VNG Foundation Engagement Award 2026

The Engagement Award 2026 from the VNG Foundation honors particularly sustainable and innovative projects in East Germany and is aimed at non-profit associations and initiatives from Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Projects in the areas of civil society & public welfare, democracy & cohesion, arts & culture, as well as grassroots sports & health are supported. With an endowed funding amount of €5,000 per project, the award provides valuable seed funding to effectively realize local engagement ideas and generate impact far beyond their own region. As a recognition of exemplary work in the civil society sector, the foundation places special emphasis on concepts that invite replication and build bridges between different social groups.

A prerequisite for application is non-profit status and a registered office or activity in East Germany. The selection of awardees is based on the sustainability, level of innovation, and societal relevance of the project. The submission period opens on November 3, 2025, and closes on February 28, 2026. During this time, interested parties can submit their documents to the foundation and thereby contribute to social cohesion in the region. The Engagement Award 2026 of the VNG Foundation initiates impulses, strengthens local engagement, and promotes forward-looking ideas in eastern Germany.