Förderkriterien - Stiftung Mercator

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

1. WAS WIR FÖRDERN. Die Stiftung Mercator ist sowohl operativ als auch fördernd tätig. In der Praxis werden ungefähr 20 Prozent der Projekte durch die Stiftung ...

Source: https://www.stiftung-mercator.de/de/wie-wir-foerdern/informationen-fuer-antragstellende/foerderkriterien/

Funding Details

Funder

Stiftung Mercator

Funding Goal

Support projects aligned with four thematic pillars: digitized society, Europe in the world, climate protection, and social participation and cohesion — with a focus on systemic, long-term societal change primarily in Germany and with Europe-wide relevance.

Funding Amount

Not specified; the foundation receives far more applications than available funds, implying competitive multi-year grants.

How to Apply

Submit a funding application (Förderantrag) aligned with the stated thematic and strategic criteria. The foundation reviews applications against strict thresholds due to high demand. No online portal or specific submission format is described on this page; a contact form is linked from the footer.

Target Region

Germany (Ruhrgebiet prioritized); Europe

Contact

Contact form: https://www.stiftung-mercator.de/de/kontakt-und-anfahrt/kontaktformular/

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:52

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Project must clearly align with at least one of the four thematic areas: Digitized Society, Europe in the World, Climate Protection, or Participation and Cohesion
• Applicants must demonstrate proven expertise in the specific thematic field
• International projects must have an explicit connection to Germany to be eligible

Project Scope

• Project must pursue systemic, long-term societal change — not a one-off measure
• Project should include cross-sector collaboration (e.g., policymakers, ministries, research institutions, associations)
• Project should have a plan for long-term embedding/sustainability after the funding period ends

Required Documents

• Scientific evaluation or monitoring of the project during the funding period is strongly preferred

Constraints

• Commercial ventures, building measures, and purely event-based projects are explicitly excluded

Summary

Stiftung Mercator is one of Germany's largest private foundations, operating both directly (~20% of projects) and as a grant-maker (~80% of projects). The foundation funds projects across four thematic areas: Digitized Society (democratic use of digital technologies), Europe in the World (EU cohesion and international relations, particularly with China and Turkey), Climate Protection (greenhouse gas neutrality in Germany by 2050, EU climate leadership), and Participation and Cohesion (social inclusion, civic participation, democratic resilience). Applications are evaluated against both thematic and strategic criteria. Strategic criteria include quality/expertise, systemic impact (rather than one-off measures), longer funding periods, scientific evaluation during the project, cross-sector collaboration (involving policymakers, ministries, research institutions), and a preference for projects located in or connected to the Ruhrgebiet region. The foundation explicitly does not fund construction works, purely commercial ventures, international projects without a Germany reference, individual persons or groups, or events with a purely entertainment character. Projects in the climate theme that focus exclusively on environmental education for youth are also excluded. No fixed funding amounts or application deadlines are stated; the foundation appears to accept applications on a rolling basis, with highly competitive selection given that applications significantly exceed available funding.

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