Regional management; application for funding

The Free State of Bavaria promotes the implementation of innovative projects in future topics of regional development through regional management and regional marketing.

Purpose

The Free State of Bavaria grants subsidies for the implementation of projects in future topics of regional development through regional initiatives. The basis is the State Development - Regional Management (FöR-La III) funding guideline dated October 16, 2023 (BayMBl. 2023 No. 524). Project funding is intended to contribute to the creation and maintenance of equal living and working conditions throughout Bavaria. It also aims to expand regional networks and develop flexible, customized solutions for local challenges.

Object

Funding is provided for the preparation and implementation of innovative, regional projects in five key future topics of regional development:

• Demographic change
• competitiveness
• Settlement development
• Regional identity
• Climate change

Beneficiaries

Those eligible to apply and receive funding are the public or private bodies with legal capacity responsible for regional initiatives set up in the Free State of Bavaria in consultation with the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. If the establishment of a regional initiative is to be prepared by means of funding, the regional authority concerned (usually a district) or one of the regional authorities concerned in the case of a merger of several regional authorities in a region is eligible to apply and receive funding.

Eligible costs

Funding is available for expenditure required for the preparation and implementation of the funded projects during the approval period:

• Personnel expenses
• Travel and accommodation expenses
• Hospitality expenses for high-profile events
• Expenditure for services provided by third parties
• Investments in digital goods

Type and amount

The grant is provided as project funding by way of pro rata financing.

The standard funding for regional management and regional marketing generally amounts to a maximum of EUR 100,000 per project year and regional initiative.

The funding amount increases

• by up to EUR 50,000 per project year for regional management/regional marketing whose geographical area of activity is predominantly located in an area with a particular need for action.
• by up to EUR 50,000 per project year for regional management/regional marketing that covers more than the entire area of two administrative districts.
• up to 75,000 euros per project year for regional management/regional marketing covering more than the entire area of three administrative districts.
• up to 50,000 euros per project year for regional management/regional marketing that cooperates permanently with a regional planning association during the funding period and whose geographical scope is congruent with the planning region.

The Regional Initiative European Metropolitan Region Munich and the Regional Initiative European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg can each apply for funding of up to EUR 150,000 per project year in addition to the standard funding.

Special funding is available for projects on the topic of land conservation and for the implementation of a target-setting process with a maximum funding amount of EUR 50,000 per project year in each case, as well as for serious economic upheavals (special funding for transformation processes) with a maximum funding amount of EUR 150,000 per project year. Regional initiatives that apply for funding for projects for military and conversion sites in addition to regular funding will receive an additional funding amount of up to EUR 100,000 per project year during their regular funding period.

Special funding is excluded for metropolitan regions.

Regions that do not currently have a regional initiative can apply for one-off funding of up to 50,000 euros per project year for up to two years for so-called strategic funding. This enables the region to develop a cross-sectional regional development strategy with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders, which can then be transferred to a regional management.

The funding rate is generally between 50% and 90%, depending on the geographical scope of the project.

• Application form(s)
• Cost and financing plan
• Timetable (timeline with textual milestones)
• Declaration of subsidy
• If applicable: Separate cooperation agreement

Key funding requirements

• Compliance of the projects with the provisions of the applicable Bavarian State Development Program and the relevant regional plans,
• Compliance of the projects with existing regional development strategies,
• Coordination of the projects with existing development initiatives,
• Contribution of the projects to cross-sectional regional development,
• management of the projects by the regional initiative,
• the eligible expenditure is more than EUR 10,000 per project and more than EUR 25,000 per application,
• Securing the overall financing,
• an evaluation concept for the approval period is available,
• Prior to submitting the application, a consultation meeting is held with representatives of the responsible specialist department of the Ministry of State and the responsible "Commissioner for Regional Management and Regional Initiatives" at the government, and
• Application using the sample form.

Consultation

The preliminary coordination of project ideas takes place together with the representatives for regional management and regional initiatives at the district governments and the State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy on the basis of a project outline. If the project is basically eligible for funding, a draft application is prepared by the regional initiative. Once a sufficiently mature draft has been submitted, a consultation meeting is held with the Regional Initiative, the government and the State Ministry.

Submission of applications

Applications must be submitted to the responsible district government at least six weeks before the planned start of funding.

Approval

The respective district government (higher regional planning authority) is responsible for approval. The approval period for the funding of future projects is a maximum of three years. After this period, follow-up funding for a further three years is possible. The approval period for funding for strategy development, on the other hand, is a maximum of two years.

Funding processing

The local government is responsible for the technical monitoring of project implementation. Two steering group meetings must be convened during the funding period (middle and end of the funding period) to document the progress of the project. In addition, status reports including interim evaluations on the progress of the project must be submitted. The verification of the use of funds is also carried out by the government.

Applications for funding can be submitted within the period of validity of the Regional Development - Regional Management funding guideline (01.01.2024 - 31.12.2026).

The start of a funding phase is possible on the 1st or 15th of each month.

• Funding is not possible if other funds from the Free State of Bavaria are used for the measure.
• Grants may only be approved for projects that have not yet been started.
• Funding is provided without legal entitlement within the scope of the available budget funds.