Educational Institutions; Applying for Funding for Programs for Young People in Difficult Life Situations

The target group for support programs aimed at hard-to-reach young people consists of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 25 who are not—or are only intermittently—reached by the services provided by social welfare systems. These young people are socially disadvantaged or face individual challenges and are therefore unable to find a job or training position or to apply for basic social security benefits.

Through this funding, you can support these young people in difficult life situations by providing them with additional guidance, initiating educational opportunities, and helping them learn about and apply for basic social security benefits.

The individual challenges faced by these young people and their underlying causes are highly complex. 

Examples may include:

• no high school diploma
• no job or apprenticeship
• deficits in social skills, motivation, resilience, and key competencies
• (imminent) homelessness
• family conflicts
• Difficult life histories (growing up in a foster family, group home, or in families with entrenched long-term unemployment)
• Financial problems/debt
• Health or substance abuse problems 

In order to reach these young people, potential support services must also be tailored to individual needs, for example, to:
stabilize their financial situation

• assist with applying for social benefits, such as Unemployment Benefit II
• to assist with finding housing or stabilizing their living situation
• accompany them on visits to government offices
• introduce them to therapeutic treatments
• to help build social networks
• Support the development of work and social behavior, as well as a willingness to learn and pursue education
• to prepare them to earn high school diplomas and to secure employment or an apprenticeship.

Generally, services of this kind are primarily provided by other social service agencies (such as youth welfare services). As a certified educational provider, you are therefore only eligible for funding if similar services from these primary social service agencies do not exist locally and are not required to be provided as a priority.

Funding may be publicly advertised by the Job Center or provided as project funding in accordance with grant law. Project funding must be for a project limited in duration and scope; institutional funding is not available.

You have no legal entitlement to this funding.

In order for your organization to be eligible to provide services aimed at supporting hard-to-reach young people, you must be certified in accordance with the Accreditation and Authorization Ordinance (AZAV).

In order for young people to be eligible for these support services, they must:

• be between 15 and 25 years old, and
• be reasonably likely to be eligible for Unemployment Benefit II, and 
• they must, in principle, have the goal of 
  • to begin and complete vocational training or a professional qualification, or
  • find a job, or
  • apply for or accept social benefits.

There are two ways to receive funding from the program for hard-to-reach youth.

1. Procurement Process (Public Contract) 
   • Visit the website of the Federal Administrative Office or the e-procurement platform of the Federal Ministry’s Procurement Office.
   • Use the search function on these sites to find relevant calls for bids.
   • Submit a bid based on the terms and conditions specified in the tender documents.
   • Your contact person will guide you through all further steps in the application process.
2. Project Funding
   • Develop a concept for your project. Also specify the amount of your own funds and, if applicable, municipal and state funds that will contribute to the financing.
   • Contact the relevant Job Center to find out how to apply for project funding.
   • Then submit an application for financial assistance.
   • Your contact person at the relevant Job Center will guide you through all further steps.

For calls for bids, you must observe the deadline for submitting bids.

• Procurement Process: You can view the deadlines in the request for proposals here. The contract is awarded approximately 2 months after the bid deadline.
• Project Funding: If you are interested in obtaining funding for a specific project, please contact your local Job Center. They can also advise you on how much lead time you should allow.

• Required document(s)
  

  Varies depending on the procurement process and project funding

As the project sponsor, you are required to contribute your own funds to the project.

There are no costs for participants.