Is it sufficient to send the application to the City of Bonn online using the form on the website?
Unfortunately, this is not sufficient. In any case, a signed application from the applicant is required before the deadline (sent by post or as a pdf file).

How do I know what information is required when I submit my application? I would like to plan this in advance.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to send you a blank application form for you to complete. All applications must be submitted via the online form on the cultural project funding website. In addition to the form, the following must be submitted: a cost and financing plan (an Excel template is available in the download area), a detailed project description and a brief description of the project (as a Word file with a maximum of 1,200 characters including spaces).

When must my application be received?
There are two application deadlines per year. You can find the deadlines on the website for cultural project funding. Your application must be received by the deadline in any case. Please note that it is not the date of the postmark that is decisive, but the date of receipt by the City of Bonn. You should therefore allow for a sufficient time buffer if possible.

Can I also apply for funding from other funding bodies and use it for my project?
The City of Bonn always provides subordinate funding in the area of cultural project funding as shortfall funding. This means that you must provide evidence of your own funds and third-party funds from other funding bodies. The Cultural Office decides on justified exceptions. Funds from other funding bodies must therefore always be given priority. Unused residual funds from the City of Bonn grant must always be repaid.

What personal contributions do I have to make?
The applicant's own contribution must be proportionate to the project objective and the overall funding. The personal contribution should cover approx. 10% of the total costs. In addition to cash, this can also include full-time and voluntary personnel costs. Qualified volunteer work can be valued at 20 euros/hour gross.

Which costs are eligible?
In addition to general material costs and fees, accommodation and travel costs (in accordance with the NRW State Travel Expenses Act) are also eligible. Furthermore, costs incurred in the project may only be settled during the approved period.

What is an "early start" and what do I have to bear in mind?
The implementation of a publicly funded project may not take place before the approval notice has been issued. The project to be funded may not be started prematurely in order to prevent the funding recipient from getting into financial difficulties due to the premature start of the measure if the funding applied for is not granted.

On application, a so-called "premature start of the measure" can be approved if it can be clearly demonstrated in the individual case why it is not possible to wait until the measure has been implemented.

A measure is deemed to have started early if implementation of the funded measure has begun before the funding is approved. For example, the conclusion of a contract attributable to the implementation, the submission of a binding offer or a binding order or commissioning is deemed to be the start of the measure. Mere drafts or the obtaining of non-binding offers prior to the approval of the grant are not considered to be an early start of the measure.
Please note that the approval of an early start of a measure does not constitute a claim that the funding applied for will actually be approved. Premature commencement of measures is always at your own risk.

My financial calculation has changed. Can I simply reallocate the funds and/or spend them on something else?
The cost and financing plan submitted with the application is initially binding. All financial changes must be reported immediately to the Cultural Office of the City of Bonn and an updated cost and financing plan must be submitted. The City of Bonn may revoke the grant if the measure has not been carried out in accordance with the application/grant notice or if proof of expenditure is not submitted on time. Grants received in error, in particular due to incorrect or incomplete information, must be repaid plus interest.

Contrary to my initial plans, the funding is not sufficient. Can I submit a follow-up application or a further application?
Unfortunately, this is not possible. The funds for cultural project funding are awarded in two fixed funding cycles per year and the financial framework provided is fully utilized. In addition, the funds can only ever be used within the framework applied for and approved.

What happens next for me after a positive decision? What do I have to do?
Notifications are issued and sent out by the Cultural Office. If you receive notification of approval, you can start planning your project from this point onwards and draw down the funds.
If your project funding is still unclear or not sufficiently secured when you submit your application, you will not initially receive an approval notice from the Cultural Office for a project that has been classified as eligible for funding, but rather a letter promising you a grant from the Cultural Office if further third-party funding is approved. As soon as your project funding changes, please inform the person responsible.

When and how can I apply for the disbursement of funding?
Funding can currently be requested informally by e-mail or letter from the specified administrator. However, in accordance with the conditions of approval, it should be noted that the grant may only be requested to the extent that it is required for payments due within two months of disbursement. The grant can also be requested in installments as required.

To what extent do I have to involve the City of Bonn as the funding body in my project planning?
In general, you are free to design the project you submit. An invitation to your event(s) should also be sent to the Cultural Office so that staff can see for themselves on site if necessary. Printed material does not have to be approved by the City of Bonn in terms of content, but the following note must be included in the imprint: "The publisher is solely responsible for the content". However, reference must be made to the City of Bonn's sponsorship in all printed matter and audiovisual media as well as websites and social media channels. Please follow the instructions in your grant approval notice regarding logo placement and approval.

What changes in the project process or project funding do I have to inform the Cultural Office of?
You are obliged to inform the Cultural Office immediately and at least in text form of all changes in the project process (e.g. major changes in content, conceptual changes, number of events, etc.). Furthermore, you are obliged to inform the Cultural Office immediately and at least in text form of any changes to your project funding.

What do I have to bear in mind if I want to work with underage children and young people in my funded project?
The protection of children and young people is a high priority for the City of Bonn. If you are also planning to work with children and young people, special regulations on the protection of children and young people apply to projects funded by the Cultural Office. These are enclosed with your grant approval. You can find all information on this under the tab "Provisions for the protection of children and young people for projects of the Cultural Office of the City of Bonn".

Can the City of Bonn advertise my project?
Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the numerous projects that the City of Bonn funds and supports. However, grant recipients are encouraged to enter their event(s) in the city's Events Calendar at www.bonn.de. This is possible free of charge after a one-off registration. An information sheet on this is enclosed with your grant notification.

When do I have to submit the proof of use?
The proof of use must be submitted to the Cultural Office no later than three months after the end of the approval period. The exact date can be found in your grant notification. If the proof of use is not submitted on time, the approval notice can be revoked. The grant must then be repaid to the City of Bonn.

What do I have to bear in mind when preparing the proof of use?
The proof of use must be received by the Cultural Office in full and on time. It must include the following documents: a factual report, a list of receipts and a tabular statement of income and expenditure based on the Excel templates provided by the Cultural Office, copies of receipts for all income and expenditure as well as copies of the relevant bank statements, the signed "Confirmation of Proof of Use", copies of your advertising materials and a press review or report.

When preparing the proof of use, I noticed that some invoices and receipts are missing. Can I still claim these costs?
No, all invoices, receipts and proof of payment incurred in the funded project must be numbered and copied for the proof of use. The funding recipient must keep the original receipts (receipts and payment vouchers) for the individual payments for five years after submission of the proof of use, unless a longer retention period is specified under tax law or other regulations.

By when do I have to have completed the project?
When submitting your project application, you also specify an implementation period. The project should be completed within this period. An extension of the funding period is subject to approval and must be applied for in writing to the Cultural Office of the City of Bonn.

I do not need all the funds. What do I do with the rest?
The grant may only be used to fulfill the purpose specified in the grant notification. The grant must be used economically and sparingly. Unused funds must be reported immediately to the Cultural Office of the City of Bonn and repaid upon request.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Our work with children and young people is characterized by respect, appreciation and trust. The personality and dignity of children and young people are respected. A commitment to the protection of children and young people includes protecting children and young people from all forms of verbal, physical and psychological violence. The individual boundaries of children and young people must be respected.

1. Basis
   The regulations are based on the provisions of Section 72a of the Eighth Social Code and Sections 30 and 30a of the Federal Central Register Act.
2. Aim and subject matter
   The aim is to ensure that the Cultural Office does not knowingly employ, commission or support any person on a full-time, part-time or voluntary basis who has been convicted of a criminal offense under Section 72a (1) sentence 1 SGB VIII. These persons are excluded from working with children and young people or any other trusting and long-term contact.
   
   
3. Submission of an extended certificate of good conduct
   By inspecting the extended certificate of good conduct, the Cultural Office ensures that it does not employ, commission or support any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense referred to in Section 72a (1) SGB VIII.
   This applies to grant recipients, contractors and persons working in projects of the Cultural Office (e.g. workshop lecturers) if they supervise, care for, educate or train children and young people or have comparable contact in the performance of child and youth welfare tasks.
   
   
4. Procedure for requesting
   4.1 Grant recipients, contractors and persons working in projects of the Cultural Office (e.g. workshop lecturers) in the field of child and youth work
   All grant recipients, contractors and, if applicable, all other persons (e.g. (e.g. lecturers commissioned by the contractor) who are active in (funded) projects of the Cultural Office and work with children and young people are requested in writing by the Cultural Office to submit an extended certificate of good conduct in accordance with Section 72a SGB VIII for submission to the authority no older than three months before starting their work. In the case of several projects or sponsorships, the certificate only needs to be submitted once per calendar year.

   The Cultural Office will provide the persons applying for the extended certificate of good conduct at the citizens' offices with a corresponding request letter confirming the intended activity.
   
   4.2 Time interval
   Persons working in (funded) projects of the Cultural Office will, if necessary, be asked to submit an extended certificate of good conduct that is not older than three months.

5. Inspection of an extended certificate of good conduct
   The original of the extended certificate of good conduct must be submitted to the Cultural Office. It will be destroyed after inspection or handed over on request.
   
   
6. Data protection
   The stored data is protected against unauthorized access. The Cultural Office will destroy the records made in accordance with section 5 immediately if no work is commenced following the inspection.