Stiftung Mercator - Terra Viva Grants

Enriched family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:12

Climate Change.​​ The foundation supports actions in energy, transport, and land use that reduce human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases.

Source: https://www.terravivagrants.org/group-3-energy-climate-change/stiftung-mercator/

Funding Details

Funder

Stiftung Mercator

Funding Goal

Support actions in energy, transport, and land use that reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, with a primary focus on Germany and secondary interest in pan-European and international climate cooperation.

Funding Amount

No minimum or maximum grant size specified.

How to Apply

Submit a draft proposal (project title, description, explanation of alignment with funding criteria, and budget) at any time — no deadline. The Foundation selects applicants and invites full applications from shortlisted candidates. Applications accepted in German or English.

Target Region

Germany (primary); pan-Europe, China, Turkey (secondary)

Contact

Stiftung Mercator, Essen, Germany. Contact form available on foundation website.

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:50

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organization must be based in Germany, OR must fully comply with German non-profit law if headquartered outside Germany

Project Scope

• Project must address reduction of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions in energy, transport, or land use

Required Documents

• Draft proposal must include: project title, project description, explanation of how the project meets funding criteria, and a budget
• Proposals may be submitted in German or English

Constraints

• Primary focus is Germany; international projects must demonstrate clear relevance to pan-European climate protection or Mercator's international focus areas (China, Turkey, pan-Europe)
• Foundation operates an invitation-only full application process — only selected draft applicants are invited to submit a full proposal

Summary

Stiftung Mercator is one of Germany's largest private foundations, organized around three centers: science and humanities, education, and international affairs. Climate change is a cross-cutting theme across all three centers. The foundation funds projects in energy, transport, and land use that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with particular interests in climate and culture, low-carbon future cities, and the intersection of climate change with international affairs — especially in relation to China and Turkey. The foundation's primary geographic focus is Germany, though it supports climate protection at the pan-European level and broader international cooperation. German-based organizations may apply for projects outside Germany; organizations headquartered outside Germany are eligible only if they comply with all requirements of German non-profit law. There is no minimum or maximum grant size. The application process is rolling — draft proposals may be submitted at any time without a calendar deadline. A draft proposal requires a project title and description, an explanation of how the project meets the Foundation's funding criteria, and a budget. The Foundation then invites full applications from selected applicants. Proposals can be submitted in German or English.

Historical Context

The Terra Viva Grants directory page was published on 2022-09-28. Stiftung Mercator is described as among the largest private foundations in Germany. No specific historical grant rounds or award data provided.

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