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Apply for funding for projects under the "Special Programme for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage

As a library, archive or comparable institution, you can apply for funding for the preservation of written cultural property under certain conditions.

Forms

Responsible for you

Koordinierungsstelle für die Erhaltung des schriftlichen Kulturguts

Street address

Unter den Linden 8
10117 Berlin

Postal address

10102 Berlin

Website

www.kek-spk.de

Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

In many cases, the substance of historical writings, records, and books in archives and libraries is acutely threatened by acid erosion, moisture, and mold. The Special Programme for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage provides financial support for your activities to preserve written material.

You can receive funding of between EUR 5,000 and EUR 200,000 if

  • You are planning a single, definable project,
  • within the framework of the project you want to carry out a quantity procedure for the deacidification, packaging, dry cleaning or restoration of writings, documents or books, or you want to record damage to them,
  • the substance of the fonts is acutely endangered,
  • the documents are actively used, e.g. for scientific research, educational purposes or to establish legal security, and
  • they are historically or scientifically significant writings in the original. These include:
    • holdings of high cultural and historical value,
    • deposit copies,
    • closed collections,
    • special collections,
    • special collections,
    • holdings of supra-regional importance,
    • holdings with high usage and high multi-perspective or comparative evaluation potential,
    • valuable unique works and rare books with intrinsic value, and
    • holdings that are indispensable for safeguarding teaching, research and administration in the long term.

No funding is available for:

  • Projects for the preservation of graphic works of art and paintings and other works of visual art.
  • Projects that have already been started or completed before you submit the application.
  • Projects for which you have already applied for funding under other federal programs with the same funding purpose.
  • Quantity procedures that cannot be assigned to a definable project.

The decision to fund your project will be based on the following criteria:

  • endangerment of the written cultural property
  • historical or scientific significance of the written cultural property
  • Use of the written cultural heritage

The amount of funding for your project will depend on the type of funding your institution receives:

  • fully federally funded institution: up to 100 percent of eligible project costs
  • All other institutions: up to 50 percent of eligible project costs.

Eligible costs are:

  • all costs incurred in the implementation of your project,
  • expenses for external services,
  • project-related personnel costs (not permanent staff),
  • Expenses for working materials and consumables or public relations work that can be directly attributed to the project.

Ineligible costs are:

  • Expenses for permanent staff,
  • investments,
  • expenses for permanent exhibitions or measures to be carried out on a regular basis,
  • expenditure on necessary structural and technical measures,
  • the purchase of working equipment, or
  • Expenditure for measures to maintain the operational functionality of your institution, such as magazine cleaning.

Once the grant has been awarded, you can request funding for the costs incurred from the Koordinierungsstelle für die Erhaltung des schriftlichen Kulturguts (KEK) (Coordination Office for the Preservation of the Written Cultural Heritage) in accordance with the information in the grant notification. The funds will then be paid out to you during the course of the project, so that the costs incurred can be paid directly from the grant funds.

You submit your application for funding to the state ministry responsible for you. After a positive review, the application will be forwarded to the Koordinierungsstelle für die Erhaltung des schriftlichen Kulturguts (KEK) for further processing. The advisory board of the CEC makes a recommendation on eligible projects, the funding decision is finally made by the BKM. The CEC is responsible for processing and examining the project and the project report to be submitted at the end of the project.

You have no claim to the approval of the funding.

Applications may be submitted by

  • Legal entities such as libraries, archives or comparable institutions based in Germany,
    • who hold written cultural property and
    • whose holdings are accessible to the public

Other requirements:

  • Your funding application has received a positive initial evaluation at the state level (initial test certificate).
  • You have not yet started the measure.
  • Your overall funding is secured.
  • You have not yet received any other funding for the same purpose.
  • Your project meets the content-related requirements.

  • Required Documents

    When submitting your application, you must submit:

    • Qualified cost estimate
    • Commitments or confirmations for the provision of third-party funds (if applicable).

    For acceptance of the grant award, you must submit:

    • Acknowledgment of Receipt and Waiver of Appeal form.

    For the drawdown of grant funds, you must submit:

    • Funds Request Form

    When you have completed your action, you must submit:

    • Where-used list and project report on performance review, including numerical evidence.

You must submit your application for funding in writing to the Koordinierungsstelle für die Erhaltung des schriftlichen Kulturguts (KEK).

  • Go to the website of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and fill out your application for funding electronically.
  • Print out the application and have it signed by an authorised signatory.
  • Send the application by e-mail to the state ministry responsible for you, which will complete the final part of the application form.
  • Also, mail the application with all requested documents to the state ministry responsible for you.
  • After the relevant state ministry has forwarded your application to the CEC, you will receive electronic confirmation by e-mail that your application has been received.
  • You will receive notification from the CEC by post and e-mail as to whether your project will be funded.
  • You may only begin with your project once you have received the funding confirmation.
  • If necessary, you can submit a separate application for an early start of the project. This can be done informally by sending an e-mail to the Koordinierungsstelle für die Erhaltung des schriftlichen Kulturguts (KEK).
  • When you have completed your project, you must submit all documents to the CEC as proof of the funds awarded to you. Use the form on the CEC website for this purpose.

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Application:

  • In principle, by 31 January of each year in electronic and paper form.
  • Deviating deadlines may be published on the BKM or CEC website.

Proof of the use of funds:

  • in the case of funding under ANBest-P: 6 months after completion of the project
  • in the case of funding under ANBest-GK: 12 months after completion of the project.

  • for processing the application: 4 to 5 months

  • Contradiction

Status: 10.04.2024
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Source: Federal Portal