Ministry of Culture Relaunches Cultural Funding Programme, Allocates Rp 500 Billion

Culture Minister Fadli Zon has officially launched Dana IndonesiaRaya, a transformation and new name for the previous cultural funding programme known as Dana Indonesiana. The launch, held at Building A of the Ministry of Culture complex in Jakarta, marks the government’s strengthened commitment to advancing culture through a more adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable funding scheme. Dana IndonesiaRaya is a continuation of the Utilisation Programme for the Management Results of the Cultural Endowment Fund, which has been running and delivering tangible impacts to Indonesia’s cultural ecosystem. This name change is not merely symbolic but reflects strengthened governance, expanded programme scope, and improved service quality for cultural practitioners. In his remarks, Fadli stated that the relaunch is part of efforts to bolster the utilisation of the Cultural Endowment Fund while broadening access for cultural actors throughout Indonesia. He emphasised that the name change from Dana Indonesiana to Dana IndonesiaRaya aligns with institutional transformations and strengthened programme governance to make it more adaptive and widely impactful. “The programme was previously known as Dana Indonesiana, and now we have changed it to Dana IndonesiaRaya in line with the ministry’s nomenclature changes. In 2024, there were around 346 beneficiaries, while in 2025 it increased to 2,117 recipients from about 7,000 proposals received. Moving forward, we hope the number of beneficiaries continues to grow, encompassing more communities, studios, and cultural actors from across Indonesia,” said Fadli in a written statement on Friday (3/4/2026). Fadli affirmed that this programme is an essential part of advancing national culture as mandated by Article 32 Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution, further elaborated in Law No. 5 of 2017 on Cultural Advancement. He also highlighted the jury mechanism as the primary instrument for maintaining quality and accountability in the programme. Furthermore, the government continues to strive to improve service quality, including through simplifying administrative processes via technology-based systems. This step is expected to create a more transparent, accountable, and accessible process for cultural actors. “The existing system uses a jury process. We also receive various inputs regarding administrative complexity as part of efforts to maintain transparency and accountability. Moving forward, we will continue to improve and simplify this process through the development of an integrated application, so that services can be better, more accurate, and faster,” he added. He also stressed the importance of equitable access to funding, noting that many cultural communities have yet to benefit from the programme. Therefore, the government encourages expanding the programme’s reach, including opening access for museums and various other cultural institutions to optimally utilise the Dana IndonesiaRaya scheme. Closing his statement, Fadli invited all elements of the cultural ecosystem, from maestros, arts communities, cultural institutions, to young creative practitioners, to take advantage of the 2026 Dana IndonesiaRaya momentum. He hopes the number of cultural funding beneficiaries will continue to increase annually to strengthen the national cultural ecosystem. “Let us make this programme the main driving force for advancing inclusive, sustainable, and globally competitive Indonesian culture,” he added. Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Bambang Wibawarta, stated that Dana IndonesiaRaya is directed to provide broader and more inclusive impacts for cultural communities. This is realised through affirmative actions for children, women, and people with disabilities as a form of the ministry’s concern. He also emphasised the important role of Cultural Preservation Agencies (BPK) and regional governments in assisting potential beneficiaries, particularly in the data entry and administrative processes through the provided system. This assistance is expected to expand the programme’s reach so that more cultural actors can be facilitated. In addition, Bambang explained that in the selection process, the jury panel focuses on two main aspects: completeness of administration and the quality of the proposal’s substance. This assessment is conducted to ensure the selection process runs objectively, fairly, and transparently. “There is a professional jury team that holds expertise in their respective fields, so the jury process is expected to run fairly and transparently,” said Bambang. As a continuation of Dana Indonesiana, this programme remains managed by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Education Fund Management Agency, based on directives from the Supervisory Board, prioritising good and accountable governance principles. The 2026 Dana IndonesiaRaya is aimed at supporting the creation of an inclusive, harmonious, and sustainable cultural ecosystem. Throughout its implementation, this cultural funding programme has shown significant achievement trends. In 2025, there were 2,117 beneficiaries with a total funding of Rp141.7 billion, an increase of 511.85 percent compared to the previous year. Cumulatively, up to 31 March 2026, the programme has reached 3,036 recipients with total disbursements of Rp594 billion. In 2026, programme strengthening is focused on four main aspects. First, the growth of the Cultural Endowment Fund, now reaching Rp6 trillion, with an allocation of management results amounting to Rp500 billion to support various cultural programmes. Second, service improvements through the development of information technology systems that enable more transparent and accountable registration to reporting processes. Third, expansion of the programme’s scope to become more