Frequently Asked Questions

The CIIIC program consists of five action lines:

The program mainly consists of calls (grant schemes) for innovative projects and research that are widely accessible. The first calls are open.

CIIIC serves five target groups:

• Creators: Focused on creating immersive experiences (IX).
• Public partners and businesses: Applying IX as a solution.
• Knowledge institutions: Education, research, and academic engagement.
• Network partners: Facilitating and scaling IX.
• Government agencies: Policy-making and regulation related to IX.

CIIIC was awarded on March 15, 2024. Since then, time has been spent structuring and preparing the program. 

The following steps have been taken:

• Co-creation events: Gathering, refining, and prioritizing input and needs.
• Developing the narrative and strengthening the community.
• Defining and operationalizing public values.
• Establishing the program organization, organizing workflows, and developing supporting tools (including communication channels).
• Preparing the implementation of action lines and the launch of the first calls (spring 2025).

The Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition (CIIIC) program aims to expand the capacity for immersive experiences, support societal applications, and increase the Netherlands’ economic potential. CIIIC has four main ambitions:

• Expand knowledge and methodologies for responsible IX design and development.
• Ensure sufficient designers and developers capable of creating and applying IX.
• Build a strong IX ecosystem that collaboratively innovates, designs, develops, applies, markets, and scales, supported by high-quality facilities and training.
• Develop policies that support the safe, ethical, sustainable, and inclusive application of IX.

Immersive experiences (IX) can be applied across many domains. We will collect and share inspiring cases on our website that demonstrate how IX supports work, learning, and everyday life.

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The National Growth Fund invests together with initiators in projects that ensure long-term economic growth. This benefits us all, as economic growth leads to more income, which means we all have more to spend. It also allows continued investment in areas such as healthcare, education, and measures against climate change.

Public values refer to embedding European and Dutch norms and values into the design, development, training, distribution, and use of IX. Examples include:

• Protecting individual and collective mental and physical well-being.
• Safeguarding autonomy and self-determination, preventing manipulation and identity misuse, and combating disinformation.
• Promoting openness, transparency, and democratic access to IX, encouraging open standards and good governance.
• Ensuring diversity and inclusion, focusing on content accessibility and preventing discrimination.
• Protecting privacy and promoting data autonomy, avoiding misuse of sensitive information.
• Minimizing environmental impact and promoting ecological sustainability and social responsibility.

The Innovation Agenda is part of action line 5 and focuses on coherence and synergy across the program. It outlines current opportunities, challenges, and priorities in the IX sector. This agenda informs the content of calls and other activities in the program. CIIIC publishes the Innovation Agenda and continuously refines it through co-creation with the Advisory Board and the community.

Results are shared via our communication channels and through our website as a knowledge platform. This platform highlights and distributes insights from the entire program, including reports, data, assets, and cases from research and innovation projects or lessons from the communities. CIIIC promotes knowledge sharing, capacity building, and visibility of societal applications of IX.

The CIIIC proposal was initiated by the Topteam Creative Industry, CLICKNL, and the Ministries of OCW and EZK. The Ministry of OCW submitted the proposal through the NGF’s departmental route on behalf of a consortium of over 120 creatives, public sector players, businesses, knowledge institutions, and network organizations.

CLICKNL coordinated and developed the program during the early phase, in close consultation with field experts. A temporary steering group—consisting of representatives from the ministries, the Topteam Creative Industry, CLICKNL, and Regieorgaan SIA—was also involved.

The current program team leads implementation. A new steering group will be formed, and OCW remains responsible for the program.

CIIIC develops specific calls, preferably within existing grant schemes. Their content—scope, goals, and project types—is shaped through a consultation process. The program team consults the Advisory Board to help draft calls based on themes in the Innovation Agenda and field needs.

Eligible parties can submit proposals to the relevant implementing organization (such as RVO, Stimuleringsfonds, or NWO/Regieorgaan SIA). These organizations then assess the proposals.

The frequency of calls depends on their theme and purpose. For example, short-term research calls may occur more often than long-term innovation calls.

Each program line defines its own contribution requirements, aligned with the respective scheme’s standard conditions.

The program provides both direct and indirect support. This includes outcomes from research projects (indirect) and initiatives like the Artistic and Design Research scheme or RVO’s Innovation Impact Challenge (direct). Additionally, the program team helps participants connect with relevant calls and schemes and involves them in support activities such as events.

IX Labs are physical spaces and facilities dedicated to the development, education, research, application, and demonstration of immersive experiences. These labs often already exist at creators/developers/producers, knowledge institutions, and theaters—but their potential is not always fully utilized, and collaboration could be stronger.
CIIIC aims to support a complementary network of IX Labs across various regions in the Netherlands. Together, they form a shared infrastructure of facilities that serve the entire IX community.

Thanks to CIIIC, IX Labs will be better connected, creating more synergy between labs and stakeholders. This enhanced collaboration will strengthen the Dutch immersive ecosystem and increase its international visibility. After the CIIIC program concludes, this network of IX Labs should be able to continue independently.