Funding principles & applications

For the selection of eligible projects, framework conditions are defined in the funding guideline, essentially:

• Projects to be funded must comply with one of RWE Foundation’s statutory purposes. The focus is on supporting children and young people, with the following priorities:
  • Promoting equal opportunities, overcoming social disadvantages.
  • Strengthening international and intercultural understanding, improving social cohesion.
• Only projects by non-profit and charitable organisations or purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-privileged purposes” of the German Tax Code (Section 51 and following, Fiscal Code) shall be funded.
• The project to be funded must be based on a long-term concept. If possible, the project should not be fully financed by the RWE Foundation alone, whereby own contributions should not be based on cash funds only.
• The funding period shall be limited to a maximum of three years.
• The projects to be funded should preferably be actions with a multiplier effect.
• The projects to be funded should be scalable and sustainable for the target group. In addition, funding exceeding 50,000 euros should be systemically anchored (involvement of public stakeholders). 
• The aim is to focus on forward-looking, exemplary and sustainable projects.
• Projects to be funded shall be based in Europe.
• Our funding activities start with a funding volume of 20,000 euros.
• Funds exceeding 50,000.00 euros require the approval of the advisory board. The advisory board meetings take place twice a year (for planning purposes in November and May).
• Deadline for projects to be funded > 50,000 euros: 1 April and 1 October.
• Deadline for projects to be funded ≤ 50,000 euros: 1 December and 1 June.
• It can take up to three months from the application deadline for the decision to be announced.
• In the event of a positive decision on an application, the granting of funds requires a separate agreement for funding/cooperation between the RWE Foundation and the applicant, in which rights and obligations are agreed on by both parties.

The following criteria exclude projects from receiving funding:

• Party-political and religious organisations
• Individual persons
• Material costs only (e.g. construction or renovation costs)
• Projects outside of Europe