Call for project outlines for the YOUNG PEOPLE remember international sites funding program

Call for Project Outlines

Despite the increasing passage of time, young people in Europe are still interested in the history of World War II, the Holocaust and National Socialism. If they go online, they can find a wealth of information and countless stories about this period, many of which are deeply moving and inspire curiosity. However, the narratives are often quite different from those taught in formal education.
We support international educational programs that meet young people where they are and empower them to access reliable information and find orientation according to their needs. We do this by addressing their questions, engaging them emotionally, imparting knowledge, opening up European perspectives and fostering critical judgment so that they can position themselves politically and become committed in the here and now.

We firmly believe that historical sites of National Socialist crimes across Europe offer unique potential for educational projects of this kind: As silent, authentic eyewitnesses, they can tell stories that are profoundly moving while remaining grounded in verifiable facts. They are places where different national perspectives cross paths with individual (life) stories of inestimable value. They provide settings for inquiry-based learning, while the powerful experiences of the crimes committed there raise questions about the implications for young Europeans in the 21st century.

We equip young people to combat historical distortion, group-focused enmity and conspiracy myths both online and offline.
We strengthen cohesion across Europe by fostering exchange between people of the same age.
We encourage them to become active creators of critical culture(s) of remembrance and democratic societies.

Which projects are eligible for funding?

Projects should include activities in the following areas:

Development and—where applicable—piloting of new learning programs
Staff training
Expansion of transnational partnerships

Please take the following aspects into consideration when planning your activities. These will be used to assess project proposals.

Development of new learning programs:

clear connection with the historical site and its National Socialist history,
engagement with an international target group aged between 18 and 35 years,
methods that foster critical thinking, self-efficacy, creativity and teamwork,
inclusive teaching materials that meet young people’s needs,
approaches that facilitate historical learning from multiple perspectives,
opportunities for young people to participate actively, and
integration of digital and in-person activities.

Staff training:

focus on methods and teaching materials needed to create and use the new learning formats or to work internationally with young people, and
study visits, job shadowing or similar formats that foster international professional exchange and/or cooperation.

Transnational partnerships:

The partner organizations and their target groups are a good fit within the framework of the agreed cooperation.
The partner organizations have a shared understanding of what they want to achieve during the project.
The partner organizations create the project concept together and clearly define the allocation of resources, responsibilities and roles.
The partnership aims to achieve qualitative and/or quantitative improvements in their transnational educational work with young people.

Attention to the following measures will have a positive impact on the funding decision:

The implementation of a bilateral or multilateral exchange between young people aged 18–35 and/or an international exchange between professionals.
Measures that communicate the specific potential of the learning site to an audience of European experts.
Attention to sustainability and careful use of resources.

Who is eligible to apply?

Memorial sites in the Baltic countries, southeastern Europe and the Czech and Slovak Republics are eligible to apply. Additional partner institutions (museums, educational facilities, memorial initiatives, civic NGOs etc.) may be involved in the project.

Funded projects must meet the following thematic requirements:

The program is aimed at young people across Europe and seeks to secure this target group’s commitment to the institution.
Different aspects of National Socialist crimes (such as the perspectives of victims, perpetrators, resistance fighters, helpers and bystanders) should be addressed appropriately along with diverse European perspectives on the respective site.
Particular attention should be paid to Jews or the Roma and Sinti as victims. Other groups of victims may also be included, especially those that have received little or no attention to date.

Funded institutions must meet the following formal requirements:

Funding is provided for memorial sites that document the history of National Socialist crimes, commemorate the victims and educate following generations, all at the historical location.
They must have a basic level of infrastructure (website, physical learning space, educational program etc.).
They must also have the administrative capacities to implement a project from public funds (staffing structure, work processes etc.) or credibly demonstrate that such capacities will be developed during the project funding period.
The learning site is of significance for local commemorative practices.
It can easily be accessed by international visitors.

Formal notes for submitting an project outline

Memorial sites that have recognized non-profit status and are run by public or private executing organizations are eligible for funding.
Projects can be implemented bilaterally or multilaterally. However, a German organization must be involved in the project.
The project may last from 18 to 24 months, with January 1, 2027 as the earliest possible start date. Projects must be concluded by December 31, 2028.
The maximum granted amount is EUR 180,000. Costs must be broken down into fiscal years. Funds cannot be carried forward to another fiscal year.
Funding can be granted to cover running costs and personnel expenditures. The potential for contributing own and third party funds must also be considered.
Multiple digital events will be held as part of the funding program YOUNG PEOPLE remember international. Furthermore, two in-person networking events spanning several days will take place at and around the learning sites (one in 2027 and one in 2028). (These will be organized by the EVZ Foundation, but support from memorial site staff is expressly desired.) The EVZ Foundation intends to use these events to promote international networking between all the institutions involved and to facilitate peer-to-peer exchange. Participation is obligatory for all funded projects. If applicable, please ensure that sufficient staff resources are available.
The EVZ Foundation will hold a project planning workshop to help with the preparations of applications for each of the selected projects.

What is not eligible for funding?

Projects without a German partner
Projects that have already started
Commercial projects
Project ideas that have already received a funding commitment from another federal institution
Construction measures

FAQs

One prerequisite for the receipt of project funding is a cooperation with at least one partner in Germany. In order to facilitate peer-to-peer exchange, this must be a learning location situated at a historical site of National Socialist crimes. Additional partners may be involved regardless of the country in which they are located. We will gladly help you look for a cooperation partner if you do not yet have one. Feel free to send us an email to youngpeopleremember@stiftung-evz.de
Cooperation partners must be confirmed by September2026 at the latest, at the time the project planning workshop
is held (see below).
No, we would like to encourage you to apply for project funding even if you have no previous experience of impact orientation. All we require is your openness and willingness to engage with the topic. There will be ample opportunity for input and questions about the topic during the project planning workshop (see below). The EVZ Foundation assists with impact-oriented project planning and implementation within the framework of its monitoring activities.
No. You may apply for project funding even if you have not collected any visitor data yourself or commissioned a study of such data.
However, your project must include measures with which you can assess the needs and interests of the young international target group and document any changes in visitor numbers and/or demographics. These must be presented in the activity plan.
This funding program targets young people aged between 18 and 35. All measures for which funding is requested must therefore be geared towards this target group, either directly by focusing on them as participants in learning programs, or indirectly, for example by training professionals who are involved in civic education of young people in this age group. The measures should be tailored to an international group consisting of young people from at least two countries.
An international, interdisciplinary professional exchange is a networking and capacity-building initiative for experts from various countries with diverse professional backgrounds, such as formal or non-formal education for young people or adults, democracy, human rights and cultural education, memorial and media education, and historical or educational research. The project accordingly facilitates cross-border and cross-disciplinary dialogue at the same time. The development of appropriate methodological approaches for networking as well as capacity building and piloting of a suitable format is encouraged within the project.
The project and monitoring plan is a key element of the monitoring that takes place during the project. It must be submitted along with the application (after the project outline has been approved). Quarterly monitoring meetings with the EVZ Foundation are scheduled based on this plan. The purpose of these is to encourage all project partners to reflect regularly on the progress of the project, consider potential challenges and identify any need for adjustments at an early stage. Additionally, the EVZ Foundation is always available to respond to queries and will gladly provide support.
We expressly encourage you to submit a project outline even if you only have a rough project idea yet. The outline must describe the current situation of your memorial site in relation to the program’s objectives and the changes you are endeavoring to make. The project activities can then be defined during the project planning workshop in consultation with all the partners involved.
Before the project starts – assuming you have received a positive response to your project outline – we offer a project planning workshop to help you prepare your application. During this, we work with all project partners to clarify the roles in the project, discuss the planning details and develop the plan with focus on impact orientation. This in-person event, which lasts approx. four days, is intended to help project partners prepare their application and lay a strong foundation for collaboration on the project. The event is expected to take place in September 2026. All partners involved in the project should delegate suitably qualified representatives to take part. The EVZ Foundation will bear the costs for travel, accommodation, and meals.
During the project period, there will be several digital and in-person events to promote networking and capacity-building among project participants. We also emphasize shared learning in the form of peer-to-peer exchange. We are planning a kick-off and wrap-up meeting at the beginning and end of the project period. These meetings will take place digitally and last one to two hours; participation is mandatory.
We plan to hold in-person networking events lasting approx. six days, most likely during the second quarter of 2027 and the third/fourth quarter of 2028. These will take place at or near the funded learning sites and bring together at least 30 practitioners. These events will not only offer an opportunity to present your learning site to a broader professional audience, but also provide scope for discussion with and feedback from critical friends. The EVZ Foundation will organize the events but is reliant on your local knowledge. Your support while preparing for the event is therefore expressly desired. The associated costs need not be considered in the project planning; they will be borne by the EVZ Foundation directly.
We are also planning several one-hour digital events to address specific questions relating to the critical examination of National Socialist history. We request your active participation, including your contributions to the content of each event.
Please plan sufficient staffing resources in your project for participation in these events.
Projects are funded according to the principle of shortfall funding. This means the EVZ Foundation covers project expenditures that the partners cannot cover from their own or third-party funds. The own and third-party funds that can be provided by all partners involved in the project should be clearly presented in the cost and financing plan.
Applicants may include their own funds and/or additional third-party funds; potential sources should be investigated in advance.
The funding covers the costs necessary for successful project implementation. These include personnel expenditures and fees, travel and related expenses, costs for public relations and the dissemination and preservation of results, and project- related running costs. Administrative expenses (overheads) can only be funded pro rata based on actual expenditures documented with individual receipts, subject to proof of their relevance to the project. Construction costs cannot be covered. All costs must be in line with local rates, and the basis for calculation must be presented transparently (e.g. fees calculated by hourly rate, accommodation costs by number of nights).
For the outline, you do not need to calculate the costs separately for each fiscal year. A general overview of the most significant cost items is sufficient and can be adjusted during the application process if necessary.
However, the subsequent application process requires you to break down the costs by fiscal year. Funds cannot be
carried over to another fiscal year.
The expenditures eligible for funding will be allocated to each fiscal year during the project planning workshop (see above) depending on the availability of funds.

YOUNG PEOPLE remember international: sites

Call for Project Outlines

The sites funding line

Which projects are eligible for funding?

Application procedure

Digital Consultation

An English-language consultation session will take place on May 19, 2026 from 10 to 11 a.m. (CEST).

Application Documents

FAQs

Contact Persons

Nadine Metzner

Helge Theil

Call for Project Outlines

The sites funding line

Which projects are eligible for funding?

Application procedure

Digital Consultation

An English-language consultation session will take place on May 19, 2026 from 10 to 11 a.m. (CEST).

Application Documents

I don’t have a cooperation partner yet, can I still submit a project outline?

We have no experience of impact-oriented project planning and implementation. Is this a barrier?

We have not yet collected any data about our visitors. Is this a barrier?

What is a young international target group?

What is meant by an international, interdisciplinary professional exchange?

What monitoring measures are planned during the course of the project?

Our project idea is not yet very advanced—can we still submit a project outline?

What is the project planning workshop?

Which events are part of the funding program, and is participation mandatory?

Do I have to co-fund the project?

Which costs can be covered?

Do I need to calculate the costs for each fiscal year?

I am having technical issues with the project outline form. What can I do?

Nadine Metzner

Helge Theil