Cohesion through Participation

The Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation" supports non-profit associations, organizations, and non-governmental institutions nationwide in promoting civic engagement, especially in rural and structurally weak regions of Germany. The goal is to strengthen democratic practice, foster social cohesion, and develop and embed new, innovative approaches to participation and extremism prevention.

The "Cohesion through Participation" program supports measures in three program areas that focus on strengthening democratic practice, shaping social cohesion locally, and testing innovative model projects. This includes the development of approaches to extremism prevention, the promotion of participation, and the implementation of political education formats. Measures primarily for school purposes, agitational goals, or those already financed by other federal programs are not eligible for funding.

The Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation" offers non-repayable grants to cover necessary personnel and material expenses. It is project funding as partial financing, where administrative expenses are eligible for a lump sum of up to 5% of the project expenses. Projects can generally have a maximum duration of five years.

Funding under the Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation" is subject to several conditions, including the non-profit status of the applicant institutions and the transferability of project results to other organizations or funding areas. Projects must be time-limited, carried out in rural or structurally weak regions, and contribute to knowledge gain. Additionally, grant recipients are obliged to participate in quality assurance measures and program-wide knowledge transfer.

The application for the Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation" must be submitted in writing and electronically to the Coordination Office of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (BpB). Calls for proposals, application deadlines, and information sheets are available on the program's homepage. Applications are checked for completeness and evaluated by external experts, with coordination taking place with the respective federal states. Approval is granted through a written grant notification.

The Federal Program "Cohesion through Participation" is based on the Guidelines for the Promotion of Projects for Democratic Participation and against Extremism in Rural or Structurally Weak Regions, issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The legal basis also includes §§ 23 and 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO) and the General Administrative Regulations to the BHO.