On the basis of the foundation’s goals and mission statement, the DBU supports and nurtures innovative, exemplary and solution-oriented model projects for the protection of the environment. It pursues these goals under the rubric of sustainable development in its ecological, economic, social and cultural aspects, with special consideration of small- and medium-sized businesses in their dynamic diversity. In this sense, environmental protection can also be understood as health protection.

The DBU’s support offerings are thus oriented towards interdisciplinary funding topics, which are constantly being adapted to the changing requirements of environmental protection.

The DBU provides support in the following 13 funding topics:

• Instruments and competencies of sustainability assessment, and reinforcement of sustainability consciousness and practice
• Sustainable nutrition and sustainable management of foods
• Development, design and acceptance of environmentally-friendly movable consumer goods
• Renewable energies – accelerating a revolution in decentralized heating, optimizing existing facilities and reducing negative environmental impacts
• Climate- and resource-saving construction
• Energy- and resource-saving neighborhood development and renewal
• Reduction of CO2 emissions in energy-intensive industries
• Resource efficiency through innovative materials technology
• Flow management and efficient use of phosphorus and environmentally critical metals
• Reduction of nitrogen use in agriculture
• Integrated concepts and measures for the protection and management of groundwater and surface waters
• Nature protection and sustainable use of nature in human-modified environments and protected areas
• Preservation and securing of valuable national cultural assets against harmful environmental influences.

Beyond these areas there is the DBU’s “open topic” support. In this area, any projects with important environmentally-related impacts are supported which are consistent with the statutory goals of the DBU.

Eligible to apply: natural persons and corporate entities under public and private law.