Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation"
Federal program of the BMI and the bpb supports projects to strengthen democratic participation and social cohesion in rural and structurally weak regions of Germany. Application deadlines for Pillar 1: 31.08.2024, Pillar 2: 30.09.2024; Pillar 3 from 2025.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The federal program "Cohesion through Participation" aims to strengthen democratic culture and practice in rural or structurally weak regions through political education and civic engagement, to promote diverse social cohesion, and to counteract discrimination and extremism.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses (fees)
- Material expenses
- Travel costs
- Rent
- Office equipment
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Non-eligible expenses
- Measures primarily for school purposes
- Measures within the framework of other federal programs
- Agitational measures
- Unnecessary expenses outside the project purpose
Eligible to apply
- Educational Institutions
- Interest Groups and Other Associations
- Non-profit Organizations
- Public Institutions
Funding requirements
- Project must be time-limited
- Implementation in rural or structurally weak regions
- Results must be transferable to other organizations and funding areas
- Development, testing, and further development of methods to strengthen democratic practice
- Measures with predominantly school-related purposes are excluded
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Evaluation criteria
- Democratic organizational development
- Transferability of project results
- Quality assurance and evaluation
- Focus on rural and structurally weak regions
Description
The federal program “Cohesion through Participation” of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Agency for Civic Education supports nonprofit educational institutions, interest groups, associations, and public institutions nationwide in implementing projects in rural and structurally weak regions. The aim is to strengthen democratic culture locally through political education and civic engagement, promote social cohesion, and counteract extremism and discrimination. Funding is provided for time-limited initiatives with a duration of up to 60 months that deliver results transferable to other organizations and funding areas. Project budgeting includes personnel expenses (fees), material and administrative costs (flat rate up to 5%), travel expenses, rent, office equipment, event costs, third-party services, public relations, and quality assurance. School-oriented measures, projects already financed by other federal programs, and agitational initiatives are excluded.
Interested, regionally rooted organizations can submit applications for the three program pillars: Pillar 1 (“Strengthening Democratic Club and Association Work,” deadline 31.08.2024), Pillar 2 (“Learning from Transformation History(ies) in East and West,” deadline 30.09.2024), and Pillar 3 (call for proposals from early 2025). Selection is based on criteria such as democracy-promoting organizational development, transferability of project results, quality assurance, and focus on structurally weak regions. This grant establishes a sustainable network of democratic practice that, through methodological development, evaluation, and networking, contributes to enabling participation and making diversity a tangible resource in rural areas.