NRW CULTURE Secretariat

What NRW CULTURE Secretariat does

NRW KULTURsekretariat (NRWKS) is a publicly funded cultural Zweckverband (special purpose association) under German public law, headquartered in the historic Dürer-Haus at Döppersberg 19, Wuppertal, Germany. Founded in 1974 and transitioned into a formal 21-member Zweckverband in February 2024, NRWKS coordinates cultural funding across 20 member cities in North Rhine-Westphalia — Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Köln, Krefeld, Mönchengladbach, Moers, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Münster, Neuss, Oberhausen, Recklinghausen, and Wuppertal — plus one regional authority (Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe), under the regulatory oversight of Regierungspräsident Düsseldorf.

Its core products are cultural programs rather than commercial goods: it initiates, funds, and organizes 10+ flagship programs spanning visual arts, music, theater, dance, literature, games and digital culture — including the Impulse Festival, NOperas! (contemporary music theater), CityARTists (visual arts), popNRW-Preis (popular music), Internationale Tanzmesse NRW, Tanzrecherche NRW scholarships, Musikkulturen, Next Level Festival for Games, Digitale Performance, and the Internationales Besucherprogramm (International Visitors Programme), which has hosted 1,300+ international cultural multipliers since 2009. Underlying technology consists of a website platform at nrw-kultur.de, a dedicated funding application portal at foerderportal.nrw-kultur.de, Matomo analytics, Brevo newsletter automation, and Vimeo for video documentation.

The business model is recurring public appropriation rather than commercial revenue: member municipalities and the Landschaftsverband contribute funds to the Zweckverband, which then distributes them as grants, program co-production funding, and operational support to artists, ensembles, and cultural institutions. Pricing is not applicable — NRWKS does not sell products or services — and distribution occurs through direct funding applications, festival co-productions, by-invitation international visitor hosting, and partner referrals via cultural ministries and the Goethe-Institut. Vera Schöpfer serves as Direktorin and Cornelia Wilkens as Verbandsvorsteherin following the 2024–2025 leadership transition.

Name

NRW CULTURE Secretariat

Legal name

NRW KULTURsekretariat

Website

https://nrw-kultur.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NRW KULTURsekretariat is a publicly funded Zweckverband under German public law that initiates, funds, and coordinates cultural programs across 20 member cities and one regional authority in North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves independent artists, ensembles, festivals, and cultural institutions through grants, flagship festivals, and international cultural exchange.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Funding and Arts Administration

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Cultural funding programs
• Arts administration services
• International cultural exchange
• Performing arts festivals
• Municipal cultural coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuppertal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public/Government Funding: As a Zweckverband (municipal purpose association), NRW KULTURsekretariat is funded through contributions from its 21 members (20 cities plus one Landschaftsverband/regional authority). The organization distributes this public funding to support cultural projects, festivals, and international exchange programs across North Rhine-Westphalia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NRW KULTURsekretariat is a publicly funded cultural Zweckverband (special purpose association under German public law) that initiates, funds, and organizes cultural programs, projects, and events on behalf of 20 member cities and one regional Landschaftsverband in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its activities span festivals (Impulse Festival, Internationale Tanzmesse NRW, Next Level Festival for Games), grant and award programs (CityARTists, popNRW-Preis, Tanzrecherche NRW, NOperas!, Musikkulturen), and the Internationales Besucherprogramm, which connects international cultural multipliers with the NRW cultural scene.

Product overview

NRW KULTURsekretariat operates as a cultural funding and coordination body (Zweckverband) with 21 member cities and one regional association. The organization manages a comprehensive portfolio of cultural programs including the International Visitors Programme for networking international cultural professionals with NRW's scene, the Impulse Festival for performing arts, NOperas! for music theater, CityARTists awards, popNRW-Preis for popular music, Tanzrecherche scholarships for dance, Musikkulturen for cross-cultural music dialogue, Next Level Festival for digital games culture, and Digitale Performance for digital arts. Additionally, it operates a Förderportal (funding portal) for managing grant applications. These programs span across visual arts, music, theater, dance, literature, digital media, and cultural diversity, often working cross-sectorally and experimentally with focuses on international exchange, digital arts and culture, ecological sustainability, and cultural diversity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Internationales Besucherprogramm (International Visitors Programme) A networking and cooperation program of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia that brings international cultural multipliers, journalists, festival directors, curators, and artists together with the NRW cultural scene through themed, event-based, network, and press trips. For international cultural professionals seeking access to NRW.
• Impulse Festival Festival for Performance, Theater and Dance that showcases independent German-language theater and contemporary performing arts. For independent performing arts companies, curators, and audiences in NRW and beyond.
• NOperas! Funding program and platform for contemporary music theater, supporting new productions and artistic development. For composers, ensembles, and producers working in contemporary music theater in NRW.
• CityARTists Award program supporting visual artists from NRW, providing recognition and funding for artistic excellence. For visual artists based in or connected to North Rhine-Westphalia.
• popNRW-Preis Award for popular music in North Rhine-Westphalia, recognizing outstanding achievements in the pop music scene. For pop musicians, bands, and music industry professionals in NRW.
• Tanzrecherche NRW Scholarship program supporting research and development in contemporary dance in North Rhine-Westphalia. For choreographers, dancers, and dance researchers in NRW.
• Musikkulturen Program promoting dialogue and exchange between different musical cultures, supporting global music collaborations. For musicians, ensembles, and music educators working across cultural boundaries.
• Next Level Festival for Games Festival dedicated to games, interactive art, and digital culture in North Rhine-Westphalia. For game designers, digital artists, and interactive media creators.
• Digitale Performance Funding program supporting digital performance projects, including digital dramaturgy and interactive media art. For performing artists and creators working at the intersection of performance and digital media.
• Förderportal (Funding Portal) Online funding portal for submitting project proposals and managing funding applications for cultural projects in NRW. For artists, cultural institutions, and project applicants seeking NRWKS funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,300+ international cultural multipliers hosted since 2009
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Goethe-Institut London, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Nordisk KulturfondflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CROWD – International Dance Exchange (2021-2024): A residency program for dance professionals connecting NRW artists with Northwest European counterparts, funded by multiple international cultural foundations.
• Goethe-InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for the International Visitors Programme (Be My Guest cooperation). The Goethe-Institut refers international cultural professionals to participate in NRWKS visitor programs, supporting cultural exchange between Germany and other countries.
• Ministry for Culture and Science NRW (MKW NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the state cultural ministry to implement the International Visitors Programme, aligning international exchange activities with NRW state cultural policy objectives.
• Akademie für Theater und Digitalität, Theater DortmundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for 'togather' virtual platform (2021-2024), creating a digital space for international artistic collaboration and exchange, developed on MozillaHubs technology.
• 20 Member Cities of NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Zweckverband is owned and governed by 20 municipalities in NRW plus one Landschaftsverband. These members contribute funding and receive program support, co-developing cultural initiatives across the region.
• Landschaftsverband Westfalen-LippecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional authority partner in the Zweckverband, contributing to the funding and governance of the cultural programs alongside the 20 member cities.
• Kulturrat NRW, Landesmusikrat NRW, and other cultural associationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupportive partners for the 'Gemeinsam gegen Antisemitismus' (Together Against Anti-Semitism) initiative, representing broader civil society engagement in cultural policy positions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arts Council Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon: Ireland's national arts funding body supporting artists and organizations across disciplines. Shares the same public funding distribution model and similar grant/festival support mandate as NRWKS, although operating at national rather than state level.
• Fonds Darstellende Künste: German federal fund supporting the performing arts (theater, dance, performance) through grants and programs. Comparable to NRWKS's performing arts funding programs (Impulse Festival, Tanzrecherche NRW) but at federal level with broader geographic scope.
• Arts Council England: National public funding body for arts and culture in England that distributes government and National Lottery funding to artists and cultural institutions. NRWKS performs the same Zweckverband-like role at state level for NRW, coordinating public cultural funding across multiple municipal members.
• Creative Scotland: Scotland's public body for the arts, screen, and creative industries, distributing public funding and supporting artists and cultural organizations. Directly comparable model: public body distributing funding, supporting festivals, and running international exchange with similar scale and remit as NRWKS.
• Danish Arts Foundation / Statens Kunstfonds: Danish public arts foundation that distributes government funding across visual arts, literature, music, performing arts, and film. Direct functional equivalent of NRWKS at national level, with comparable portfolio of grant programs and international exchange support.
• Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation): Federal German cultural foundation funding large-scale, innovative arts projects across all German states. Directly comparable in funding-distribution mandate and program portfolio (festivals, international exchange, digital culture), although at federal rather than state level.
• Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council: Switzerland's federal arts council that promotes Swiss arts and culture nationally and internationally through grants, tours, and exchange programs. Directly comparable to NRWKS as a publicly funded body that runs funding programs, festivals, and international cultural exchange initiatives.

Regional players

• Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft: Public agency of the city of Hamburg supporting the creative and cultural industries through funding, consulting, and programs. Comparable as a regional public cultural funding/coordinating body, although single-city rather than multi-municipal like NRWKS.
• Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt Berlin: Berlin's state cultural administration funding arts, culture, and creative industries in the capital. Comparable as a regional public body with cultural funding and festival oversight mandate; single-city scope rather than 20-city consortium.

Others

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's global cultural institute promoting German language and culture abroad through programs and partnerships. Listed as a strategic NRWKS partner for the International Visitors Programme; comparable mission in international cultural exchange, but operates globally rather than regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user9669932
• Facebookfacebook.com/kultursekretariat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nrw-kultursekretariat
• Instagraminstagram.com/nrw.kultur/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NRW CULTURE Secretariat