European Environment Initiative (EURENI) - ZUG Germany

Enriched Federal (DE) · Found: 2026-03-11 10:49

German federal initiative supporting civil society dialogue and cross-border exchange on European environmental issues. Provides annual funding up to EUR 2.6 million for NGOs, foundations, think tanks, universities, and research institutes working on environmental topics including plastic waste and circular economy.

Source: https://z-u-g.org/en/eureni

Funding Details

Funder

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN), Germany - administered by ZUG gGmbH

Funding Goal

Support civil society cooperation on environmental protection issues across Europe, fostering dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and mutual learning between EU Member States and neighbouring countries to accelerate environmental goal achievement

Funding Amount

Annual total programme budget up to EUR 2.6 million; individual project grants typically range from EUR 50,000 to EUR 300,000 based on comparable EU civil society environmental programmes

Deadline

Periodic annual calls - check z-u-g.org/en/eureni for current open call (periodic)

How to Apply

Apply via ZUG online portal at z-u-g.org/en/eureni/funding/. Check current call status and deadlines on the EURENI funding page. Contact ZUG for guidance.

Target Region

EU and EFTA member states; European neighbouring states eligible as partners

Contact

ZUG gGmbH, Zukunft - Umwelt - Gesellschaft; eureni@z-u-g.org (approximate); z-u-g.org; Berlin, Germany

Last Checked

2026-03-15 13:29

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a non-profit organisation based in EU or EFTA member state

Project Scope

• Project must address cross-border environmental protection challenges
• Priority areas: chemical policy, circular economy, water protection, participation/youth exchange
• Marine conservation is an eligible additional topic area

Required Documents

• Check z-u-g.org/en/eureni for current call deadline and application form
• Apply via ZUG online portal

Constraints

• Project activities must not be carried out exclusively in Germany
• Climate/GHG reduction projects are NOT funded - must be environmental protection focus (pollution, water, CE, biodiversity)

Summary

EURENI (EURopean ENvironment Initiative) is a German Federal Government-funded programme administered by Zukunft - Umwelt - Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH. It was launched in 2021 by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) to strengthen European civil society cooperation on environmental challenges that transcend national borders. Since 2022, the programme provides annual funding of up to EUR 2.6 million to support cross-border environmental projects. The programme funds projects led by non-governmental organisations, foundations, think tanks, universities, research institutes, and non-profit organisations based in EU or EFTA member states. Partners from European neighbouring states may also participate. The central requirement is that projects must address genuine cross-border environmental protection challenges and involve genuine multi-country cooperation - projects carried out exclusively in Germany are not eligible. EURENI supports several priority environmental thematic areas: chemical policy, sustainable economy (including circular economy and sustainable finance), water protection and water resilience, and participation processes and youth exchanges. Additional eligible areas include immission control, air pollution, water management, marine conservation, and soil conservation. Projects may also address cross-cutting issues such as gender equality and digitalization in environmental governance. Critically, measures primarily aimed at climate protection, greenhouse gas reduction, or decarbonisation are not funded under EURENI - the programme is oriented toward pollution, biodiversity, and resource management rather than climate mitigation. Eligible activities include knowledge exchange, civil society capacity building, multi-stakeholder dialogues, model testing, policy influence, and cross-border network development. The programme runs on an annual basis with periodic calls for proposals issued through ZUG's online portal. Prospective applicants should monitor the ZUG EURENI funding page for current call announcements, deadlines, and application guidance.

Historical Context

EURENI was launched in 2021 by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment as part of Germany's commitment to strengthening European environmental governance through civil society. Since 2022, it has operated annual calls totalling up to EUR 2.6M. Funded projects have covered topics including sustainable supply chains, citizen participation in environmental policy, and biodiversity protection. The programme is distinct from German bilateral environmental aid programmes.

Why it was added

Baltic government waste/CE program

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