What is it about?
The bridging fund helps civil society projects in Germany if public funding has been approved but payment is delayed. You can apply for an interest-free loan as a one-off payment: €20,000-80,000 per organisation. The maximum term is 6 months from the conclusion of the contract; you specify the period in the application. As soon as the public funds are received, you repay the loan. Applications are possible on an ongoing basis; the pot is currently exhausted.
| Period | Continuous (without application deadline) |
| Funding amount | €20,000-80,000 (interest-free loan, one-off payment) |
| Area | Democracy and participation |
Documents to be submitted (extract): Notice of exemption, register/incorporation documents, articles of association, funding approval, project application incl. financial plan and current financial statements/balance sheet documents.
What is supported?
- Financial bridging if promised public subsidies (federal/state) are paid out later.
- An interest-free loan is paid out as a one-off payment (€ 20,000-80,000).
- Term: maximum 6 months from conclusion of contract (period is specified in the application).
Who can submit an application?
- Organisations or civil society projects in Germany that have a public funding commitment for the funding year 2026 (e.g. grant notification, confirmation of early start of measures or approval email).
- That cannot bridge the period until disbursement without support.
- Not possible: Bridging the gap after project completion.
- Not possible: Projects without public funding approval.
