Disaster Protection Funding Guidelines – Sandbag Filling Facility

The Free State of Bavaria supports public institutions and non-profit organizations throughout Bavaria with a grant for the procurement of mechanical sandbag filling machines and supplementary filling funnels. The aim of this funding is to increase the operational capability and response speed of Bavarian municipalities as well as voluntary aid organizations in disaster control. Funded are mechanically operated machines with a minimum capacity of 2,500 sandbags per hour, which enable the rapid deployment of flood protection measures. Filling funnels with a minimum length of 1.60 m can be applied for in conjunction with the acquisition of a filling machine to optimize refilling with wheel loaders or other equipment.

The grant amount depends on the machine's performance and ranges between €5,350 and €7,900 per unit; supplementary filling funnels are subsidized at a flat rate of €360. If the machine lacks its own drive, the funding rate is reduced accordingly. Applications can be submitted at any time through the responsible government district. An informal funding application is sufficient; the decision on allocation is made based on the disaster control funding guidelines of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration. Thus, the program sustainably contributes to enhancing disaster preparedness and protecting the population.