Apply for the German Bookstore Award

As an owner-managed bookstore, you can apply for the German Bookstore Award under certain conditions.

The German Bookstore Award is intended to promote the preservation of book culture in Germany.

As an owner-managed bookstore, you can receive the German Bookstore Award if you:

• offer a literary range or
• offer a cultural event program,
• pursue innovative business models or
• are involved in the promotion of reading and literature.

If you receive an award, you can also receive a bonus of up to EUR 25,000 in addition to the seal of approval. The amount of the bonus depends on the number of criteria met and the average turnover of your bookshop in the last 3 years:

• Average annual turnover over the past 3 years of less than EUR 1 million:
  • Seal of approval and bonus of EUR 25,000 for the 3 best bookshops,
  • Seal of approval and bonus of EUR 15,000 for a further 5 bookshops with outstanding performance,
  • Seal of approval and bonus of EUR 7,000 for a further 100 outstanding bookshops.
• Average annual turnover of over EUR 1 million in the past 3 years:
  • Seal of approval without bonus for up to 10 outstanding bookshops.

You submit your application to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

You are not entitled to an award.

• Declaration of economic capacity
• Signed declaration of consent to data protection
• Signed self-commitment declaration on the use of the premiums for the German Bookstore Prize
• Confirmation of acknowledgement of the information sheet on the facts relevant to subsidies within the framework of the German Booksellers' Prize

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: Yes

Personal appearance necessary: No

Online services available: Yes

You can apply

• if you are the owner of a bookshop,
• run it independently,
• you have your registered office or a branch in Germany,
• you are not in insolvency proceedings and your bookshop provides outstanding services.

Legal recourse is excluded.

To enter the German Bookstore Prize, you must apply online on the German Bookstore Prize website.

• Go to the website of the German Bookstore Prize, fill out your application form online and send it off. You can use the instructions on the German Bookstore Prize website to help you.
• You will receive an electronic confirmation by e-mail that your application has been received. The e-mail will also contain your application number and a PDF with your details.
• Please print out the PDF and sign it.
• Please also print out all other required documents. You will find these documents for download under the navigation link Application documents on the website of the German Bookstore Award.
• Sign all documents and send them by post to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
• You do not need to print out and sign the documents if you have logged into the online application portal via "Elster - My Company Account".
• You can also submit additional documents to supplement your application. If possible, please upload these online to the application portal. You will need to log in with your user name and password.
• You will be informed by the BKM by e-mail if you have been selected for the award.
• If you also receive a bonus in addition to the seal, this will be paid out by the BKM at the beginning of the following calendar year.

Please note:

You can also log into your user account after submitting your application within the application period. For example, you can view the data from your last application if you wish to apply again next year.

The bookstore prize is awarded annually. The prerequisite for this is that the corresponding budget funds are available. The current annual deadlines can be found on the Bookstore Prize website.

There are no costs.

There are no indications or special features.