Blue Belt Germany (Blaues Band Deutschland)
Enriched Federal (DE) · Found: 2026-03-10 21:07
Federal program for restoring waterways and floodplains as ecological corridors. Includes coastal and marine components. NGOs can participate as project partners.
Source: https://www.bfn.de/themen/gewaesser-auen-und-kuesten/blaues-band-deutschland.html
Funding Details
- Funder
- Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMUKN) / Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN)
- Funding Goal
- Funding for ecological restoration of floodplains and riparian areas along federal waterways in Germany. The programme supports projects that re-naturalise rivers, reconnect floodplains, and improve biodiversity and ecological connectivity along Germany's federal waterway network.
- Funding Amount
- Project-specific grants; individual awards have ranged from several hundred thousand euros to over 6.9 million euros (e.g. Auenland Elbmarsch project)
- Deadline
- Rolling basis (Rolling)
- How to Apply
- Project proposals can be submitted to the BfN (Bundesamt für Naturschutz) for floodplain-related projects, or to the nearest Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) for waterway-related measures. Full details and funding guidelines are available at: https://www.bfn.de/foerderprogramm-bbd. The programme has a dedicated funding guideline (Förderrichtlinie). Contact via blaues-band@bafg.de for research-related questions.
- Target Region
- Germany — federal waterways and associated floodplains (rivers including Elbe, Aller, Main, Werra, Rhein, Havel and others)
- Contact
- Dr. Nina Henning, Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, Email: blaues-band@bafg.de. BfN for Förderprogramm Auen: https://www.bfn.de/foerderprogramm-bbd
- Official Page
- https://www.blaues-band.bund.de/
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 13:20
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The Bundesprogramm Blaues Band Deutschland (BBD) is a long-term federal programme in Germany jointly initiated by the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUKN). Its central objective is the re-naturalisation of Germany's federal waterways, rivers, and associated floodplains (Auen) to create semi-natural habitats and improve ecological connectivity. The programme covers a wide range of thematic priorities: river renaturalisation, reconnection of oxbow lakes and side channels, floodplain restoration, habitat creation for wetland flora and fauna, improvement of fish passage, green and blue ecological corridors, and combining flood protection with nature conservation. Recreational and climate-adaptation benefits are also emphasised. Eligible activities include physical restoration measures (e.g. dyke relocation, channel reconnection, embankment reshaping), ecological planning, pre-feasibility studies, and nature conservation management on floodplain areas not owned by the federal government. Projects submitted by third parties (NGOs, municipalities, foundations) are funded through the Förderprogramm Auen, administered by BfN. The geographic scope is national Germany, focusing on federal waterways — major rivers including the Elbe, Weser, Aller, Rhine, Main, Havel, Werra, and Danube tributaries. Projects on non-federal floodplain areas adjacent to these waterways are also eligible. Eligible applicants for the Förderprogramm Auen are associations (Vereine), NGOs, foundations, municipalities, and other institutions. Proposals linking floodplain work to existing WSV waterway measures are prioritised. Individual grant amounts have ranged from hundreds of thousands of euros to nearly 7 million euros for large-scale projects. No standard deadline or competitive call process is described — project proposals are submitted on a rolling basis either to BfN (for floodplain projects) or the relevant Waterways and Shipping Office. Funding guidelines (Förderrichtlinie) are available from BfN.
Historical Context
The Bundesprogramm Blaues Band Deutschland (BBD) is an ongoing long-term federal programme jointly led by the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUKN). Multiple rounds of cooperation projects have been funded since the programme's launch. The Förderprogramm Auen is a dedicated grant scheme within BBD managed by BfN. Confirmed projects include: Untere Havel (NABU, Förderbescheid 2024), Auenland Elbmarsch (6.9M EUR, 2023), Oberrhein cooperation (2025), AllerVielfalt Verden (NABU), Main bei Maintal, Lohbuschteich. Europe's largest river restoration is part of this programme.
Why it was added
DE round 6 - Federal waterway restoration program with marine/coastal components
Sources
- https://www.blaues-band.bund.de/
- https://www.blaues-band.bund.de/Projektseiten/Blaues_Band/DE/04_Projekte/Projektvorschlag/Projektvorschlag_node.html
- https://www.blaues-band.bund.de/Projektseiten/Blaues_Band/DE/04a_Begleitforschung/Finanzierung/Finanzierung_node.html