Overall Description

The Marine Nature Conservation Fund supports projects protecting and restoring the ecosystems of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. It responds to the poor environmental condition of these intensively used marine areas and to additional pressures associated with the expansion of offshore wind energy.

The fund supports marine-species and habitat conservation, environmentally compatible offshore infrastructure, applied R&D, practical demonstration and—exceptionally—innovative monitoring, participation and communication methods. It was established by DBU following an endowment from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, funded through compensation payments connected with offshore wind development.

Funding Amount

• Total funding available: Approximately €10 million annually from 2025.
• Typical DBU funding per project: Generally €100,000–€400,000, excluding the applicant’s own contribution.
• Maximum per project: No specific maximum is stated for the Marine Nature Conservation Fund; funding is assessed individually.
• Co-financing: Applicants must generally provide and document an own contribution.
• Indicative funding rate: Cost-based funding is usually approximately 50%.
• 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.
• The fund is financed through proceeds from a BMUV endowment originating from offshore-wind compensation payments under the German Offshore Wind Energy Act.

Submission Deadlines

• Deadline: No fixed deadline is stated; applications may be submitted through DBU’s online application system.
• DBU advises applicants to consult current application information and its DBUaktuell newsletter.
• Early submission is recommended because funding is competitive.
• Indicative assessment period under general DBU project funding is approximately four to six months for complete applications not requiring additional 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 application, normally around 20 pages, following an invitation from DBU.
• Projects must directly contribute to marine nature conservation in the North Sea or Baltic Sea.
• Projects should address species and habitat conservation, offshore-wind impacts or other significant pressures on marine ecosystems.
• Monitoring, participation and communication projects are considered only in individual cases.
• Technology projects may include R&D, practical testing, demonstration and implementation.
• Applications and project reports must generally be submitted in German.
• Projects must be innovative, exemplary, environmentally beneficial and practically implementable.
• 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 separate cost plans for participating partners.
• Typical project duration is 18–36 months; longer projects are considered only in justified exceptional cases.
• Pure basic research, statutory activities, pure monitoring without an innovative implementation perspective and pure investment projects are not eligible.

Eligible Types of Businesses

Funding is generally available to legal entities, including:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Marine and offshore technology companies.
• Environmental engineering companies.
• Universities and higher-education institutions.
• Scientific and marine research institutions.
• Nature-conservation and environmental organisations.
• Non-profit organisations and associations.
• Municipalities and other public-sector bodies.
• Water, catchment and coastal-management organisations.
• Educational and civil-society organisations.
• Other legally constituted organisations.

Marine-conservation projects may also seek support through DBU’s Green Start-up Programme, doctoral scholarship programme and CEE fellowship programme, subject to their respective rules.

Eligible Countries

• Primary eligible country: Germany
• Projects must relate to marine nature conservation in the North Sea or Baltic Sea.
• International or cross-border participation may be possible where a project concerns these marine regions and meets DBU’s international funding requirements. International projects must substantially involve appropriate local partners and are assessed individually.