CultTech x Ars Electronica Award

Award for Social Impact Projects in Culture and Technology

This distinguished award calls for projects and ideas that exemplify responsible usage of technology and actively contribute to the accessibility and impact of culture while fostering meaningful engagement between creators, distributors, and audiences. Embracing the powerful intersection of culture and technology, it aims to support initiatives that drive sustainability, encourage responsible technological advancements, and facilitate digital transformation within the cultural and creative industries.

The CultTech x Ars Electronica Award fosters endeavors that harness the power of innovation and creativity to drive positive social change, not only on a local or regional level but also on a planetary scale. By spotlighting outstanding initiatives, this award underscores the need to responsibly utilize technology and resources, fostering inclusivity and promoting positive transformations.

Through this recognition, we seek to amplify the importance of social impact within the realm of culture and technology. We invite individuals, collectives, and organizations to submit their groundbreaking initiatives that exemplify the transformative potential of culture, while addressing critical issues, fostering inclusivity, and promoting positive change.

Join us as we celebrate the remarkable endeavors that bridge the worlds of culture and technology, inspiring a future where creativity, accessibility, and sustainability intertwine for the betterment of our society and the world at large.

We invite individuals, collectives, and organizations to submit their groundbreaking projects that showcase the responsible utilization of technology in culture. We are particularly interested in projects that address pressing societal challenges, foster accessibility, and promote sustainable practices.

The award ceremony will take place at the inaugural CultTech Summit, which the CultTech Association is launching on 5-6 November 2024 in Vienna’s Museums Quartier. More than 500 participants will explore how technology-enabled culture is shaping the future of society and the creative and cultural industries. For more information about the Summit and to read what industry leaders have to say about it, visit culttechsummit.com.

Important Dates

What we are looking for

We are looking for projects and ideas that promote wider access to culture and create new ways of engaging cultural creators and distributors with their audiences. The Award supports initiatives which allow the cultural and creative industries to become more sustainable, with technology and digital transformation and which will drive positive social change.

We encourage submissions from early-stage projects that are still in the ideation phase, as well as those that have already made significant progress and are in the implementation or prototype stage. Additionally, projects that have already demonstrated a track record of impact and seek support to scale or expand their reach are also eligible.

We welcome CultTech startups and CultTech project ideas that aim to create positive social change for culture and society. Applicants should demonstrate the value of their projects or explain their models at an early stage, highlighting their vision for sustainability.

Whether you have a promising concept or a project already making waves, we invite you to submit and take advantage of the resources and opportunities offered by the program. Please note that submitted project should not be purely artistic, they should include an existing or aspirational business model that can be further developed with the help of the Award.

Who can submit?

There is no submission fee.

Individuals from various backgrounds and expertise are encouraged to submit their projects. This includes entrepreneurs, artists, technologists, designers, researchers, activists, and any other individuals who have developed or are involved in social impact projects at the intersection of culture and technology and who is aspiring to transform the project idea into a financially self-sustainable enterprise in the future.

In terms of organizations, we welcome submissions from a diverse range of entities. This includes startups, cultural institutions, nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and any other entities working in the field of culture and technology and having or developing a sustainable business model. We believe that collaborations between individuals and organizations with different perspectives and resources can lead to powerful and innovative social impact projects.

Benefits

• The winning project will be awarded a monetary prize of € 10.000,-
• Invitation to the Award Ceremony at the CultTech Summit, 5-6 November 2024, in Vienna, Austria.
• Coverage of travel, accommodation and visa costs for one person to be present during the CultTech Summit in Vienna, Austria, 5-6 November 2024.

The winner has the opportunity to join the CultTech Accelerator (subject to the eligibility criteria*), which is a member of the CultTech Association.

*If you are a startup and have a business model, you will be invited to participate in the CultTech Accelerator Program (subject to eligibility and Accelerator participating conditions).

If you do not have a business model yet and are not eligible for the CultTech Accelerator program at the point of receiving the Award, we will provide support in your transition to become a viable sustainable business. You will then be offered a place in the Accelerator program at a later stage (subject to you meeting the eligibility criteria).

CultTech Accelerator is the leading international accelerator for tech startups in the cultural sector. This program provides curated sessions, mentorship from experts, and access to early-stage investors and industry partners.

CultTech Pre-Accelerator support consists of:

• A focused 6-month program — as a full-time participant.
• Time commitment of 3-5hs per week.
• Two in-person meetings: kick off at the beginning of the program and Demo Day at the end where participants pitch to investors, cultural institutions and the wider CultTech community.
• 6 months of online training sessions which includes workshops and community events with leading business and cultural experts.
• You will become a lifetime active member of the CultTech community, and benefit from peer-to-peer advice and networking for your startup and your personal growth as an entrepreneur.
• For more information please read the program guide here.

The Accelerator program is suitable for you if you are:

• Building a Business.
• Interested in and have an understanding of the culture and arts sector.
• Seeking personal development as an entrepreneur.
• Looking to understand the investor landscape.

Commitment

Implementation should begin within six months of receiving the Award and interim results should be shared with the organizers in the summer of 2025.

Participation in the Award Ceremony at the CultTech Summit 5-6 November 2024 in Vienna, Austria.

The winner will be invited to participate in other CultTech activities and promote the movement as an ambassador of CultTech.

Should the winner pass eligibility and join the CultTech Accelerator Program, they must commit to actively participating in the CultTech Accelerator Program.

If they are not ready, they will be offered to attend pre-accelerator mentoring sessions and any relevant program training sessions until they are deemed eligible.

The Jury Process

The jury consisting of Ars Electronica and CultTech experts together with an independent jury member will select the final project.

Criteria:

• Originality: The proposal needs to be for original work that demonstrably breaks new ground.
• Impact: The project should have a measurable positive impact on the cultural scene and creative industries, and/or on the wider society.
• Technology: Technological solutions should be explained, and the project should demonstrate clear rationale usage of technology.
• Sustainability: The project should consider environmental, social, and economic factors and have a viable business model in place or in development, that ensures long-term success by creating, delivering, and capturing value effectively. In addition, the project needs to take its environmental footprint into account and support the sustainable and ecological transition of our society. It should be designed, addressing some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
• Ethicality: The project should consider ethical considerations such as data privacy, cultural sensitivity, and social responsibility to ensure that it does not cause harm or perpetuate biases.
• Feasibility: The project should demonstrate technical feasibility, incl. the availability of necessary resources, skills and infrastructure.
• Further: the applicants have to
  • be above the age of 18 or upload a consent form of the legal guardian.
  • Register online and submit all mandatory information in English via the application platform:
    • Complete the application form.
    • A short video statement explaining who the applicant is, what the proposal entails and what the interesting angle about it is. (up to 3 min.)
    • A written project proposal explaining the project idea. (max. 300 words)
    • Description of the social, technological and sustainable impact of your project (each max. 500 characters)
    • Description of a business model or clear plan how this will be developed in the future.
    • Details about the target audience, duration and scale of the project (each max. 500 characters)
    • A short biography and/or CV of the applicant.
    • Agree with the Open Call Terms.