Promotion of Voluntary Engagement in Neighborhoods (FEIN Pilot Projects)

The program Voluntary Engagement in Neighborhoods (FEIN Pilot Projects) is aimed at Berlin district offices and offers financial grants of up to €30,000 per project. It was established to promote innovative measures for improving public infrastructure and strengthening the community. The pilot projects are based on neighborhood-related comprehensive concepts and take into account strategic aspects such as integration, activation, networking, and sustainability. Local stakeholders are to be involved, and existing resources optimally utilized to generate effective impulses even beyond the formally designated areas of social cohesion.

The focus of the funding is on supporting initiatives that bring about concrete improvements in the living environment and urban infrastructure. Grants are awarded exclusively for material resources, supplementary equipment, and expense reimbursements, while financing costs and personnel expenses of the districts are excluded. A prerequisite for funding is, among other things, the identification of a specific problem through monitoring social urban development as well as the submission of a well-considered concept with clear action plans and an appropriate timeframe—usually 36 months. Additionally, the district project manager must signal their willingness to co-finance to ensure a viable overall solution in the sense of sustainable neighborhood development.

The FEIN pilot projects thus offer an excellent opportunity to activate civic engagement in Berlin and strengthen local networks. Through targeted funding, not only traditional infrastructure elements are modernized, but also diverse measures to promote social cohesion and active citizen participation are supported. The program thereby creates a space for experiments and pilot initiatives that serve as seed funding and pave the way for future integrated neighborhood networks. Overall, the initiative contributes to making the urban space more vibrant and socially just—and offers the districts the opportunity to independently and in dialogue with the population advance sustainable development processes.