Social Innovation - Projects
Funding of socially innovative projects in Lower Saxony (ESF+): Grant of up to 70% (SER) or 80% (ÜR) of eligible expenses; duration 36 months; two-stage application process (project idea, application).
Discover your potential with AI support
- Find out if this grant matches your project
- Develop your application together with AI
- Get matched with many more suitable grants
Grant criteria
Funding objective
The state of Lower Saxony, together with the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), supports socially innovative projects for the development, testing, and implementation of new and improved solutions to social challenges. Funding is provided particularly for measures aimed at adapting companies, entrepreneurs, and workers to change, as well as for securing and improving affordable, sustainable, and high-quality health and social services for public welfare.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses and personnel support by third parties
- Expenses for freelance activities
- Voluntary activities
- Flat-rate residual costs (35%)
Non-eligible expenses
- Qualification and placement of unemployed persons
- Formal vocational training of skilled workers
- Aid within the meaning of Articles 107 and 108 TFEU
- De minimis aid
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
- Companies
- Non-profit Organizations
Funding requirements
- Implementation of the project in the respective program area (SER or ÜR) in Lower Saxony
- Proof of compliance with established quality criteria
- Ensuring the overall financing of the project
- Application submission before the start of the project
- In the job program: Membership in state umbrella organizations of employees, employers, or welfare associations based in Lower Saxony
Documents required for application
- Project Idea Form
- Project Description
- Project Staffing Plan
- Expenses for Personnel Support by Third Parties
- Activity Description ESF+ and ERDF
- Instruction for Personnel Deployment
- Declaration on Electronic Document Archiving
Evaluation criteria
- Degree of innovation of the project
- Transferability to other regions
- Relevance to local and regional needs
- Compliance with required quality criteria
Description
In Lower Saxony, this program supports public-law and non-profit institution carriers as well as private companies in the development, testing, and implementation of innovative, transferable solutions in the fields of health, social affairs, and work. In cooperation with the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the focus is on projects that assist companies, employees, and the workforce in demographic and technological change, as well as securing access to affordable, sustainable, and high-quality social and health services for public welfare. As a non-repayable grant, funding rates of up to 70% (SER) and 80% (ÜR) of eligible expenses are provided. With a maximum funding amount of €750,000 and a project duration of 36 months, the initiative offers ample scope for diverse impulses.
The application procedure is structured as a two-stage process: first, a project idea must be submitted; following a positive evaluation, an invitation to submit a full application is issued. Eligible costs include personnel expenses, fees, voluntary activities, and a residual cost flat rate of 35%. Requirements include implementation within the respective program area, proof of defined quality criteria, and securing overall financing prior to project commencement. Legal entities under public and private law – including state umbrella organizations of social partners – submit their documents such as project description, personnel planning, and declaration on electronic document archiving to the Investment and Development Bank of Lower Saxony (NBank). The Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development supports the program with independent advice and regular funding calls.