Everytime spaces. Making a bigger impact, together – Launch of new funding program for local democracy projects

• Robert Bosch Stiftung and the national association Bundesverband Soziokultur e.V. support new formats for democracy work in places where people pursue everyday activities and recreation with up to 50,000 euros each.
• Political educators, socio-cultural centers and operators of spaces for everyday or leisure activities can apply with joint project ideas.
• Applications are welcome until March 10, 2024

Stuttgart/Berlin, January 29, 2024 – Strengthening democracy together. The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH and the national association Bundesverband Soziokultur e.V. are pursuing this goal with a new funding program for local democracy projects. With the program "Everytime Spaces. Moving more together" (“Allzeitorte. Gemeinsam mehr bewegen”), the two organizations are supporting participatory formats designed to reach people in places where they spend time in everyday and leisure activities: at the soccer club, in the community garden, at the gym or in the neighborhood pub. A total of ten project ideas will be funded with up to 50,000 euros each. The application deadline is March 10, 2024.

"More and more people feel neither heard nor addressed by politics," says Antje Scheidler, Program Director Democracy at the Robert Bosch Stiftung. "When people's trust in democratic processes wanes and their desire to participate goes unfulfilled, populist voices gain momentum. We want to counteract this and enable activities for people to experience the value of democracy and community in their own social environment."

Socio-cultural centers, political educators and operators of venues where people pursue everyday or leisure activities may apply with project ideas they wish to develop and implement together. Examples of everyday and leisure locations include spaces run by civil society clubs and associations such as the volunteer fire department, soccer and rifle clubs, community gardens, rural women's groups, parents' associations, as well as commercial public places such as neighborhood pubs, shopping centers, gyms, shisha bars and gas stations.

"Credible bridge builders are needed in everyday and leisure spaces," says Heike Herold, board member of the Bundesverband Soziokultur e.V. "With the new program, we want to give them the opportunity to develop and try out innovative ideas for democracy work. People should experience themselves as active shapers of their own environment and ideally find long-term contacts for their concerns."

The call for proposals ends on March 10, 2024, after which a jury will select ten projects. A three-month concept phase will start in April. The one-year implementation phase ends in June 2025. The program is supplemented by networking and further training opportunities as well as professional and scientific support.