented fee for participating in art fairs)
Art transport (or specified/separate transport of publications/books)
Art insurance
Information material, including digital material related to the specific participation itself (maximum NOK 20 000)
Travel and hotel costs for employees of the gallery or publisher during the exhibition period (maximum NOK 20 000)

The application amounts will be prioritized based on the categories mentioned above

The amounts that can be granted

Up to 70% of the requested amount is granted for the above costs that have been approved by OCA. OCA makes this calculation based on the attached quotes/price estimates that are required for all costs applied for.

Furthermore, these limitations apply:

The maximum amount that can be granted for a single application (one fair participation): NOK 400 000
The maximum amount that can be granted to an applicant within a calendar year: NOK 600 000
The maximum amount that can be granted to an applicant over three calendar years: NOK 2 000 000. It is referred to the regulations of de minimis aid.

Application demands

Applications must be submitted through the application form, link published on www.oca.no. Guidelines and form are available on www.stikk.no. The guidelines must be read before completing the application. The application must be fully completed with sufficient grounds.

A copy of the invitation to the fair must be attached to the application. Furthermore, a complete list of the artists/books the gallery/publisher will present at the fair should be enclosed.

To process the application, OCA needs it to be accompanied by external price estimates/quotes/vouchers for each amount applied for and an invitation letter with information that documents the cost of the participation fee.

If support is provided from other grant schemes, this must be stated in the application and in the budget.

Support is not granted retrospectively.

Traveling to areas where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs discourages travel is not eligible, see travel advice on
www.landsider.no

Application process

The application process is ongoing through the year without deadlines. The amounts are calculated on the basis of the percentage set for the scheme. The grants are awarded to Norwegian and Norway based galleries, independent exhibition spaces and publishers that have been invited to participate in art, arts and crafts and art book fairs that are on the list of eligible fairs set each year in October by OCA and NC. Internal control of the calculations shall take place and be logged.

Applications are processed in the year in which the fair participation takes place. Applications are processed until the annual budget has been complete, and are processed in the order in which OCA has received complete applications that include all attachments and quotes for the costs applied for.

Reporting

Within one month of the finalisation of the fair a report and accounts must be sent to OCA through the stikk.no pages.

The accounts must show the final costs for all cost categories included in the application, and all costs must be documented with copies of vouchers/receipts. If the final costs are less than what was stated in the application budget and thus used as a basis for calculating the grant, the grant recipient must return the difference between the original grant amount and the correct grant amount calculated by OCA.