Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation"

The federal program “Cohesion through Participation” of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) has been supporting practice-oriented initiatives in rural and structurally weak regions of Germany since 2010. The goal is to strengthen democratic culture and lived participation locally as well as to effectively prevent extremism. With an annual funding volume of around EUR 12 million, the program supports model projects in which volunteers jointly train democracy advisors, establish networking structures, and develop low-threshold offers for all generations. In the current program phase 2025–2029, 64 selected projects are the focus, which build up and expand local democracy networks.

Eligible for funding are regionally anchored associations or federations based in rural or structurally weak areas. A prerequisite for a grant is a clear volunteer structure within the project as well as the promotion of democratic participation and extremism prevention. Project start can be from January 1, 2025. As part of accompanying measures, the bpb offers professional support in the form of consultation hours, training sessions, and best-practice exchanges. Through the partnership of BMI and bpb, each measure receives comprehensive support from application submission to accounting, including a model grant notice and proof of use. The program is aimed at all those who wish to constructively shape democratic coexistence and sustainably strengthen social cohesion in structurally weak regions.