Promoting commitment to sustainable development

Funding can only be provided within the limits of the funds available annually in the budget. Please note that all project proposals exceeding 25,000 euros must be submitted to the Munich City Council for a decision. There is no minimum or maximum limit for non-profit organisations. Project proposals from individuals are capped at 6,100 euros. Eligible costs include material and personnel costs.

If you receive a grant approval from us, you must clearly acknowledge our support in all publications (in both print and digital formats) as well as at events you organise as part of the project.

Please use the logo of the Department for Climate and Environmental Protection and include an appropriate statement in accordance with the ancillary provisions.

Project applications for funding of upto 25,000 euros may be submitted at any time up to 30 September. The project must be carried out in the year in which the application is submitted.

Applications for projects with a funding amount exceeding 25,000 euros must be submitted by 30 April of each year. The City Council will decide on funding in the fourth quarter of the year in which the application is submitted. The project can commence in the following year.

The grants we award are provided as de minimis aid, provided that they constitute state aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the TFEU. De minimis aid may only be granted if the total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking over a three-year period does not exceed 300,000 euros. This threshold refers to all grants, subsidies, etc., that an undertaking has received from all public funding bodies.

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What is State aid under Article 107(1) of the TFEU?

State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU is generally deemed to exist where a grant awarded by a public funding body is used for an economic activity (see the information sheet on the TFEU for the distinction between non-economic and economic activities) of the grant recipient, and the grant recipient’s activity does not have a purely local impact. In particular, a purely local impact is no longer present if the recipient’s activity is likely to attract customers from other Member States (e.g. tourists).

What constitutes an undertaking within the meaning of European State aid law?

The concept of an undertaking is interpreted broadly under European State aid law. An undertaking is defined as ‘any entity engaged in an economic activity, regardless of its legal form and the way in which it is financed’. Further details on this can also be found in the information sheet on the TFEU concerning the distinction between non-economic and economic activities. In this context, an undertaking also includes all associated undertakings (e.g. subsidiaries).

Important note: The intention to make a profit is not required for classification as an undertaking! Consequently, church organisations, charitable or non-profit associations, as well as cultural and sporting organisations, may also be classified as undertakings.

Why is there the so-called de minimis Regulation?

State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the TFEU is, in principle, prohibited and requires notification to or approval by the European Commission. The approval process can take several years.

The de minimis Regulation therefore stipulates that state aid which does not exceed the currently applicable threshold of 300,000 euros over a three-year period may, by way of exception, be granted without prior notification or authorisation from the European Commission, as these are small-scale aid measures that have no significant impact on intra-Community competition.

What are the consequences if state aid is granted without authorisation from the European Commission, despite exceeding the threshold?

If state aid is granted in accordance with Article 107(1) of the TFEU, even though the currently applicable threshold has already been exceeded or is exceeded as a result, and this aid has not been notified to or authorised by the European Commission, it infringes the applicable law and is therefore void. Consequently, the grants awarded would have to be repaid on the grounds of this nullity.”