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Apply for funding for individual projects of cultural institutions and tasks in Germany

As a nationally significant cultural institution in Eastern Germany, you can apply for funding for cultural projects.

As an institution that cultivates and promotes a minority language and its culture, you can apply for funding for corresponding projects.

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Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien

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Potsdamer Platz 1
10785 Berlin

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Potsdamer Platz 1

10785 Berlin

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Procedure details

The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) supports cultural institutions and projects of national importance. The aim of the funding is to support cultural institutions of national importance and those that shape the national cultural heritage in eastern Germany in performing their tasks in an appropriate and contemporary manner.

The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) also supports measures that serve to fulfill the obligation assumed by the Federal Republic of Germany through its accession to the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages to protect and maintain these languages.

Funding is provided in particular for

  • Projects of nationally significant cultural institutions in East Germany:
    • cultural projects of national importance, such as anniversaries, exhibitions or model mediation programs
    • Measures for the preservation, expansion and modernization of cultural institutions, in particular in the areas of museum equipment and, if necessary, renovation and construction measures
    • Measures to improve the ecological balance, in particular the resource- and climate-friendly operation of cultural institutions (sustainability)
    • Digitization measures of cultural institutions (in particular for the purpose of publishing nationally significant collections in the German Digital Library)
    • Measures to increase the public profile of cultural institutions
    • Measures to strengthen cultural participation, accessibility and gender equality
    • Measures for networking and other cooperation projects between cultural institutions
  • Projects relating to national minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages:
    • Measures to maintain and promote the Low German language, literature and culture with transnational themes or effects
    • Measures to protect and maintain Low German as a regional language
    • Preservation of the language, culture and identity of national minorities.

Not eligible for funding:

  • Measures that serve commercial purposes
  • City or municipal anniversaries and celebrations
  • Production costs for commercial publications, media and recordings
  • Measures for which the federal government has no funding authority

Funding is available for cultural institutions (e.g. museums, art galleries and archives) if they are of national importance due to their activities or other key characteristics. They must be able to guarantee proper management and be in a position to provide evidence of the use of the funding as intended.

The federal share amounts to up to 50 percent of the eligible expenditure. You can apply for federal funding of EUR 5,000 or more per measure. Exceptions are possible in justified individual cases.

Co-financing is preferably provided by the federal states. If the purpose of the funding is also in the interest of local authorities or third parties, these should make an appropriate contribution to the eligible expenditure.

The federal funds are generally only available in the respective financial year. They cannot be carried forward to subsequent years. Exceptions are only possible with budgetary authorization.

You have no claim to the approval of the funding.

The following conditions must be met:

  • There is a significant federal interest in your project that cannot be fulfilled, or not to the extent necessary, without the requested funding. This means:
    • The federal government can fund cultural institutions and projects of national importance, particularly if they are significant for the federal territory, especially eastern Germany, beyond the regional and state responsibilities, or for the protection and maintenance of a minority language and cannot usually be funded by one state alone.
    • It must be expected to have the greatest possible effect or impact or appear to be particularly advantageous and have an appropriate cost-benefit ratio.
  • A prerequisite for the funding of construction measures is that the cultural institution uses the available utilization times or premises as predominantly as possible for cultural purposes.
  • The cultural institution must be based in Germany.

Further requirements:

  • You have not yet started the project.
  • Their proper management is assured.
  • You are able to provide evidence that the funds will be used for the intended purpose.
  • The overall financing of the project is secured.

  • Required Documents

    You must submit the following with your application

    • Application form
    • financing plan
    • Detailed project description, with the following contents:
      • Brief description of the applicant
      • Description and, if applicable, visualization of the initial situation for the project
      • Explanation of the intended objectives and effects and the short and long-term added value of the project
      • Target groups of the project
      • Detailed description of the planned project implementation, including the project schedule and, if applicable, visualizations and details of any cooperation partners
      • Description of the planned public relations work for appropriate visibility of the project
      • Explanation of the financing plan (necessity of essential expenditure items in terms of reason and amount and, if possible, plausibility check of their calculation)
    • depending on the individual case:
      • Proof of promised third-party funding or proof of efforts to raise third-party funding
      • Documents on significant expenditure items (e.g. results of the market survey)
    • For conferences:
      • Conference program
      • Explanations on the selection of topics and speakers
    • For publications:
      • Exposé and, if applicable, manuscript
      • Explanation of the publication and, if applicable, printing requirements, taking into account the previous publication status
      • Explanation of the choice of authors
      • Description of the distribution plan, including any expected annual income
    • for first-time applications:
      • Articles of association or rules of procedure
      • Proof of the signatory's power of representation, e.g. extract from the register of associations, power of attorney or similar
      • Business plan or budget overview or annual financial statements with details of assets and debts or current credit rating from the house bank
      • Notice of exemption from the tax office
      • Notice of entitlement to deduct input tax, if applicable
      • Activity reports for the last 2 years
      • Other documents as proof of proper management

    Once you have completed your project, you must submit the following documents:

    • Proof of use (in particular numerical evidence and factual report as well as photos, press reports and any publications)
    • Performance review report

You must apply for funding online or in writing to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

Apply for funding online:

  • Go to the federal portal and fill out the application form electronically.
    • You will need an electronic ID document for the online application, for example the online function of your ID card.
  • Upload the required documents - preferably summarized - as a file (in the file formats PDF, DOCX, XLSX, JPEG, PNG, maximum 10 megabytes per file) and send the application.

Further procedural steps:

  • The responsible BKM department will check whether the documents are complete and plausible and whether there is a significant federal interest in funding the requested measure. If necessary, the responsible department will contact you with further questions.
  • If BKM does not approve your application itself, the responsible BKM department will forward it to the responsible approval authority for the application review and approval procedure, usually the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) or another co-financing funding body.
  • Once the application has been reviewed, the approval authority will usually send you an approval or rejection notice by e-mail. The grant notification grants you a binding legal entitlement to the approved funding and regulates the conditions to be observed.
  • Once you have completed your project, you must submit a proof of use to the approval authority. Among other things, this consists of a numerical record and a factual report. This provides evidence of the results of your project and the use of the funding.
  • Once the project has been completed, you must usually also submit a performance review report. This determines the extent to which you have met the agreed funding objectives and measurement criteria.

There are no costs.

You do not have to observe any deadlines for the application itself if none are specified in the application form.

The documentation (proof of use and performance review) must be submitted by:

  • Proof of use: usually within 6 months of the end of the project
  • Performance review report: usually 2 months after the end of the project

Processing of your application from receipt of your application to the issue of the grant or rejection notice. (3 bis 4 Monate)

  • Appeal. Detailed information on whether and how to lodge an objection can be found in the notification.
  • Administrative court action

Status: 09.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Source: Federal Portal