Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends

What Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends does

The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder Association that maintains an online knowledge platform of expert-authored cultural policy profiles, comparative statistics, and trend analyses. It is registered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but is operationally hosted by Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. (Kupoge) in Bonn, Germany, and operates with a small staff of approximately 10 employees. The platform was originally initiated in 1998, reorganized into its current Association form on 1 April 2018, and underwent a Service Provider transition to Kupoge in 2021.

The core product is a curated database of country-level policy profiles, statistical dashboards, and editorial analyses covering European jurisdictions and, more recently, select Latin American countries such as Colombia. The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: a WordPress-based public website, Google Analytics for usage measurement, and a MailingLijst newsletter system for member communications. In February 2026, the organization introduced LLM-assisted translation pipelines to scale Short Profiles into additional languages.

The Compendium monetizes through a hybrid membership-and-freemium model. National ministries, cultural agencies, academic institutions, and other cultural organizations join as Association members, gaining governance voice and certain research privileges, while the broader research and policy community accesses most content freely. The organization is formally partnered with the Council of Europe, UNESCO, ENCATC, IFACCA (via WorldCP), and Kupoge, and has recently co-positioned itself with convening events such as the Bonn Summit (June 2026) and the ENCATC Think Tank (May 2026). It is not a venture-funded entity and has no disclosed funding rounds, leadership changes, or M&A activity.

Name

Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends

Legal name

Compendium of Cultural Policies & Trends Association

Website

https://culturalpolicies.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends is a non-profit Association operating an online database of expert-authored cultural policy profiles, statistics, and trend analyses for European and select Latin American countries, serving governments, researchers, and cultural organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Policy Research and Knowledge Database

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAGAK

Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Reference (Public Administration, Regulatory Guidance)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional & Technical Reference Publishing

SECONDARYMPAJAMAJ

Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Digital Publishing Platforms (E-books & Online Articles)

Keywords

• Cultural policy research
• Policy database services
• Cultural statistics comparisons
• Comparative cultural analysis
• Arts policy resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Association Membership: The Compendium maintains its services with the help of committed members, from national ministries dealing with culture to independent cultural organisations. As a registered Association, membership fees support operations.
2. Knowledge Platform Services: Provides free online database access to cultural policy information, statistics, and resources as its primary public-facing service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Compendium operates an online database and knowledge platform providing in-depth cultural policy profiles, comparative statistics, and thematic resources across more than 40 countries in Europe and beyond. Its core product is expert-authored country profiles organized in seven thematic chapters, supplemented by short profiles, regional/local profiles, the WorldCP international database, and a Statistics & Comparisons platform covering cultural infrastructure, participation, funding, employment, and markets. The platform is freely accessible online and sustained through Association membership from national cultural ministries and independent cultural organizations.

Product overview

The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends is an online information and monitoring platform initiated in 1998, providing a comprehensive database of cultural policy information, statistics, and trends. The core product consists of country profiles (full and short versions) searchable by country or filter, supplemented by a statistics and comparisons platform covering infrastructure, participation, funding, and employment data. Additional offerings include thematic campaign reports (such as Freedom of Artistic Expression), COVID-19 impact reports, and a resources library covering cultural policy systems, legislation, and financing. The platform is supported by an expert community of independent cultural policy researchers and operates as a multi-stakeholder Association with member organizations from national cultural ministries to independent cultural bodies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Country Profiles Database Comprehensive online database providing in-depth information on cultural policies, statistics, and trends across multiple countries. Features search by country, filter, short profiles, regional/local profiles, and the WorldCP international database; content is organized across seven thematic chapters.
• Statistics & Comparisons Platform Interactive platform providing comparative data on cultural infrastructure, participation rates, markets and prices, funding allocations, employment statistics, and resources across European countries, with comparisons across diversity, international cultural cooperation, and funding and support.
• Resources Library
• Newsletter
• Country Cultural Policy Profile: Netherlands (2026 update) Updated in-depth country profile for the Netherlands covering subsidy infrastructure merger by 2029, Fair Pay mandate, streaming mandates for local content, climate action, inclusion, safety protocols, and heritage reframing.
• Short Cultural Policy Profile: Poland New short cultural policy profile for Poland outlining Strategy for Culture 2050, governance reset and transparency measures, social security for artists legislation, modernised memory policy, and systemic support for creative industries.
• Short Cultural Policy Profile: Bosnia and Herzegovina First Short Cultural Policy Profile for Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing an overview of the country's decentralized governance and cultural sector challenges.
• Cultural Policy in Colombia Analysis In-depth analysis of Colombian cultural policy transition from 'orange economy' to a new approach focused on diversity, community, and memory culture, including the renaming of the ministry to 'Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y los Saberes' (MiCaSa).
• Creative and Cultural Work in Europe (Routledge book) Edited volume published by Routledge exploring working conditions in creative sectors across Europe, edited by Bård Kleppe, Jaka Primorac, Miikka Pyykkönen, and David Wright.

Named customers3 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. (Kupoge)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Since January 1, 2021, Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. based in Bonn, Germany is the Service Provider of the Compendium, responsible for coordination and daily management of the project. This partnership provides operational support and project management.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner; the Compendium originated from Council of Europe/ERICarts collaboration. The Council of Europe provided foundational support for the cultural policy knowledge platform.
• ENCATC (European Network for Cultural Management and Cultural Policy)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive collaboration on cultural policy research events. ENCATC Think Tank events feature Compendium experts as speakers, and the Compendium promotes ENCATC events to its network. Joint work on artist status and working conditions in Europe.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompendium experts contribute to UNESCO projects including cultural policy expertise and the Council of Europe frameworks. Many country profiles integrate UNESCO principles on cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.
• Boekman Foundation (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Netherlands Cultural Policy Profile, with experts from Boekman Foundation contributing to profile development alongside the Compendium team.
• University of Arts Belgrade (Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompendium expert Milena Dragićević Šešić serves as Head of UNESCO's chair at University of Arts Belgrade. Collaboration on cultural policy research and expert contributions.
• Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO, Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompendium expert Jaka Primorac works at IRMO. Partnership supports expert contributions to Croatian cultural policy profiles and research.
• Chamber of Commerce AmsterdamminorOthersThe Compendium Association is registered at the chamber of commerce in Amsterdam, providing legal registration and association status.
• German Contact Point for Europe for CitizensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the European module 'noFuture? The art of departing' digital event series in cooperation with German Federal Congress on Cultural Policy.
• German Creative Europe Desk CULTUREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of European module for German Federal Congress on Cultural Policy digital event series on cultural systemic crisis in Europe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ERICarts (encultuur): European Research on Cultural Policies, Economics and Trends - the predecessor organization that co-initiated the Compendium with the Council of Europe. Operates as a similar cultural policy research and information network with overlapping expert communities in Europe.
• IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies): Global network of arts councils and cultural agencies providing international cultural policy intelligence and member services. Comparable as an international cultural policy information platform with similar membership and policy benchmarking use cases.
• Culture Action Europe: European cultural advocacy and policy network serving cultural organisations, NGOs, and policy professionals across Europe. Comparable as a cultural policy community serving overlapping government, NGO, and academic stakeholders.
• ENCATC (European Network for Cultural Management and Cultural Policy): Active Compendium partner focused on cultural management and policy research, education, and Think Tank events in Europe. Directly comparable as an academic-practitioner network serving cultural policy professionals with overlapping audiences.
• CIRCLE (Cultural Information and Research Centres Liaison in Europe): A European network of cultural documentation and research centres providing comparable cultural policy information services across Europe. Directly comparable as a knowledge-sharing infrastructure for cultural policy research with similar membership-based association model.

Broad incumbents

• Council of Europe - Culture Sector: Intergovernmental body and founding partner of the Compendium, operating broader European cultural policy programs. Compares as the institutional anchor for European cultural policy with overlapping content and audience.
• UNESCO Culture Sector: UN agency for global cultural policy and creative diversity frameworks, with which Compendium experts collaborate. Comparable as a globally authoritative cultural policy reference with similar data and benchmarking functions but at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• European Cultural Foundation: Pan-European foundation supporting cultural policy research, advocacy, and cross-border cultural cooperation. Comparable as a European cultural policy knowledge and funding intermediary with overlapping research outputs and audience.

Regional players

• Boekman Foundation: Dutch research institute and Compendium partner producing Netherlands-specific cultural policy analysis. Comparable as a national cultural policy knowledge provider contributing to the Compendium's editorial model.

Others

• KEA European Affairs: European consultancy producing cultural and creative sector studies for the European Commission. Comparable as a cultural policy intelligence provider but operating via paid consulting rather than open access membership model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/compendiumcpt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQtmAqMPGi1Trrd911j1IvQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/173617236024674
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compendium-of-cultural-policies-and-trends
• Instagraminstagram.com/compendium_cp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends