Commissioning Fund

The Perpetual Engine

The Commissioning Fund is Nonterritorial's mechanism for perpetual cultural production.

10% of every license fee flows to this fund. As the network grows, so does commissioning capacity. By Year 5, the fund generates €4-5 million annually for new exhibitions.

This is how we build permanent cultural infrastructure: a self-funding system that produces the content it circulates.

How It Works

Fund Accumulation

Every License Fee
       │
       └──► 10% ──► Commissioning Fund
                          │
                          ▼
              ┌───────────────────────┐
              │   Fund Balance        │
              │   (accumulates)       │
              └───────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
              ┌───────────────────────┐
              │   Commissioning       │
              │   Grants              │
              └───────────────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
              ┌───────────────────────┐
              │   New Exhibitions     │
              │   (enter network)     │
              └───────────────────────┘
                          │
                          └──► Generate licensing revenue
                                        │
                                        └──► 10% returns to fund

The fund is self-reinforcing. Commissioned exhibitions generate revenue, 10% of which returns to fund more commissioning.

Fund Growth Projections

Year	Network Revenue	To Commissioning (10%)	Cumulative Fund
1	€625,000	€62,500	€62,500
2	€3,375,000	€337,500	€400,000
3	€9,450,000	€945,000	€1,345,000
4	€26,400,000	€2,640,000	€3,985,000
5	€52,500,000	€5,250,000	€9,235,000

Note: Cumulative assumes grants disbursed annually, actual balance will fluctuate.

Commissioning Capacity

Year	Annual Fund	Avg Grant Size	Exhibitions Commissioned
1	€62,500	€10,000	5-8
2	€337,500	€12,000	25-30
3	€945,000	€14,000	60-70
4	€2,640,000	€15,000	150-180
5	€5,250,000	€16,000	300-350

By Year 5, the network commissions 300+ new exhibitions annually. This rivals major international institutions.

Grant Types

Production Grants

Purpose: Fund creation of new exhibitions

Amount: €8,000-25,000

Covers:

• Artist fees for new work

• Production costs

• Equipment specific to exhibition

• Documentation

Requirements:

• Artist with demonstrated practice

• Clear exhibition concept

• Technical feasibility for network circulation

• Rights clearance for all content

Development Grants

Purpose: Support exhibition concept development

Amount: €3,000-8,000

Covers:

• Research and development time

• Prototyping

• Technical testing

• Concept refinement

Requirements:

• Promising concept needing development

• Artist commitment to full production if successful

• Specific development goals

Residency Support

Purpose: Time and space for exhibition creation

Amount: €5,000-15,000

Covers:

• Residency fees at partner institutions

• Living expenses during residency

• Production support

• Travel

Requirements:

• Accepted residency placement

• Exhibition commitment to network

• Clear production timeline

Regional Commissioning

Purpose: Support artists from underrepresented regions

Amount: €6,000-20,000

Additional:

• Lower barrier requirements

• Mentorship pairing

• Extended development time

• Technical support

Regions prioritized:

• Global South

• Areas with limited art infrastructure

• Emerging scenes

Application Process

Who Can Apply

• Individual artists

• Artist collectives

• Artist-curator partnerships

• Curators with artist commitments

Application Requirements

For Production Grants:

1. Artist CV and portfolio

2. Exhibition concept (1,000-2,000 words)

3. Technical plan (equipment, space requirements)

4. Budget breakdown

5. Timeline

6. Work samples (video links, documentation)

For Development Grants:

1. Artist CV and portfolio

2. Concept outline (500-1,000 words)

3. Development goals

4. Budget breakdown

5. Work samples

Review Process

Application Submitted
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Initial Review  │ ← Staff screens for eligibility
│   (2 weeks)     │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Curatorial      │ ← Curation Committee reviews
│ Review          │
│   (4 weeks)     │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Panel Decision  │ ← Final selection
│   (2 weeks)     │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         ▼
    Notification

Total timeline: 8-10 weeks from submission to decision.

Selection Criteria

Artistic Merit (40%)

• Quality and originality of concept

• Artist's track record and potential

• Cultural significance

Network Fit (25%)

• Technical feasibility for circulation

• Appeal to diverse host venues

• Accessibility considerations

Diversity & Inclusion (20%)

• Geographic representation

• Underrepresented voices

• New perspectives

Feasibility (15%)

• Realistic budget and timeline

• Technical clarity

• Rights situation

Grant Administration

Award Process

1. Notification — Selected artists notified

2. Agreement — Grant terms signed

3. Initial payment — 50% upon agreement

4. Milestone check — Progress review at midpoint

5. Completion — Final 50% upon delivery

6. Network launch — Exhibition enters circulation

Grantee Obligations

• Complete exhibition per proposal

• Meet technical specifications

• Deliver on agreed timeline

• Grant network licensing rights

• Participate in reasonable promotion

Network Rights

Commissioned exhibitions grant the network:

• Non-exclusive licensing rights

• Promotional use of documentation

• Revenue sharing per standard split

Artists retain:

• All other rights

• Ability to show work elsewhere

• Full creative control

Accountability

• Regular progress reports

• Financial reporting for funds used

• Final project documentation

• Post-launch performance review

Fund Governance

Oversight

The Commissioning Fund is overseen by:

Treasury Committee

• Reviews fund health

• Approves annual budget allocation

• Monitors grant performance

Curation Committee

• Reviews grant applications

• Makes selection recommendations

• Sets artistic priorities

DAO Vote

• Approves major policy changes

• Sets annual commissioning priorities

• Reviews committee performance

Transparency

All fund activity is public:

• Total fund balance

• Grants awarded (amounts, recipients)

• Completion rates

• Exhibition performance post-launch

Policy Changes

Fund policies can be adjusted through governance:

• Grant amounts: Standard proposal

• Eligibility criteria: Standard proposal

• Revenue allocation (10%): Significant proposal

• Fund purpose: Constitutional proposal

Strategic Priorities

Year 1-2: Foundation

• Establish grant infrastructure

• Commission inaugural exhibitions

• Build regional representation

• Develop evaluation frameworks

Year 3-4: Scale

• Increase grant volume significantly

• Launch regional commissioning programs

• Develop residency partnerships

• Support emerging curators

Year 5+: Institution

• Commission at institutional scale

• Fund ambitious, complex projects

• Support multi-year initiatives

• Build permanent cultural legacy

Why This Matters

For Artists

The Commissioning Fund means:

• Real funding for new work

• Path to network participation

• Support beyond market validation

• Sustainable creative practice

For the Network

The fund ensures:

• Continuous content renewal

• Quality control through investment

• Diverse programming

• Long-term vitality

For Culture

The model demonstrates:

• Self-funding cultural production is possible

• Alternatives to market dependency exist

• Technology can serve artists

• Permanent infrastructure can be built

The Vision

By Year 10, the Commissioning Fund will have:

• Supported 1,000+ new exhibitions

• Distributed €30M+ to artists

• Built a library of circulating culture

• Demonstrated sustainable cultural infrastructure

This is what it looks like when blockchain serves culture instead of speculation.

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Economics Documentation | Nonterritorial Network Building permanent infrastructure for art to circulate freely