Heroes of the Homeland” competition: €15,000 for social projects in Upper Franconia!

Heroes of the Homeland” competition: €15,000 for social projects in Upper Franconia!

A new, exciting challenge is just around the corner in Upper Franconia: The Adalbert Raps Foundation from Kulmbach has launched the “Heroes of the Homeland” competition. The goal is clear: address social challenges in the region and develop solutions together. Yola Klingel, the foundation's managing director, emphasizes that the participants not only receive financial support, but are also accompanied by coaches in order to implement their projects in the best possible way. As the Frankenpost reports, this competition is intended to have a positive impact on the community.

For all social actors and innovators who want to become active in Upper Franconia, this is the chance to get involved creatively and committedly. The application phase runs from May 15 to September 30, 2025. Interested parties can send their ideas to the foundation in the form of a written application. The contact person is Miriam Lindner, who will accept the applications. After a pre-selection, there will be a personal interview between November 12th and 20th, 2025. Here the teams can present their projects directly and convince the jury of their ideas.

Program structure and support

What happens after a successful application? The program is divided into two phases: In the first phase from January to October 2026, the teams will be prepared for the challenges of social change through workshops and coaching. Everything is covered, from team strengthening to vision development to financing strategies. The conclusion of this phase will take place with the “Heroes of the Homeland” festival on October 17, 2026. The second phase runs from October 2026 to November 2027 and is supplemented by one-year support from coaches who ensure that the ideas developed are put into practice.

Financially, the teams also have good cards: each of them receives up to 15,000 euros, which enables them to realize their projects without much bureaucratic effort. This financial freedom is accompanied by regular communication with coaches, which offers the groups additional security and promotes sustainable growth.

Social innovation and regional cooperation

But it's not just the Raps Foundation that is committed. The collaboration with the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Bayreuth ensures scientifically based support for the projects. This cooperation creates an ideal environment for creative ideas and their implementation. The initiative is also in line with the increasing trend towards social innovations, which are becoming increasingly important not only in Bavaria but also across the country. Information about other funding opportunities can be found, for example, on the NBank website, which regularly calls for project ideas and supports creative solutions. In addition to financial assistance, NBank has also provided tips for submitting project ideas, which can be found on its website. This is further evidence that the region is seeing a real shift in social innovation. NBank explains that all interested people can easily submit their project ideas.

Overall, the “Heroes of the Homeland” competition not only promises financial support, but also the opportunity to network with like-minded people and work together on the positive development of the region. There is great anticipation for the starting signal and the many innovative projects. People, join in and show that real heroes don't just exist in stories!