Blue Ribbon Germany – Floodplains
Grants for the near-natural development and renaturation of floodplains along federal waterways nationwide. Eligible measures include habitat development, watercourse renaturation, and species settlement. Grant amount up to 75% of eligible costs, duration up to 6 years. Project outlines can be submitted at any time.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Funding of individual and joint projects for the restoration, development, and near-natural design of floodplains along federal waterways. The focus is on measures such as the development of floodplain-typical open habitats and floodplain forests, renaturation of oxbows and water structures, creation and enhancement of edge structures, hydrological soil and runoff improvement, infrastructural adjustments, as well as the protection and reintroduction of floodplain-typical species.
Eligible expenses
- Expenditures that are necessary and required for the project (according to funding guideline No. 5.4)
Non-eligible expenses
- Compensation and replacement payments or eco-points
- Compensation obligations arising from impact regulation
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
- Companies
- Individuals
- Interest Groups and Other Associations
- Foundations
Funding requirements
- Registered office or business operations in Germany
- Legitimate federal interest in the project
- Coordination with relevant state and federal authorities
- Project must not serve to fulfill statutory obligations
- Written cooperation agreement for joint projects
Documents required for application
- Project outline
- Sample financing plan
- Funding application in easy-Online
- Detailed project description
- Cooperation agreement for joint projects
Evaluation criteria
- Contribution to the development of a cross-border habitat network
- Compatibility with traffic use
- Integration into existing development concepts
- Availability of land
- Involvement of societal stakeholder groups
- Existence of feasibility studies and planning approaches
- Synergy effects for multiple objectives
Description
With the federal program Blue Ribbon Germany – Floodplains, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) nationwide supports measures for near-natural floodplain development along federal waterways. Eligible for funding are municipalities, public institutions, companies, foundations, interest groups, as well as other associations and natural or legal persons based in Germany. The goal is the restoration of open floodplain habitats, the renaturation of old river arms and water structures, as well as the protection and reintroduction of floodplain-typical species. Up to 75% of eligible costs can be covered as a grant, with a project duration of up to 72 months. The program makes an important contribution to environmental and nature conservation, energy efficiency, and climate protection, and aims to establish a cross-state biotope network along the federal waterways.
The funding procedure is divided into two stages: first, a project outline including a sample financing plan is submitted to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). After a positive evaluation, an invitation follows to prepare the full application in the electronic application system easy-Online. Required documents include, among others, a detailed project description and, for joint projects, a cooperation agreement. Selection is based on criteria such as compatibility with traffic use, integration into existing development concepts, land availability, feasibility studies, as well as the involvement of social actors and synergy effects. Compensation and replacement funds as well as compensation obligations are excluded. Continuously submittable outlines enable flexible planning and promote sustainably climate-friendly, near-natural floodplain areas with high recreational and protective potential.
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