Guideline for Digital Infrastructure Coordination

The Digital Infrastructure Coordination Directive of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia supports districts and independent cities in establishing and staffing a coordinating office for the expansion of digital infrastructure at the municipal level. Up to 80% of personnel expenses can be reimbursed, with a maximum of €210,000 over a period of up to 36 months. The grant aims to create up to one full-time position (or two part-time positions at 50% each) for a coordinator for digital infrastructure, whose responsibilities include comprehensive support for the self-financed and subsidized expansion of fiber optic and mobile networks. Applications from public institutions must be submitted to the responsible district government by August 31, 2027, and approved before the start of the measure.

Only personnel expenses are eligible for funding; material and overhead costs as well as pension provisions are excluded. The coordinator assumes central tasks such as process acceleration, approval support, central contact point for network operators, municipalities, and authorities, as well as GIS-based expansion planning. A prerequisite for the application is a financing plan with plausible personnel costs, a job or task description, and proof of qualifications of the proposed personnel; for financially weak municipalities, a statement from the treasury may be required. With this new funding, the state pursues a holistic approach to permanently build competencies for supporting digital network expansion in municipalities and thus promote comprehensive coverage with fiber optics and 5G.