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Grant

Funding Guideline ERDF Program District Centers III

The state of Berlin supports the establishment of neighborhood centers in underserved areas with ERDF funds to sustainably promote social cohesion and the structural development of disadvantaged districts.

Social Cohesion/Democracy

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Grant criteria

Application level: Complex
Region: Berlin
Funding amount: €150,000
Funding rate: 40%
Project duration: 36 months
Only for non-profit organizations

Funding objective

Support for non-investment measures to establish and develop neighborhood centers (community houses) in underserved areas. The goal is to strengthen civic cohesion through the promotion of social initiatives, enable intergenerational participation, and foster democratic engagement.

Eligible expenses

  • Personnel costs
  • Material costs
  • Planning costs
  • Accompanying and evaluation measures

Non-eligible expenses

  • Interest on debt
  • Land acquisition costs (over 10-15% of eligible expenses)
  • Recoverable value-added tax
  • Expenses exclusively for public relations
  • Expenses exclusively for evaluation
  • Show more

Eligible to apply

  • Non-profit Organizations

Funding requirements

  • Legal entities with a non-profit basis
  • Implementation of statutory tasks in community, district, and neighborhood work
  • Measure must be carried out within the defined territorial framework
  • Prior to the start of the measure

Documents required for application

  1. Project description
  2. Cost and financing overview
  3. Project application
  4. Additional project-related documents

Evaluation criteria

  • Existence of an approved territorial strategy
  • Contribution to the stabilization, enhancement, and development of the area
  • Contribution to deficit reduction and demand-oriented adjustment of social infrastructure
  • Promotion of participation and social cohesion
  • Low-threshold access to social infrastructure
  • Use of own and third-party funds
  • Sustainability of the measure

Description

The ERDF program Neighborhood Centers III supports public institutions in Berlin in the non-investive promotion of neighborhood centers in socially disadvantaged areas. By providing grants of up to 40% of the annual total costs – a maximum of €150,000 – the aim is to strengthen social cohesion and advance the structural development of disadvantaged districts. The focus of the funding is on the establishment of neighborhood houses that enable intergenerational access to social services and, through the use of own and third-party funds, provide sustainable impulses in the district-related area. The measure is guided by the principles of community work to promote participatory projects and democratic participation processes.

The funding guideline places particular emphasis on strengthening the local social infrastructure by supporting measures that address deficits and adapt social services to needs. Through targeted promotion of intergenerational participation, inclusion, and the improvement of intercultural competencies, low-threshold access to neighborhood facilities is enabled. Projects that contribute not only to the stabilization and enhancement of regions but also to the promotion of active civic engagement are especially suitable. The selection of projects is carried out considering an approved territorial strategy, with the use of accompanying and evaluation measures for quality assurance also in focus.

The program is exclusively aimed at legal entities with a non-profit basis that implement statutory tasks in the fields of community, neighborhood, and district work. In addition to personnel costs, material and planning costs, accompanying measures can also be funded. Comprehensive project documents such as a detailed project description, cost and financing overview, and other project-related documents are required for the application. The application deadline is published within the framework of project-related calls, allowing interested institutions the opportunity to submit their projects for funding at an early stage. Overall, the program offers an attractive opportunity to sustainably support social and structural projects in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Berlin and thus initiate long-term developments.

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