+++ APPLICATION DEADLINE ALREADY EXPIRED +++

The most precious things are sometimes the most fragile: Take for example our planet’s thin atmosphere that makes it possible for us to breathe and live, as well as the networks of relationships we have with one another, within and in between societies, and with our environment.

There is enormous political, technological and social pressure weighing on those connections supported by trust and care, empathy and respect. Authoritarianism, the hardening of ideologies, discrimination and exclusion, the insistence on destructive forms of economy, the exploitation of planetary resources, a polarizing media environment – this all produces concerns that we are crossing tipping points – socially and environmentally. For decades now, we have been aware of the dysfunctional relationship between people and their natural environment. Recently, an increasing number of cracks have become visible between former allies. There is a dissolving of alliances that have grown over the years.

There is also reason for hope. Networks have held their ground, even under increasing pressure, and new alliances based on trust have emerged. This is where the Allianz Foundation’s grant program comes in. With this call, we aim to support committed actors from the fields of European civil society, arts and culture as well as climate and the environment in building and maintaining resilient structures and continuing to fight for just futures within our planetary boundaries. Because that which seems fragile can turn out to be surprisingly sturdy.

“We are looking for initiatives that prevent divisions in our minds from becoming divisions in our hearts. We want to support those who have the ability to bring together what is in danger of drifting apart.”
Esra Küçük, CEO, Allianz Foundation

The Allianz Foundation is looking for projects from the fields of arts and culture, European civil society, climate and the environment, which are taking a stand against increasing social and ecological decay. Eligible are cooperative initiatives from Europe and the Mediterranean region that stand for solidarity, a sense of community, and respect.

The application process has two stages: 1. Project outline, 2. Full project application for selected outlines.
The submission deadline for projects has already expired.
Applicants will be informed by March 7, 2024 whether the proposal was selected for a full application. The selected proposals will receive further information on how to submit a full application.
Applications will be submitted to our expert juries in May and to our Board of Trustees for the final funding decision in June.
The selected projects will be announced in July 2024.
The funding period is from August 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026.
Projects can be funded with an amount between 80,000 and 225,000 € for a maximum duration of 24 months.

What we are looking for.

We are looking for applications from the fields of European civil society, arts and culture as well as climate and the environment that

are realized by at least two equal partners. The idea of building bridges and promoting change through cooperation should be inscribed in the project structure. We particularly welcome transdisciplinary applications as a foundation that works at the interface of different topics and disciplines.
take a systemic view of areas of action, go beyond mere problem analysis and look for solutions with a leverage effect – preferably outside of the well-worn paths.
develop a sustainable vision going beyond the immediate time scope of the project and conveying a clear picture of which structures are to be established or maintained and which changes can be achieved. What will last beyond the end of the funding period and would have been impossible without the project?
transcend national borders and have strong local roots at the same time. In other words, projects that strive to tackle global challenges by bringing about change in their region, communities, or local environment.
that use natural resources in an economic way and pursue sustainable formats and strategies.

What we offer.

grants between 80,000 and 225,000 € per project, for a maximum duration of 24 months. Earliest starting date is 1 August 2024.
the opportunity to apply up to 20% of the total project amount as administrative costs. In this way, we want to recognize the importance of indirect costs for sustainable, structural civil society work. These costs can be used, for example, to finance expenses that are not directly project-related - such as rent, personnel costs or the purchase of materials.
integration and participation in the networks and activities by the Allianz Foundation, enabling contacts to be established with risk takers and committed actors from all over Europe and the Mediterranean.

More information on the criteria and the application process can be found in the FAQ section at the bottom of this page.

Three areas for concrete impact

The Allianz Foundation’s grants program focuses on projects in the areas of climate & environment, European civil society and arts & culture. Three independent juries select the projects for their respective field. In order to strengthen the impact of our funding and be transparent regarding what we are looking for, applicants may find additional information about what is our focus will be in the respective areas here.

Climate & Environment

In the area of climate and environment, we are especially looking for initiatives and projects that

develop and implement strategies to enable sustainable and transformative steps in the field of land use and ecosystems, create multiple benefits in addressing various related crises and focus on one or more of the following areas: Food, Building and Housing, Plastics.
not only address the symptoms of the disturbed relationship between humans and their natural environment, but also work on solutions to repair this relationship.
reconcile the basic physical and mental needs of people with the requirements of climate justice and the integrity of climate and environment.

Further information can be found in the FAQ below.

Arts & Culture

In the area of arts and culture, we are especially looking for projects that

emphasize the community-building potential of the arts by creating publicly accessible spaces, providing platforms for exchange and difficult debates, creating opportunities for peer learning and building sustainable networks of like-minded institutions.
fight against social fragmentation and marginalization as well as combat all kinds of discrimination – by including diverse voices, of various backgrounds and from different social spheres at all levels (whether as actors, producers or audiences).
mobilize the power of the arts to illustrate the urgency of the climate crisis. There are projects that find new narratives or create new images to make perceptible what is in danger of being lost, what can and cannot be repaired – and develop concrete practices for more just forms of earthly coexistence.

People connecting threads and forming an network

European Civil Society

In the area of European civil society, we are especially looking for projects that

strengthen spaces for civil society across Europe and the Mediterranean, for example through cross-border alliances in defense of civil liberties and the rule of law
fight against the lack of trust in independent media and journalism in order to support their role as guardians of democratic structures and catalysts of open public discourse across political tribes
strengthen the plurality of voices in Europe’s post-migrant societies by enabling alliances and contributing to a fairer political representation and participation.

* The title and claim of this call were inspired by a project of our partners from Academy in Exile: „Fixing What’s Broken".

A woman is standing next to a demonstration and is holding her bycycle.

@ Vale

FAQs

What does the selection process look like?

The Allianz Foundation team reviews your project outline. Project outlines can be submitted via our online form starting in the middle of January 2024. The respective link will be provided here on this website. The submission deadline for project outlines is February 7, 2024, 12:00 pm (noon) CET. We aim to inform you if your project has been selected for the second round until March 7, 2024. Please refrain from inquiries during this time.

If your project meets our thematic priorities and criteria, we will ask you to hand in a complete application. Requested applications can be submitted until April 15, 2024 (12:00 pm CET). An application consists of a financial plan and a detailed project description including a milestone plan.

Your full application will be checked by the foundation's team for formal completeness and correctness. We will set up a call with you (end of April 2024) to discuss any questions we may have regarding the application and support you in the process. Subsequently, the application will be reviewed by an expert jury which will select the most convincing projects and recommend those for funding to our Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees then approves the funding for the proposed projects at its meeting in late June.

Can I apply in other languages?

Application documents can generally be submitted in German or English. For reasons of processing, we cannot offer any other languages in our documents. To enable an assessment by non-German speaking jury members, please note that application documents submitted in German will be translated to English using translation software.

In which countries can projects be funded?

The Allianz Foundation supports projects and partners in Europe and the Mediterranean that work to improve the living conditions of the Next Generations. Projects that have an impact in these regions and partners for whom the strengthening of the European & Mediterranean civil society, cultural landscape and nature is an essential part of their work are therefore eligible to apply. The implementation of the project and use of its funds must primarily take place in Europe and the Mediterranean. If you are unsure whether your project falls within our regional order, please contact: info@allianzfoundation.org

What is the maximum funding for my project?

Projects can be funded with an amount between 80,000 and 225,000 € for a maximum duration of 24 months. The Allianz Foundation funds projects up to a maximum percentage of 75% of total project costs, i.e. at least 25% of funding has to come from other sources (see below). In the selection process, we check the estimated expenses to see whether the requested amount allows for a realistic implementation of the project and criteria such as fair pay. We encourage applicants to pay fair wages and we welcome measures to implement a climate strategy within the project and the organization.

Do I have to contribute own funds or other third-party funds?

The Allianz Foundation does not provide full financing for projects. This means that further own or third-party funds of at least 25 % of the total cost of the project must be contributed. This can be your organization's own funds or other funds requested from third-party funding bodies. Please note that third-party funds must be confirmed before the project starts – a project may not be begun if the overall project costs are not covered. It is unfortunately not possible to start with Allianz Foundation funds only and acquire third party funds while the project is already running. It is also important to note that own contributions (i.e. non-monetary services) cannot be part of the cost and financing plan.

Can I cover indirect or infrastructure costs with the funding of Allianz Foundation?

We acknowledge that there are important processes of an organization that are not directly related to a concrete project, for example the preparation and submission of applications for future projects, rental costs or teambuilding measures. To give the applicants flexibility to cover these indirect costs, for this call we have increased the admissible administrative fee to up to 20% of the project costs. These costs do not need to be documented in the financial report, but in the context of the full project application process an explanation of the intended use might be requested. If you have questions regarding this point, we can answer them at the digital Q&A session for interested applicants (see above).

Can my project last for more than one year?

Projects can have a maximum duration of 24 months from the start of the project.

Can my project have already started?

The project may not start before the announcement of the funding decision. This means that the earliest possible start of the project is August 1, 2024. No expenditure or material commitments may have been entered into before that date.

Can I get feedback on my project outline / application?

We receive a large number of project outlines in the first phase of the application process. Unfortunately, this means that we cannot give advice or feedback at this stage. If you are selected for a full application, we will set up a call with you to support you in the further process and give relevant feedback on your application. In case your project should then not be finally selected by the jury, you are welcome to contact us and we strive to provide you with relevant feedback as far as possible.

What do you mean by “funding projects that use natural resources in an economic way and pursue sustainable formats and strategies”?

We welcome project ideas that pursue sustainable or climate-friendly approaches at various levels. This can be done in the project, for example, through regional exchanges without air travel, or by reusing materials in different places and in different contexts.

We also welcome climate-friendly and sustainable measures within the framework of the project budget and support, for example, additional costs for vegetarian, regional, seasonal catering; sustainable event concepts (e.g. support for travel by public transport), Co2 compensation of air travel, etc. At the thematic level, too, we welcome a discussion of the social, cultural and political implications of climate change.

What are the criteria for projects in the field of climate & environment?

In the area of climate & environment, we are especially looking for multiple-benefit projects and initiatives that, in the context of ecosystems and land use, address the following areas: food, building and housing, plastics.

Food: Emphasize the benefits of the transformation to sustainable food systems e.g. for ecosystems, the global climate, human health, working conditions and small scale farmers. Propose, simultaneously, approaches that address possible adverse changes and cultural clashes in a participatory and inclusive manner.

Building and housing: Identify the impacts that our ways of building houses and our immediate housing environment have on biodiversity, water cycles, use of communal space and energy and the production of construction waste. Concentrate on alternative, community supported construction materials and systems that strengthen sustainable transformation, protect healthy, resilient ecosystems, that contribute to meeting the climate crisis and highlight the benefits for the flourishing of communities and the individual.

Plastics: Promote practices that use less plastic and natural resources generally, instead of pushing for one-to-one replacements. Deconstruct the narrative that plastic can be a circular use product and develop healthy circular solutions for using resources, in a way that do not harm ecosystems but help them regenerate. Strive to switch off the torrent of fossil fuels in the form of plastic that destroys ecosystems and is here to stay almost forever. How can we and our relationships be fantastic without the plastic? Try to find an answer to this!

Can I apply for funding as an individual?

Within the framework of the grants program, funding of individuals is unfortunately not possible.

Can I apply as a for-profit organization or company?

In principle, this is possible. However, in this case it must be explained in detail to what extent the requested project is strictly non-profit and that no commercial interests are pursed. The cost and financing plan must reflect this. Among other things, all subsidies may only be used directly for project-relevant expenses and may not be invested.

Is follow-up funding possible?

Follow-up funding is generally possible. However, applications for further funding of a project go through the same selection process.

What cannot be funded?

full financing of a project
Shortfall financing or budget gaps in the public sector as well as non-project-related costs
Individuals and individual assistance (travel or training costs)
Scholarships outside the Foundation's own programs (training/doctoral scholarships)
School and university activities
Publications not related to a funding project (e.g. printing cost subsidies)
Film productions (with the exception of project documentation)
Art or real estate purchases
Evaluation activities outside the Foundation's own programs
Building measure
Purchase of technical equipment not related to the project
Charity events and charity galas
Sports and entertainment events
Commercial productions, events and sponsorship activities
Non-program-related lobbying
Gifts
Advertising spots and other street and door-to-door advertising
organizational consulting
Membership fees from other organizations
Board related expenses