29.03.2007 - 31.07.2007

Announcement

1. Funding purpose and legal basis

The objective of the proposed funding activity is to integrate anticipated changes in the climate and the resulting extreme weather phenomena in processes of regional planning and development. This is intended to increase the future competitiveness of regions, on the one hand, and to advance the development and use of new technologies, procedures and strategies for adapting to climate change in the regions, on the other. This funding activity extends the range of research activities and measures to help deal with climate change and is part of the BMBF's framework programme "Research for Sustainability" (FONA).

The funding activity particularly stresses the regional aspect since global problems such as climate change must be tackled by measures at regional and local level. Regional authorities have the necessary infrastructure, supervise planning procedures and decide on environmental regulations or are at least responsible for the implementation of such regulations at local level. Forward-looking "local action" signifies competitive advantages for the regions and at the same time places Germany's specific strengths, such as its high innovative potential or pioneering role in climate protection, in an international context.

All policies, including research policy, are responsible not only for future generations but also for the current generation. It is therefore necessary to strengthen regional efforts, not only to protect the climate but also, and in particular, to protect people from climate impacts. According to unanimous assessments, the major part of the economy already depends directly or indirectly on the climate and weather. This means that in addition to improved climate protection, improved adaptation to climatic and weather conditions is highly relevant for the competitiveness of companies and thus, in many sub-sectors at least, for the preservation of jobs. Regions which adopt a "best practice" innovative approach to enhancing their performance and future viability can provide a considerable stimulus for development in other regions, both in Germany and in other countries.

This funding activity helps to deal with climate change in conjunction with other measures already introduced by the Federal Government (e.g. National Climate Protection Programme). Among other things, it complements the BMBF's funding activity "Research for Climate Protection and Protection from Climate Impacts" (klimazwei).

Project grants will be awarded in accordance with these funding regulations, the BMBF's standard terms and conditions for grants on an expenditure or cost basis and the administrative regulations under section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO). There is no legal entitlement to funding. The BMBF will decide on the award of funds after due assessment of the circumstances within the framework of the budget funds available.

2. Object of funding

Funding will be provided for research and development work which pursues the purpose of the funding described above. The funding activity is aimed at meeting the requirements of companies and organizations in industry and society in the regions. The development (or further development) of regional cooperation networks is intended to pool the scientific, planning, technical and entrepreneurial strengths of the stakeholders involved and to actively establish structures for a new, state of the art approach to managing climate change, in particular improved adaptation to climate trends and extreme weather conditions. The funding activity will be accompanied during its entire duration by scientific research to study the effectiveness of the regional approaches/networks.

Partner regions throughout the world may be enlisted in order to ensure the international transfer of the know-how developed in the projects. Obvious examples would be existing partnerships where there are already channels of communication. Germany can thus accentuate its role as a pacesetter and driving force as well as its scientific competence for developing suitable adaptation measures in an international context and can enhance the visibility of German activities to adapt to climate change.

At the same time, the projects should also make use of both the traditional and modern know-how of the partner regions, some of which already have to live and manage their affairs under climatic and weather conditions which are forecast for Germany in the longer term. Another possibility are joint ventures to minimize risk involving partner regions which have complementary natural or climatic conditions. Possible partners are in particular regions with recognizable R&D potential.

German regions and/or regional initiatives which want to implement strategies and measures to adapt to climate trends and extreme weather conditions in conjunction with regional stakeholders may apply for funding under this funding activity. A region may be determined on an administrative basis (administrative units ranging from local communities to Länder), by business location (e.g. industrial and sectoral locations) or by geographic location (e.g. river catchment areas).

The partners in the regions, in Germany or in the partner regions as appropriate, are responsible for defining the key topic of their alliance on the basis of the economic and research profile and traditions of the region as well as the skilled staff available. The core of every regional initiative is a clear innovation strategy which concentrates particularly on aspects of planning and implementation as well as on the transfer of know-how. It is therefore essential that the political decision-makers in the respective region play an active role. This also means a project management with clear strategic abilities whose task is to ensure the optimum networking of stakeholders with regard to objectives and interests.

Concepts for the transfer of information and know-how form an integrative part of the networks which are to be funded. Educational aspects and capacity building play a role in this context because managing climate change in a region is also a task which must be supported by people living in that region.

This funding activity deliberately avoids setting priority areas. The aim is to create innovative networks for adapting to climate change which are viable in the long term and create competitive locations.

For the integration of current results in the field of regional climate research, the BMBF plans a central service-interface between climate system research and questions of dealing with climate change. On the one hand, this is to ensure that the projects are conceived on the basis of climate scenarios which are appropriate for the respective topic. On the other hand, it will ensure the direct communication of the level of systemic uncertainties. Applicants are recommended to contact the project management organization (cf. 7.1) on this point prior to drawing up project outlines.

A significant function of the regional collaborations lies in their model character for other regions. The regions receiving funding are thus obliged to conduct proactive public relations work.

3. Recipients of funding

Applications for funding may be submitted by commercial companies located in the region - especially SMEs - and other institutions and legal entities which can provide the regional collaboration with innovative contributions to enable effective adaptation to climate trends and extreme weather conditions. Scientific support from German institutions of higher education and research institutions is also eligible for funding, even if these are not located in the region concerned.

Research establishments which receive joint basic funding from the Federal Government and the Länder can only be granted project funding for additional expenditure under certain preconditions.

Funding of up to 3 million euro per year each will be provided to 5 German regions over a period of 5 years. Partner regions abroad are expected to provide their own funding towards the regional partnership.

4. Prerequisites for funding

The applicants must be prepared to work in partnership on overarching solutions within the framework of a regional collaborative project and/or network, sharing the workload. Cooperation between the partners in a collaborative project must be regulated in a cooperation agreement. Before a funding decision on such projects can be taken, the cooperation partners must prove that they have reached basic agreement on the criteria contained in a BMBF leaflet (http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/bmbf/pdf/0110.pdf).

Applicants should in their own interest familiarize themselves with the EU's Research Framework Programme in the context of the planned national project. They should check whether the planned project contains specific European components which make it eligible for funding as an EU project. Furthermore, they should check whether an additional application for funding can be submitted to the EU in the context of the proposed national project. The result of such investigations should be described briefly in the national project application.

Applicants should check the possibility of European cooperation within the framework of EUREKA. Further information on EUREKA is available at http://www.eureka.dlr.de/en/index.html?lang=en.

5. Type, scope and rates of funding

Funding can be awarded in the form of non-repayable project grants.

The basis for calculating the grants for commercial companies are the eligible project-related costs, up to 50% of which can as a rule be covered by government grants, depending on the project's closeness to application. The BMBF's policy requires an appropriate own contribution towards the eligible costs incurred - as a rule of at least 50%.

The basis for calculating the grants for universities, research establishments and similar institutions is the eligible project-related expenditure; in the case of the Helmholtz Centres and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG), the eligible project-related costs, which can be funded up to a maximum of 100 percent.

The European Commission's Community Framework for State Aid for Research and Development must be taken into account when determining the rates of funding. The Community Framework allows a differentiated bonus arrangement for collaborative projects involving applicants in the new German Länder and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may result in a higher rate of funding.

6. Other terms and conditions for awarding funds

The Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen auf Kostenbasis des BMBF an Unternehmen der gewerblichen Wirtschaft für Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben (Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided by the BMBF to Commercial Companies for Research and Development Projects on a Cost Basis - NKBF 98) will be part of the notification of award for grants on a cost basis.

The Allgemeine Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen zur Projektförderung (ANBest-P) (General Auxiliary Conditions for Grants Provided for Projects on an Expenditure Basis) and the Besondere Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen des BMBF zur Projektförderung auf Ausgabenbasis (BNBest-BMBF 98) (Special Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided by the BMBF for the Promotion of Projects on Expenditure Basis) will form part of the notification of award of grants on an expenditure basis.

7. Procedure

7.1 Involvement of a project management organization and request for documents

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has entrusted the following project management organization with the implementation of the funding activity:

Projektträger Umwelt, Kultur, Nachhaltigkeit
beim Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
Heinrich-Konen-Straße 1
53227 Bonn
Fax: +49 (0) 228 / 3821-540
E-Mail: Umweltsystemforschung@dlr.de
Internet: http://pt-uf.pt-dlr.de/englisch/index.html

The contact person is Dr. Münzenberg, Tel.: +49 (0) 228 / 3821-566

Forms for formal applications, as well as guidelines, information for applicants and the auxiliary terms and conditions for the award of grants are available on the Internet at http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/bmbf/index.htm or can be obtained directly from the project management organization.

Applicants are strongly recommended to use the "easy" electronic application system, not only for formal applications but also for project outlines (cf. below) (http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/index.html).

7.2 Submission and assessment of project outlines

The application procedure consists of two phases.

In the first phase, project outlines are to be submitted to the project management organization by the future coordinator of the collaboration. Outlines should be a maximum of 12 A4 pages (font size 12) per proposed collaborative project/network (with partner region). Descriptions that exceed this format will not be considered.

The outline should be structured as follows:

1. Presentation of objective and problem based on state of the art technology and know-how, innovativeness of the approach to be taken,
2. Description of the proposed research work and work programme,
3. Description of potential applications with an assessment of the contributions to the objective of the funding activity that can be achieved,
4. Prospects of success and concepts for realization (from a scientific and/or technical point of view; economic and other potential uses),
5. Management concept, cooperation partners and work sharing (represented in graphical form),
6. Expertise of those involved in the project,
7. Assessment of the time and cost framework (funding needed and own funds).

Within the prescribed format, applicants are free to add further information which they consider to be significant for assessing the project outline.

The project outlines must be drafted electronically using the "easy" system (http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/skizze/index.html). A complete project outline thus consists of the forms prepared using "Easy-Skizze", a description of the project (separately, a maximum of 12 A4 pages) as well as one copy of both files on a CD or floppy disc.

The deadline for submission of project outlines expires on 31 July 2007.

The deadline for submission is not a cut-off deadline. However, it may not be possible to consider project outlines which are received belatedly or which are incomplete.

The assessment of the project outlines is based on the following criteria:

• Potential for the medium-term development of relevant strategies, services or marketable products to adapt to climate change in the regions involved
• User-oriented project concept and implementation as well as willingness of local stakeholders to become involved
• Strengthening specific regional economic potential
• Scientific and technical quality of the concept and of the groundwork if appropriate
• Cooperation between industry, science and other stakeholders
• Quality of the management concept (structure, competencies, interfaces)

7.3 Selection and decision-making procedure

It is intended to evaluate the project outlines within 2 months following the deadline for submission. When evaluating and selecting the project outlines, the BMBF and the project management organization will be advised by a specialist jury consisting of representatives of politics, science and industry. The process will be based on the criteria stated above. Suitable project ideas will then be selected for funding on the basis of the evaluation. Applicants will be informed in writing of the result of the selection procedure.

When a proposal for a collaboration project has been evaluated positively, the applicants will be invited to submit a formal application for funding in a second phase. They may be informed of suggestions resulting from the evaluation - including suggestions concerning opportunities for cooperation and, if appropriate, new promising structures for consortia.

A decision will be taken on the applications following a final evaluation. Apart from a detailed description of the project, applications must also include details of the management concept for the network concerned. Funding is intended to begin on 1 April 2008.

Questions of the approval and payment of and accounting for funds as well as proof and examination of proper use and, if necessary, revocation of the award and reclaiming of the funds awarded are governed by the administrative regulations pertaining to section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO) and sections 48 to 49a of the Administrative Procedure Act (VwVfG) unless deviation is permitted under the present funding regulations.

8. Entry into force

These funding regulations will enter into force on the day of their publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).
Bonn, 15 March 2007
Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Zickler