Since 2008, the Ministry of Culture has a budget to give out grants to festivals. This year, $700,000 will be divided amongst the different festivals. To avoid regional favouritism, they have defined nine different zones. 

The promoter of the Quitu Raymi festival, Felipe Ogaz remembers that eleven years ago, when they had their first festival, they got grant worth about $800 from the City of Quito and the Province of Pichincha.

He says the financial support now offered by the Ministry of Culture though the National Festivals Contest, "Ecuador:Bbelieve in your talent" helps make it happen, and means the quality of the festivals can improve.

Quitu Raymi is a music festival of "symbolic insurrection," proposing the construction of a more just society. Last year, their grant was $30,000. It has participated in the grant contest four time and won twice.

The festival also has workshops and conferences about rights. Its a free festival and more than 20,000 people attend, says Ogaz.

The contest is open from March 1 to 29.

Another applicant, Alejandro Cruz, says the contest format is difficult because projects that may have won one year budget for those funds and then may not win the contest the following year. In 2012, he got a $18,000 grant to create murals at rehab centres
icos.