Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has head offices in Bonn (66 percent) and Berlin (34 percent). Also, some of its staff regularly leave the ministry for several years to work in development around the world. The ministry was founded in November 1961. The ministry promotes projects by development organisations abroad and formulates long-term strategies for cooperation.

The BMZ promotes various Welthungerhilfe projects in the areas of emergency assistance, sustainable development cooperation through partner organisations, political information campaigns, and education.

German development cooperation involves supporting activities initiated by non-governmental organisations and carried out in cooperation countries. For example, these organisations include churches, political foundations and many other non-governmental organisations, including Welthungerhilfe. This form of German development cooperation is subsidised by the BMZ with 75% of the total project costs. For selected countries that had to cope with a particularly severe humanitarian crisis in the previous year, the BMZ is financing 100% of a project proposed by an NGO, as part of emergency and transitional aid. The responsibility for carrying out projects remains with non-state executing organisations. Despite receiving state grants, they retain full independence. On behalf of the BMZ, the advice centre for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of development cooperation (bengo) within the Engagement Global gGmbH supports and advises NGOs on the application for funding from private providers. Visit website