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Economic development is our core expertise. We support entrepreneurs in business and location development within the city of Cuxhaven. Do you have questions, requests, or concerns? The Economic Development Agency is your point of contact for all matters related to funding and financing your projects.

Please feel free to contact us at any time.

The Cuxhaven Economic Development Agency is your expert partner for all matters related to business relocation, funding, and financing. We provide information on all public funding programs, including GRW (individual business funding from the Joint Task “Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure”), EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund), etc., advise you on business projects, and determine which grants or other funding opportunities are available in your specific case.

Finally, we connect you with the right contacts in government agencies, associations, and the local business community.

Joint task for the improvement of the regional economic structure (GRW)

Both GRW funding and EU funding are organized into so-called funding periods, in which six-year periods are grouped together as a single funding window with corresponding framework guidelines. In early 2022, the GRW underwent a redrawing of its funding areas, which significantly altered the GRW’s structure in Lower Saxony.

Today, there are still four C-funding areas in Lower Saxony: these are the counties of Cuxhaven, Friesland, and Lüchow-Dannenberg, as well as the city of Wilhelmshaven. Furthermore, following outstanding economic development in recent years, the counties of Celle, Hildesheim, and Lüneburg are no longer considered structurally weak and are therefore no longer GRW funding areas.

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At the same time, new eligible areas have been added, meaning that in Lower Saxony, GRW funds can now be used for approximately 50% of the state’s territory and for approximately 50% of the population. Following this redistricting, approximately 76 million euros are available annually for Lower Saxony to support GRW areas, half of which comes from the federal budget and the other half is provided by the state of Lower Saxony.

To make the GRW even more effective and address current challenges, it was comprehensively revised as of January 1, 2023. Specific investment projects aimed at accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral and sustainable economy were incorporated into the new coordination framework. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) In the past, projects to promote the economy have also been financed from the European Structural Funds, specifically the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Over the entire funding period from 2021 to 2027, Lower Saxony will receive nearly 100 million euros to support individual business investment projects. High-quality, business-related infrastructure measures can be supported with up to 28 million euros.

Interaction between GRW and ERDF

The GRW is and remains the central financing instrument for economic development. With the successful approval of the ERDF, the GRW can be effectively complemented. Specifically, this means that GRW funds will continue to be used in the GRW funding areas as before. In addition, funding from the ERDF is available as a supplementary instrument in all other areas of Lower Saxony. This creates a comprehensive funding portfolio across Lower Saxony, ensuring that economic transformation processes can be effectively supported everywhere.

(Source: Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Transport, and Construction)

Funding programs European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund

European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027

The fund's objectives are to promote

sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic biological resources
to promote sustainable aquaculture activities as well as the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products as a contribution to food security
enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island, and inland areas and promoting the development of fisheries and aquaculture communities
strengthening international maritime policy and creating safe, secure, clean, and sustainably managed seas and oceans.

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In Germany, 10 federal states participate in the EMFAF: Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. These states implement the majority of the funding measures. Funding from the EMFAF can be applied for through state programs at the respective competent authorities of the participating states. At the federal level, the remaining funds are used to support cross-cutting measures in the areas of fisheries control, data collection, and nature conservation. These funds are administered by the Federal Office for Food and Agriculture (BLE) and the Thünen Institute.

The coordinating body at the national level is located within the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). Portions of the fund are allocated directly by the European Commission. To this end, the Commission publishes work programs and calls for proposals on the Funding & Tender Portal.

(Source: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)

Leader Wesermünde-North

LEADER Region Wesermünde North

Leader stands for "Liaison entre actions de développement de l'économie rurale" (Links between actions for the development of the rural economy) and represents an integrated, cross-sectoral EU funding approach to rural development.

Implementation takes place at the local level within so-called Leader regions. Private and public actors in the region come together to form a "Local Action Group" (LAG) and develop a regional development strategy for their region using a bottom-up approach. This serves as the basis for implementing specific projects and cooperation measures.

The town of Geestland, the municipality of Wurster Nordseeküste, and the city of Cuxhaven—including the districts of Altenwalde, Arensch-Berensch, Holte-Spangen, and Sahlenburg—have become the Wesermünde Nord Leader region!

The office of the Wesermünde Nord Leader Region is located within the Cuxhaven Economic Development Agency. The primary responsibilities of the office and its director, Jürgen von Ahnen, include administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, public relations, assisting with the submission of grant applications, and presenting projects to the Leader Action Group.

Funding advice for the district of Cuxhaven

The Cuxhaven District is your point of contact for the following funding programs, among others:

Guidelines for the Support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Cuxhaven District
Individual Business Funding GRW
Support for Medical Practitioners
Funding for Microenterprises Providing Basic Services
Micro-starters

District of Cuxhaven Funding advice