Funding for Science and Research from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus)

This funding program aims to improve academic success in Brandenburg and support the securing of skilled labor in the state. Eligible to apply are state higher education institutions in Brandenburg that wish to implement measures to support students and their entry into professional life in the state.

Specific measures to improve academic success, strengthen identification with Brandenburg, and prepare for entry into professional life are funded. The funding covers project-related personnel and material expenses and spans various development phases, from study orientation to career entry.

The program offers financial support in the form of grants. The funding amount is up to 60 percent of the eligible expenses, with total project costs having to be at least 20,000 Euros. The guideline is valid until the end of 2028.

Various legal and administrative conditions must be observed for application submission and project implementation. These include transparency obligations, ensuring the additionality of funding to the basic resources of higher education institutions, and specific data processing requirements.

Applications for funding are submitted online via the client portal of the Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB). The approval authority, the ILB, decides on the granting of the subsidy, taking into account a professional opinion from the responsible ministry.

The funding guideline is based on the Brandenburg State Program for the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and is closely tied to European and national legal provisions that ensure transparency, equality, and sustainable development.