Apply for funding for new and continued social structure policy projects

Does your specialist organization support the development and expansion of civil society structures abroad? Then you can apply for funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for corresponding projects.

The BMZ's social structure promotion aims to strengthen social structures in partner countries. It supports projects in the following areas

• Non-formal youth and adult education
• cooperative systems
• Promotion of national aid organizations
• Trade union education work
• decentralized municipal services of general interest (water, sewage and waste)
• Social work in the welfare sector
• Association-supported education for work and society

Specialist organizations in Germany that support governmental and non-governmental institutions in partner countries in setting up appropriate structures through projects and advisory measures can receive grants from the BMZ.

To do so, you must submit an application to the BMZ before the project begins. In this application you must, among other things

• the objectives,
• target groups,
• partner organizations and
• organizations and instruments of the project and enclose a financing plan and
• other documents.

Before you submit the actual application, the BMZ needs a project outline from you. This will give you an initial assessment of whether your project is eligible for funding and whether you may need to revise it.

You can use the BMZ grants for the following project costs:

• Advisory and training measures, for example workshops for experts in the partner country
• start-up, equipment and material support for partner organizations in the partner country, for example teaching materials or equipment for classrooms
• Personnel and project infrastructure, for example local experts and experts seconded from Germany
• Preparatory, accompanying, evaluating and follow-up measures, e.g. project preparation events and project studies
• Publications and means of communication
• Administrative costs
• in justified exceptional cases: Construction measures that are absolutely necessary for the project objective

You can pass on funding to a partner organization in the partner country if the grant notification allows this.

If your project has already received funding from the BMZ, you can continue to receive grants beyond the agreed funding period. To do so, you must submit a continuation application to the BMZ in good time. In this application, you must explain the project objectives already achieved and the further project objectives. Please note: Funding for one project phase does not entitle you to funding for further phases.

You do not have to repay the BMZ grants. As a rule, you pay a contribution of 25 percent of the project costs. Full funding by the BMZ is only possible in justified exceptional cases. The BMZ cannot support projects whose overall financing is not secured.

The specified outlines and templates for the required documents can be found as annexes to the funding guidelines:

• before the project application:
  • Project outline (Annex 1, sample 1)
  • Income and expenditure planning (Annex 1, Sample 2)
• Project application with
  • brief project information,
  • Project concept,
  • project details and
  • summarizing development policy evaluation (Annex 2)
• Annex to the funding application
• Cross-sectoral identifiers (Annex 2, sample 1)
• Revenue overview (Annex 2, sample 2)
• Financing plan (Annex 2, sample 3)
• Country or sub-project breakdown by funding year (Annex 2, sample 4)
• Staffing plan (Annex 2, sample 5)
• If you cannot provide any or sufficient own funds: current annual financial statements of your organization

• Your organization is based in Germany.
• Your organization has demonstrable core competencies in the development and expansion of social structures in one of the following funding areas:
  • non-formal youth and adult education
  • cooperative systems
  • Promotion of national aid organizations
  • trade union education work
  • decentralized municipal services of general interest (water, sewage and waste)
  • Social work in the welfare sector
  • Association-supported education for work and society
• Your planned project can also be assigned to one of these funding areas.
• You cannot finance your project in any other way, for example by providing sureties, guarantees and other warranties.
• You have sufficient own funds to cover 25 percent of the total expenditure. Full financing by the BMZ is only possible in justified exceptional cases.

• Action before the administrative court

If you are planning a social structure promotion project in a partner country, first contact the BMZ and send it

• your project outline and
• your income and expenditure planning.

Once you have received positive feedback from the BMZ, you can submit your application for a social structure promotion project or a continuation application online via the federal portal or informally by e-mail or post.

Submit your project application online via the federal portal:

• Call up the online application on the federal portal. This will guide you step by step through the necessary information.
• Upload the required documents and submit the application.
• The BMZ will check your details and documents in consultation with the Federal Foreign Office.
• The BMZ will contact you if further documents or information are required.
• If the BMZ approves your application, you will receive your grant notification.

Submit your project application by e-mail or post:

• You can submit the application informally. However, you must submit the attachments in the format specified by the BMZ. The relevant templates can be found as annexes to the funding guidelines.
• Send your application with the necessary documents to the BMZ by e-mail or post.
• The BMZ will check your details and documents in consultation with the Federal Foreign Office.
• The BMZ will contact you if further documents or information are required.
• If the BMZ approves your application, you will receive your grant notification.

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There are no costs.