The role of the Music Fund's travel grants is to assist the Icelandic music sector in pursuing opportunities in international markets. To better serve this role, we have updated and clarified the allocation rules for travel grants, with the goal of making the system more accessible and in tune with the diverse needs of our music community.

What’s New?

Our focus has been on removing barriers. The key changes are:

• More flexible deadlines. Travel grants are awarded every two months. Application deadlines are 23:59 on February 1st, April 1st, June 1st, August 1st, October 1st, and December 1st.
• The end of "Export Ready." Projects are no longer expected to meet predefined "export ready" requirements; instead, the committee evaluates each application on its own merits.
• No minimum number of concerts. Previously, each trip was expected to include at least three performances, unless attending a professional industry event.
• No limit on the number of grants. Previously, a single project could receive a travel grant a maximum of three times per year.

The next application deadline is just around the corner: April 1st.

About the Grants

Travel grants are awarded to musicians, composers, and music professionals to advance their careers abroad, whether for concert tours, participation in showcase festivals, or the premiere of musical works.

Grant Amounts:

• Within Europe: 75,000 ISK per person
• Outside Europe: 100,000 ISK per person
• Please note: Grants are not awarded for recordings abroad.

Evaluation of Applications

The travel grant allocation committee evaluates applications based on the department's goals and the general criteria of Tónlistarsjóður:

40% – The Project
‍Is the project well-defined, interesting, and handled with professionalism and ambition?

20% – Applicant and Participants
‍How convincing is the likelihood of the applicant and participants reaching their goals, given their professional and artistic background?

40% – Budget
‍Is the budget realistic, and does it clearly demonstrate the project’s financial need?

Link to application form here