New funding program Elr: Strengthening for Wertheim's rural areas!

New funding program Elr: Strengthening for Wertheim's rural areas!

Wertheim, Deutschland - in the rural area of ​​Baden-Württemberg something happens! The development program of rural areas (ELR) goes into a new round, as the city of Wertheim reports. Planned for 2026, the funding focuses on the funding: interior development/living, basic care, work and community facilities are in the foreground. This program is to promote private investments in order to promote the strengthening and further development of rural areas.

The application period runs until August 31, 2026. All interested private individuals, associations and companies with up to 100 employees can apply for grants from the Stuttgart regional council via the city of Wertheim. An information and coordination interview is necessary before the application is recommended, with an early contact recommended. The contact persons include Nils Trapp for urban planning as well as Julia Czermak and Celine Ritzler for finance and business development.

funding priority in detail

The funded projects are diverse and aim to maintain lively town centers and enable contemporary living and work. Particular attention is paid to ensuring goods and services close to home. In addition, sustainable jobs are to be created. A powerful instrument are incentives to use internal potential, such as the conversion of empty real estate, the modernization of existing houses or the increase in buildings.

Another important aspect of the program is the sustainable handling of resources. New construction projects are only funded if the structural engineering construction is mainly made of CO2-saving material, whereby wood is recommended as a climate-friendly building material. The promotion of projects that work with such materials is also supported with a surcharge of 5 percentage points. Minister Hauk places special emphasis on ecological aspects that also become clear in the funding focus.

who is entitled to apply?

not only eligible to apply, not only private individuals, but also associations, cooperatives, municipalities and companies. The application is made via the municipalities that evaluate the structural importance of the project. An essential part of the procedure is the discussion in the coordination committee at the district level, followed by a program decision according to which the application can be submitted to the L-Bank.

The funding rates are also variable and range between 10 and 75 percent of the granted costs. The minimum amount is 5,000 euros, while the maximum funding can be up to one million euros. There are already examples of successful funding, for example in the basic modernization of residential buildings that can even reach up to 55,000 euros with timber construction.

national and European support

The ELR is part of a more comprehensive approach to strengthen rural regions, as is explained by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Here, a wide range of funding instruments from the EU, the federal government and the federal states is taken into account in order to develop rural areas as independent living and economic areas. For example, the “Land.opendata” project is currently being funded, which aims to make digital data more accessible in rural regions.

The coming months offer many opportunities to actively contribute to improving the living environment and the quality of life in the region. If you are interested in funding, you should not stay long and take the first step. Further information and the necessary forms are accessible on the website of the Baden-Württemberg and the city of Wertheim.

All details on the application and the funding points can be found on the website of the city of Wertheim here and at the Ministry of Rural Areas here . Also the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture is a valuable source of information for everyone who is interested in the development of rural regions.