Wunderbar Together USA 2021

Wunderbar Together is a platform for German-American dialogue. It goes back to an initiative funded by the German Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut. Since the project was officially launched on October 3, 2018 by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Washington DC, more than 3500 events have taken place across all 50 American states. Over 500 partner organizations have joined forces under the umbrella of "Wunderbar Together" so far. Strong digital projects and communication channels have ensured that the flow of ideas persist and that events continue, even during a global pandemic.

We are pleased to share with you that the initiative will continue in 2021 and are especially excited to invite you to participate. This year, we are promoting projects that specifically explore the topic of the future. The future and its shaping have many different facets: How can we ensure the future of democracy, international cooperation, and the commitment to our shared values? How can we ensure cohesion in our society? How can we promote sustainable development? How can we succeed in mitigating climate change? What contribution can the "digital revolution" make to all of this? How can we permanently strengthen transatlantic exchange and dialogue on a personal level? We look forward to receiving your creative ideas and projects interpreting this important topic.  

Project proposals should meet the following criteria:

• Partnership structure - keeping with our motto "Wunderbar Together," this call is aimed at collaborative German-American projects. This means that each proposal should represent a partnership between at least one German partner and at least one American partner.
• Enduring impact - The project should live beyond 2021 by creating lasting connections, partnerships, and dialogues
• "COVID-19 Compatibility" - The coronavirus pandemic will continue to shape public life in 2021 and will affect human exchanges accordingly. Your project proposal should take this into account.
• Visibility and Effective Publicity - the project should include elements that can be highlighted and illustrated on social media platforms and in external communications
• Self-contribution (Co-financing) - a contribution of your own funds is encouraged. It is not mandatory for micro-grants (see below).

Funding Categories:

a) Large Project Funding - For funding of projects up to a maximum amount of 50,000 Euro. It is desired but not required that partners fund 30% of the project from their own budget and/or third-party funding.

b) Micro-Funding - For funding of smaller projects through grants of up to 3,000 Euro, a financial contribution is encouraged but not required.

The funds are administered and allocated in accordance with the principles of the German Federal Budget Ordinance (Bundeshaushaltsordnung). The project must be closed out and the funds must be accounted for by November 1, 2021 or four weeks after the end of the project, whichever comes first.  

Additional Information:

Please note that this application round will require a thorough project scope as well as a detailed budget plan. If you plan to apply, please download and fill out the budget form and upload it in your application in section 3. Applications must include a completed budget form. Please consider this time commitment and all of the requirements before submitting an application. Please be aware that you cannot save, leave and resume the online application form once started. So please ensure you have enough time to fill out the form. Click here for an overview of the application questions. 

The application deadline will be February 28, 2021 at 23:59 PT (Pacific Time Zone) 

Please note that only those project ideas submitted via our online form can be considered. 

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at deutschland-usa@goethe.de. We are looking forward to hearing your innovative project ideas and continuing to celebrate how the US and Germany are Wunderbar Together in 2021 and beyond!

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the online application please call our support number at +1 (202) 851-3303 Mondays-Fridays 9:00 – 17:00 ET (Eastern Time) (only for US contacts) or write us an email at deutschland-usa@goethe.de.