Scientific Events for the Cooperative Sector

The Raiffeisen Foundation supports universities of applied sciences, universities, and other scientific institutions nationwide in organizing and conducting scientific events that focus on central issues of rural cooperative systems. Eligible for funding are conferences, workshops, and symposia addressing fundamental, market, and structural questions as well as agricultural and food industry, economic, political, and legal matters of particular importance to Raiffeisen enterprises. As a continuously available grant program, applicants may submit their projects informally in German at any time. The Raiffeisen Foundation places great importance on a close integration of content relevance and sustainability aspects in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, in order to strengthen knowledge transfer and innovation in the cooperative environment in the long term.

For a successful application, information on the sponsoring institution, a precise project outline including event content, intended outcomes, target audience, participating lecturers, as well as a financial and timeline plan are required. Supplementary information on additional funding partners and thematically related applications must be provided in case of partial funding. After a formal review, the Foundation Board assesses the alignment with the Foundation’s purpose, the benefit for the cooperative sector, and the integration of sustainability criteria before the Advisory Board makes the final decision. These continuously open funding opportunities offer scientific institutions an attractive platform to highlight practice-oriented research topics in the cooperative sector, intensify professional exchange, and provide structural impulses for rural areas.