Overall Description

Open-topic funding supports innovative environmental projects that contribute significantly to solving environmental problems but do not fit within one of DBU’s defined thematic funding areas.

Projects must align with DBU’s statutory environmental purpose and demonstrate high potential environmental impact. Support may be provided for technically based ideas whose practical feasibility is not yet fully certain, as well as projects that disseminate exemplary and novel environmental solutions.

Funding Amount

• Typical DBU funding per project: €100,000–€400,000, excluding the applicant’s own contribution.
• Maximum per project: No fixed maximum; funding is determined individually..
• Funding instrument: Earmarked, non-repayable grant.
• Co-financing: Applicants must generally provide and document an own contribution.
• Indicative funding rate: Cost-based funding is usually approximately 50%.
  • Companies generally contribute 75% of development-related project costs and 50% of research-related project costs. More favourable rates may apply to SMEs and cooperation projects.
• Grants up to €175,000 are approved by the DBU Secretary General. Larger grants require additional assessment and approval by the DBU Board of Trustees.

Submission Deadlines

• Deadline: No fixed deadline; project outlines and applications may be submitted at any time.
• Early submission is recommended because funding is competitive.
• Indicative assessment period: approximately four to six months for complete applications not requiring additional clarification or external review.

Submission Conditions

• Applications normally follow a two-stage procedure:
  1. Submission of a project outline through the DBU online portal, normally 3–10 pages.
  2. Submission of a complete funding application, normally around 20 pages, following an invitation from DBU.
• Applications and project reports must generally be submitted in German.
• The project must align with DBU’s statutory environmental purpose.
• The proposal must address an environmental problem and demonstrate high expected environmental impact.
• The project should not fit appropriately within one of DBU’s specific funding topics.
• Projects must be innovative, exemplary and practically relevant.
• Projects must not begin before DBU approval unless early commencement has been expressly authorised.
• Applicants must generally provide an own contribution and document total project expenditure.
• Cooperation projects require a joint application and a separate cost plan for each partner.
• Typical project duration is 18–36 months; longer projects are considered only in justified exceptional cases.
• Compliance with DBU funding guidelines and applicable EU State aid rules is required.
• Apps and digital platforms serving exclusively to fulfil supply-chain due-diligence, CSR reporting or comparable compliance obligations are generally not eligible.
• Projects fulfilling statutory compulsory tasks, pure investment projects, basic research without implementation potential and market-launch projects are excluded.
• Institutional funding and studies without a concrete implementation component are also not eligible.

Eligible Types of Businesses and Organisations

Funding is generally available to legal entities, including:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises – given particular consideration.
• Other companies.
• Technology and product developers.
• Universities and higher-education institutions.
• Scientific and research institutions.
• Associations and non-profit organisations.
• Municipalities and other local authorities.
• Environmental and nature-conservation organisations.
• Educational and civil-society organisations.
• Other public or private legal entities.

Natural persons and state institutions may be supported in individual cases following a separate assessment.

Eligible Countries

• Primary eligible country:
  • Germany
• International projects:
  • Limited funding is available for international projects, primarily in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
  • Projects outside these regions may be considered individually.
  • International projects must primarily be implemented abroad and substantially involve local partners.
  • DBU particularly supports cooperation between a German applicant and local international partners.