Village renewal: municipal funding

Village renewal is a state funding instrument to support municipalities that are responsible for their own structural development and is also part of an active structural policy for rural areas.

The aim of village renewal is to support the sustainable and future-proof development of the village and to maintain and further develop the village as an independent living, working, social and cultural space. Maintaining and strengthening the functional diversity of villages in economic, ecological, social and cultural terms is one of the main concerns of village renewal. The main tasks of village renewal include, in particular, structural improvement measures that also contribute to the stabilization and strengthening of village centers, e.g:

• The creation or safeguarding of jobs close to residential areas.
• Securing or restoring the local basic supply of everyday goods.
• The conversion of vacant buildings that are characteristic of the village into living and working space.
• Safeguarding and improving the appearance of the village and the structural order.
• The preservation and renewal of buildings and settlement structures that characterize the village and are typical of the region.
• The restoration or preservation of the unity of village and landscape.
• The promotion of commitment and self-initiative of the villagers for the interests of their village.
• The implementation of comprehensive information, education and advisory work as part of village moderation

Funding:

Grants are awarded for the following projects (exemplary list):

• Preparation and implementation of the information, education and advisory work required for the village renewal measures as part of village moderation;
• Updating and further development of existing village renewal concepts as well as advisory services for the local communities;
• Construction measures for the renewal, extension, conversion or addition of older buildings that characterize the village and landscape or are of public importance with courtyards and green spaces, including additional expenses for the preservation of historical monuments and building ecology;
• Creation of new living space in village centers by converting vacant buildings or closing gaps between buildings in scale, village architecture (additional design costs);
• Structural measures within the village to maintain and create new workplaces close to residential areas;
• Conservation, design and development of areas of ecological or landscape conservation importance as well as typically rural and traditional areas and measures to improve the integration of villages into the landscape;
• near-natural design and renaturation of inner-village streams to support ecological diversity in the village;
• Expenditure for the preservation and creation of habitats for endangered animal and plant species typical of the village;
• Improvement of the residential environment by converting sealed areas into near-natural open spaces; environmentally friendly expansion and design of streets and squares with a significance that goes beyond their traffic and development function.
• Investment projects to secure and expand a needs-based local basic supply of goods and services, construction and functional improvement of public facilities, especially in buildings or facilities that characterize the local landscape; exceptionally also projects that are necessary to establish a project sponsor;
• initiative projects and smaller construction projects for local social, cultural and advisory work, in particular by local self-help groups for children, young people, the disabled and older citizens;
• Measures for the creation of environmentally friendly village tourism and nature-oriented recreation, including joint projects of several municipalities; building construction measures are only supported in buildings that characterize the village or landscape;

The amount of the grant depends on the applicant's financial capacity and the state's interest in carrying out the project. The funding rate can be up to 65% of the eligible costs.

No funding:

Projects are not eligible for funding,

• which are entirely or predominantly cosmetic repairs or are used for building maintenance,
• which represent measures in new development areas
• which have already been started.