ILE Vorderer Bavarian Forest: 70,000 euros for projects in 2025!

ILE Vorderer Bavarian Forest: 70,000 euros for projects in 2025!

At the end of 2025, the Integrated Rural Development (ILE) Vorderer Bayerischer Wald draws a positive conclusion about its activities and projects. The member communities include Altenthann, Bernhardswald, Brennberg, Falkenstein, Michelsneukirchen, Rettenbach, Wald, Wiesent, Wörth an der Donau and Zell. These communities have invested a lot in recent times to sustainably strengthen the region and make it worth living in, as stadt-wörth.de reports.

A key point in the work of the ILE is the adaptation of the team. Since October 1, 2025, Lisa Betz has taken on the position of regional manager while Martina Kulzer is on maternity leave. These personnel changes are intended to help implement the planned projects efficiently.

Funding and projects

For 2025, the ILE has provided a regional budget of 75,000 euros, which is distributed across 17 of 24 submitted projects. The funding pot was originally set at 100,000 euros, but the amount was reduced due to high demand. Despite this cut, almost 70,000 euros in funding were actually utilized, 90% financed by the Office for Rural Development and 10% by the ILE region.

In the period between 2021 and 2025, total investments of over 900,000 euros were made in the region, including the project sponsors' own contributions. The ILE has already set the course for the application for the 2026 regional budget, with requests possible until January 16, 2026. Small projects can receive funding of up to 80%, with a maximum amount of 7,500 euros and a total gross volume of 20,000 euros.

Another important project in the region is the “Sponge Regions in Bavaria” action program, for which the ILE received approval at the end of 2024. The project management is the responsibility of graduate engineers Anne Wendl and Thomas Schwarz, who deal with the problems of flooding and heavy rain. A first workshop for specialists is planned for early 2026, followed by a public information event in June 2026.

Diverse events and initiatives

The Vorderer Bavarian Forest holiday region once again presented itself with a varied program at the State Garden Show in Furth im Wald this year. Particularly noteworthy are the exhibition of the artistic map of the region in February 2025 in the Frauenzell Monastery as well as a lecture on photovoltaics and electricity storage in July 2025, which met with great interest among citizens. In addition, an excursion to the “Allmeind” multi-generational home in Regensburg took place in October 2025.

As part of the overarching planning, a rural core route network concept was created in 2024. Further coordination on this began in 2025, with the concept expected to be completed at the beginning of 2026.

The funding program for rural development of the Free State of Bavaria provides support for these extensive measures. The aim is to improve the agricultural structure and to develop rural areas as living, working, recreational and natural areas. These programs also include the promotion of measures that take into account nature, environmental and climate protection as well as the preservation of the cultural landscape, which is defined by the guidelines listed in detail on foerderkatalog.de.