Microprojects
Since 2017, microprojects have flanked the entire Capital of Culture process: an idea, a brief description - and with a little creativity, a microproject is born. You can easily get support for your idea. The kitchen table, the school or the clubhouse become creative forges, and ideas can be realised directly with friends, colleagues or communities.
We - the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, hereinafter referred to as Chemnitz 2025 - are building on this success in the gap year 2026.
Your project ideas on the following five topics:
- #3000Garages: Creativity and encounters in garage courtyards and around garages
- Living neighbourhood: Planting, caring, learning, cooking - experiencing neighbourhood together
- Generation Campus: Young and older people shape the world together.
- PURPLE PATH art & sculpture trail: art and culture throughout the Capital of Culture region inspires people to be together
- Maker region (theme following on from Makers, Business & Art): Making, thinking, tinkering - whether alone or in community: great ideas from crafts, business and art are in demand.
Project proposals to be carried out in the intervention areas are also very welcome. Carry on the momentum of the Capital of Culture in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region. Use microprojects for your project!
What makes a successful microproject
It doesn't need complicated concepts, it needs lively ideas. In principle, the application of at least one of the five Chemnitz2025 project criteria is mandatory for every microproject. Support is given to projects that:
- involve local and/or European neighbours,
- promote making, be it in terms of craftsmanship or socially,
- involve other third parties and motivate them to get involved,
- Open up and revitalise places with new ideas,
- make the invisible (stories, initiatives, people) visible
- and commit to the mission statement of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH .
Chemnitz2025 has made people in countless garage courtyards visible. Thanks to them, the garages have become tangible places for tinkering and storytelling.
The call is looking for creative ideas for garage courtyards and garage associations. Whether individual garages or garage communities: art and culture, concerts or festivals: invent events and create meeting places for community.
- The contribution: Whether it's a garage concert, joint picnic, flea market, art event or sports festival - bring people together in the garage courtyards.
- Location: Garage courtyards in the city of Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region
Applications with clear reference to which garage courtyard / garage community
Planting, blossoming and harvesting - the course of the year is determined by nature and how we deal with it. We are looking for ideas that deal with the fruits of apple trees, good neighbourliness or sustainability.
- The contribution: Design a planting campaign, a neighbourhood festival or an artistic project on the topic of plants, community or urban ecology.
For late autumn 2026, a joint planting festival is being prepared for all projects after their completion, for a joint presentation at the Garage Campus. A good opportunity to present the project to a broad public. More detailed plans will be announced.
The key to lively interaction lies in doing things together. Whether at a video games tournament, in an art workshop, singing together, crafting or writing poetry. We are looking for projects that give visibility to the activities of young and older people. Your micro-project creates artistic or socio-cultural links between the generations.
The contribution: organise an activity that makes at least one of the generations (0-10, 14-27 or 60+) visible or actively connects different generations.
The PURPLE PATH attracts visitors from near and far to the Capital of Culture region, bringing the people in these communities closer together. This Capital of Culture project is still new and full of undiscovered possibilities. The initiative of the people in the Capital of Culture region in particular should bring this major project to life.
On the weekend of 11-13 September 2026, a festive mood will unfold in all municipalities. Your micro-project can contribute to this on one or all days.
For this event, which is currently being planned, the microproject call is looking for initiatives that include installations, art actions in public spaces, plants, singing, theatre plays, information and educational formats, walking and artistic processions.
- The contribution: Use the PURPLE PATH sculptures and their surroundings as inspiration for an event, dedicate a radio report to them or create an accompanying work of art, offer educational and mediation opportunities, organise readings - there are no limits to your imagination.
- From 11-13 September 2026, the entire PURPLE PATH will be a weekend of community. All micro-projects should present themselves on this weekend.
We are looking for creative, open and experimental project ideas that provide new impetus, share knowledge and bring people together. They combine art and technology, rethink craftsmanship and make maker technologies tangible.
- The contribution: Whether it's a workshop, installation or prototype development, do it yourself - or get people doing it.
Your project:
- Develop new prototypes, tools or applications
- Realises workshops, open workshops or hands-on formats
- Tackles sustainable, social or technological issues
- Strengthens existing maker communities or reaches new target groups
If you plan to carry out the project in the period from 25 to 28 June 2026, the project can become part of the Makers United Festival in Chemnitz!
Key data on the tender
Who: Associations, initiatives (association of citizens from Chemnitz or the 38 partner municipalities for project realisation) & individuals. Associations must be based in Chemnitz or one of the 38 partner municipalities. For natural persons, the place of residence is decisive. For initiatives, it is sufficient if one of the applicants has a place of residence in Chemnitz or one of the 38 partner municipalities.
- Financial support: up to €2,000, if the project has an international / European connection, support of up to €2,500 is possible.
- Expenses that can be financed include all material expenses and fees that are directly related to the project. The provisions of the Saxon Travel Expenses Act must be observed. Expenses for catering are generally not eligible for funding.
- Self-financing is not a requirement.
- Commercial project ideas, investments in private property and projects that primarily serve individual interests cannot be supported.
As a rule, we assume that projects with a budget of more than €10,000 are no longer micro-projects, nor are long-established projects with an organisational structure.
- Applications can be submitted easily and exclusively online , usually using an online form that found here (the online form is in german).
- When submitting your project application, it is advisable to have already worked out the planning, implementation and financing in great detail so that it can be implemented promptly (e.g. any necessary permits or rooms may already have been requested).
You can call +49371 3356 3100 and email mikroprojekte(at)chemnitz2025.de to ask questions about the application process.
- Start: Publication of all calls on 11 February 2026.
- Only applications received by 31 March 2026 can be considered.
The project can start after notification by Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH. The notification is expected to take place in mid-May.
submit project application here (the online form is in german)
Fair and transparent approach
- Chemnitz 2025 offers telephone and written advice by e-mail during the project development phase. Times and access information will be provided.
- Representatives from culture, business and urban society, each experienced in the topics and subject areas of the open calls, form an advisory board that makes a recommendation on supporting the projects.
- The management of Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH decides on the funding.
Dates: Come to our information events at the Hartmannfabrik!
- Info event to present the microprojects: 11 February 2026
- Info café with Q&A session: 18 March 2026 | 6 pm | Hartmannfabrik
- Application deadline: 31 March 2026
Participation in the events on 11 February and 18 March is not a prerequisite for support, but merely an informative offer.
The micro-projects were supported by eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG in the European Capital of Culture year 2025.
Thanks to the commitment of eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG as the main sponsor of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, the funding amount was increased in this round of micro-projects, so that a total of €100,000 was available for projects in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region.
