Congress Fund Berlin – Funding for your sustainable event

The Sustainable Event Scorecard by the Berlin Convention Office covers a total of 13 areas of action in event management. These encompass all key aspects of an event – from strategic planning to communication.

Here is an overview of the 13 areas of action:

1. General
2. Transport
3. Venue
4. Accommodation
5. Catering
6. Equipment
7. Technical Equipment
8. Personnel
9. Procurement
10. Incentive (Supporting Programme)
11. Communication
12. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
13. Sustainable Partner

It is based on established frameworks and standards, including the “Guidelines for the Sustainable Organisation of Events” by the German Environment Agency, ISO 20121, specialist literature such as Riediger/Oblasser, and the GIZ’s Sustainable Event Management guide.

Once the funding application has been submitted, Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) will send a confirmation of receipt. This confirmation includes approval to begin the project. Until a grant notification is received, applicants proceed at their own financial risk.

Funding is available for events held in Berlin that are exclusively aimed at a professional audience, such as congresses, meetings, seminars and training sessions. These events must meet specific sustainability criteria. Additional funding may be granted for the implementation of decentralised or hybrid events.

A decentralised event is one that takes place simultaneously at several venues in Berlin that are booked for a fee, with participants connected via online platforms. Hybrid events take place both offline in Berlin and simultaneously online in an interactive format for a professional audience.

• Trade fairs, exhibitions and similar formats – even if they are aimed exclusively at a professional audience and/or linked to an eligible congress
• Events aimed at private individuals or intended for leisure or recreational purposes
• Events that the applicants themselves or third parties are legally obliged to carry out
• Political party events
• Events that begin before the funding application has been submitted 

Base funding amount

• 25 € per participant and event day
• +10 € per on-site participant for hybrid or decentralised events
• Only on-site participants are counted towards the calculation (online participants are not considered)
• Maximum funding amount: 99,950 € per event

Examples:

• 2-day congress with 121 participants on day 1 and 95 on day 2: 5400 €
• As a hybrid event: 7560 €

Only the number of in-person participants (professional audience) is counted. Speakers, staff, service personnel, etc. are not included.

The funding is aimed at organisations (e.g. companies, associations, public law institutions) and self-employed or freelance individuals who plan to hold an event in Berlin. The organiser is generally considered to be the person or entity that bears the financial and entrepreneurial risk, assumes economic, organisational and legal responsibility, and runs the event at their own expense. Venues, in their role as landlords, are therefore not eligible to apply.

A key requirement for applicants is that they must have a registered office, place of business or branch in the Federal Republic of Germany.

A professional audience, as defined by the Congress Fund funding programme, refers to participants who attend the event solely for professional reasons. For example, they may register on behalf of their employer or for research purposes, such as at an academic congress.

Eligible events include congresses, meetings, seminars and training courses. A professional motivation may also be assumed if the event serves to further educate individuals involved in voluntary work – for instance, if attending the event is necessary to obtain a qualification required for carrying out voluntary activities.

To apply for funding, the relevant forms must be completed and uploaded via the IBB customer portal. In addition, the supporting documents listed at the end of the application must also be uploaded. Submission of the application and all required documents to the approving authority takes place digitally via the IBB customer portal. Sending printed and signed copies by post without being asked is not necessary.

The application must be submitted by an authorised representative of the organisation.

Yes. An organiser may, in principle, submit multiple funding applications. However, only one application may be submitted per event. It is possible to apply for funding for different events. 

After submitting the funding application, Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) will send a confirmation of receipt. This confirmation includes approval to begin the project. Until the official funding notice is received, applicants proceed at their own financial risk.

No, funding from the Congress Fund for Sustainable Meetings can only be granted for events whose preparations have not yet begun. In general, the start of the project is considered to be the signing of a delivery or service contract related to the execution of the event. This includes, for example, venue rental contracts, service or rental agreements for technical equipment, catering contracts, or contracts for the supply of promotional materials for the event.

Exceptions include contracts with an event agency for the purpose of planning, organising and running the event. Contracts related to the organiser’s income side, such as sponsorship agreements, are also excluded.

The programme must be designed to include at least four net hours per funded day. Supporting or social programmes are not eligible for funding.

In addition, appropriate participant lists must be prepared and maintained. Guidance on data handling for informing your participants will be provided with your funding notice.

The participant lists must include: 

• First and last name / institution / city / country of the participants
• A signature from each participant physically present on each event day
• Alternatively, the list may be generated from a digital registration system that ensures daily check-in at the event venue, and must be signed by the applicant’s management to confirm its accuracy

Fulfilling the selected sustainability criteria and submitting the relevant supporting documents is a prerequisite for disbursement. Cash payment receipts will not be accepted as proof, due to anti-money laundering regulations.

All public communications related to the funded project must include written acknowledgement of the financial contribution of the Senate Department responsible for Economic Affairs, and the use of its logo, which is available under Downloads. Further details can be found in the funding guidelines.

The event must take place by 31/12/2025. Applications can be completed and uploaded via the IBB customer portal.

The funding will be disbursed after a successful review of the payment request. The request must be submitted no later than three months after the event has taken place. 

Required documents

Participant list:

• with full name, institution, city, country, signed daily by all on-site participants, or
• from a digital registration system that ensures attendance control, confirmed by the applicant organisation’s management.

Numerical proof (confirmation of use):

• Details of total costs, eligible costs (see funding guidelines), income,
• confirmation of appropriate, economical and efficient use,
• consistency with books and records.

Invoices and supporting documents:

• Invoice for the booked venue in Berlin with proof of payment (bank statement),
• final event programme with schedule, content (incl. speakers) and net duration (excluding breaks).

Proof of sustainability:

• Details of the fulfilled criteria of the Sustainable Event Scorecard, numerically referenced using the scorecard.

Hybrid events (if applicable):

• Invoice for streaming services or equivalent proof with payment confirmation (bank statement).

Decentralised events (if applied for):

• Brief concept, venue rental agreements, invoices for technical equipment.

All employees – including those not directly involved in the project – must be paid at least the current minimum wage of the State of Berlin (§ 9 LMiLoG Bln) for as long as they receive funding from the State of Berlin. In the case of the Congress Fund, this applies for the duration of your event. The current regulation is available on the State of Berlin’s website.

For statistical purposes, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany has developed a sector catalogue that classifies industries using specific codes. When applying for the Congress Fund Berlin, this sector code must be entered in two places: 

The applying organisation must state which industry it belongs to.

To better understand what types of events are being funded, the industry to which the target group of the proposed event belongs must also be specified.

The classification of economic sectors can be found here. 

Please enter the first five digits of the code.

By receiving a grant through the Congress Fund for Sustainable Meetings, successful applicants are awarded funding from the State of Berlin. To ensure clarity and improve transparency, all legal entities that receive or intend to receive funding from the State of Berlin must be registered in the Transparency Database. More information and the registration form can be found here.