Large-Scale Nature Conservation Projects (chance.natur)

Enriched Federal (DE) · Found: 2026-03-10 12:35

BfN/BMUV programme funding nationally significant nature and cultural landscapes. Rolling applications. Eligible: NGOs, associations, municipalities. Could include coastal and marine habitats.

Source: https://www.bfn.de/foerderprogramm/naturschutzgrossprojekte

Funding Details

Funder

Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) / BMUV

Funding Goal

Fund large-scale nature conservation projects of national and international significance in Germany, protecting natural and cultural landscapes with outstanding habitats and endangered species.

Funding Amount

Up to 75% of eligible project costs; annual federal budget of €12.8 million; over €550 million allocated since 1979

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted at any time via email to foerderung@bfn.de. Applicants first submit a project sketch, then a formal application. The respective federal state ministry must be involved in the process. BfN provides technical and budgetary advisory support. Projects proceed in two phases: Project I (planning, up to 3 years) and Project II (implementation, up to 10 years). The federal government cannot fund the development of project sketches and applications themselves.

Target Region

Germany

Contact

Funding Coordination Department, Email: foerderung@bfn.de, Address: Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn

Official Page

https://www.bfn.de/foerderprogramm-ngp

Last Checked

2026-03-11 18:45

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a non-federal entity: municipality, county, conservation NGO, foundation, or special-purpose association
• Project area must be of outstanding national/international conservation significance and representative of German landscape types
• The respective federal state ministry must be involved in the application process

Project Scope

• Project must demonstrate high degree of naturalness or historically valuable cultural landscape with endangered habitats/species
• Project area must be sufficiently large to maintain viable species populations

Required Documents

• Submit project sketch and formal application via email to foerderung@bfn.de

Constraints

• Applicant must provide minimum 10% co-funding; total non-federal share is 25%
• Federal government cannot fund the development of project sketches and applications

Summary

The "chance.natur" program (Naturschutzgroßprojekte) is a long-running German federal funding program administered by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV). Since 1979, it has supported 92 large-scale nature conservation projects covering over 7,500 square kilometers, with more than €550 million in federal funding allocated to date. The program currently has an annual budget of €12.8 million. The program funds projects in areas of outstanding national and international conservation significance. Projects must demonstrate representativeness of German landscape types, a high degree of naturalness or historically valuable cultural landscapes, sufficient size for viable species populations, genuine threat or endangerment, and exemplary planning approaches. Eligible activities include land acquisition, leasing, ecological management, planning documentation, monitoring, and public engagement. Funding covers up to 75% of total eligible costs from the federal government, with the remaining 25% shared between the participating federal state and the project sponsor. Eligible applicants include municipalities, counties, conservation organizations, foundations, and special-purpose associations. Projects proceed in two phases: a planning phase (up to 3 years) and an implementation phase (up to 10 years). Applications can be submitted at any time (rolling basis), and the respective state ministry must be involved in the process.

Historical Context

The program has been running since 1979 and has funded 92 large-scale nature conservation projects covering over 7,500 square kilometers with more than €550 million in federal funding. The current guideline (Richtlinie chance.natur) dates from December 2014, with an amendment published in June 2019. Since 2022, BfN has consolidated multiple funding programs under the Bundesnaturschutzfonds umbrella.

Why it was added

Covers large-scale conservation including potentially coastal/marine landscapes. Substantial funding possible but webpage last updated 2020 - needs verification.

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