Youth projects for a sustainable future

Through the ‘Perlenfonds’, the Joachim Herz Foundation supports projects in which young people put their own ideas for a sustainable future into practice at their university, vocational college, school, in extracurricular learning environments or in their neighbourhood. Maximum grant amount: 25,000 euros.

Target groups/Conditions

Support is provided for projects that promote engagement with and participation in sustainability processes and are aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, vocational school pupils, apprentices, and pupils in lower and upper secondary education. In addition, the Foundation supports initiatives that equip young people with the skills needed for a sustainable transition (‘green skills’).

The following formats and topics are possible:

Developing and implementing sustainable ideas:

• Prototyping for the future: courses or modules in which students, apprentices and school pupils develop prototypes for products or services that address social and environmental issues.

• Social entrepreneurship: projects in which students, apprentices or school pupils develop business ideas in the field of sustainability and put them into practice.

• Local projects with an impact: Students, trainees or school pupils put their own ideas into practice to improve their neighbourhood or town socially and environmentally – for example, through recycling initiatives.

Embedding sustainability in schools, universities and businesses:

• Strengthening Green Offices & Sustainability Offices: Students or school pupils carry out their own initiatives to drive forward sustainability projects in schools and universities.

• Bringing sustainability into the workplace: Apprentices analyse potential for sustainable development within their respective companies and draw up proposals for implementation based on their findings.

• Learning green skills: Students, apprentices or school pupils acquire practical skills for a sustainable transformation.

Eligible applicants

• Public-law bodies, as well as charitable organisations and initiatives, may apply for funding for ongoing or new projects.
• For universities: In the case of projects within a university context, funding is administered directly by the universities or, where applicable, via recognised non-profit initiatives established as part of the project.
• For schools: Applications from schools are preferably submitted via affiliated support associations.

The funding comprises project funding of up to 25,000 euros. The funding period for a project is a maximum of three years, although the total funding amount over the entire period may not exceed the maximum funding amount of 25,000 euros.

Further information