Overview of BII funding programmes

Professional Visits

If you are a foreign library expert or information professional, expand your professional horizons in Germany with the support of BI-International. Gain new experiences in direct exchange with German colleagues and establish new professional relationships. Find out about current developments in Germany and take new findings back to your home country and institution.

Programmes: Travel to Germany

01. Professional Visits

Application requirements

• You are a library/information/documentation professional
• You are actively involved into the library sector of your home country
• You would like to deepen specialist knowledge on library topics

Duration of a stay:

• 3 working days and a maximum of 3 weeks
• Grants for professional excursions subsequent to a professional visit are available under certain circumstances

Application Procedure

• Please, apply at least six weeks before the start of the journey
• Please, take care of any visa, accommodation and travel costs on your own
• BII may just approve one grant per individual person per year

What information is required in the Online application form?

• Your name and employing institution
• Invitation and scheduled program of the stay
• Confirmation / invitation of the host library in Germany
• Letter of motivation for professional visit and your application
• Details about your schedule and financial planning of the trip

Financial Support

• Per diem rate of 100 EUR funding for the duration of the professional visit in Germany
• Travel rate to Germany of 100 EUR within Europe and 200 EUR from outside Europe
• Travel, insurance and visa costs are self-funded
• Payment not in advance, but upon arrival in Germany

Obligations

If you receive a grant it obliges you to submit a written report about the study trip, documentation of participation of all group members and submit the report within six weeks after return. The grant may be reclaimed or an applicant excluded from further funding, if the grant has not been used properly or a written report has not been submitted.

02. Participation in a Specialist Events or Conference

Application requirements

• You are a library/information/documentation professional
• You are actively involved into the library sector of your home country
• You would like to deepen specialist knowledge on library topics

Funding is provided for

• Specialist event, congress, conference, training program
• In exceptions BII is funding a study trip or professional visit following or prior to the specialist event

Application Procedure

• Please apply at least six weeks before the start of the journey
• Please take care of any visa, accommodation and travel costs on your own
• BII may just approve one grant per individual person per year

What information is required in the Online application form?

• Your name and employing institution
• Programme of the event/conference etc. in Germany
• Confirmation / invitation / registration for the event/conference etc.
• Most favourable rate of the participation fee (i.e. early bird rate)
• Letter of motivation / contribution to the event/conference etc. (i.e. poster, lecture…)
• Details about your schedule and financial planning of the trip

Financial Support

• Per diem rate of 100 EUR funding for the duration of the specialist event in Germany
• Early bird rate of the event/conference etc.
• Travel rate to Germany of 100 EUR within Europe and 200 EUR from outside Europe
• Travel, insurance and visa costs are self-funded
• Payment not in advance, but upon arrival in German

Obligations

If you receive a grant it obliges you to submit a written report about the specialist event and submit the report within six weeks after return. The grant may be reclaimed or an applicant excluded from further funding, if the grant has not been used properly or a written report has not been submitted.

03. Study trip to Germany (for Groups)

Application requirements

• You are library/information/documentation professionals
• You are actively involved into the library sector of your home country
• You would like to deepen specialist knowledge on library topics

Conditions of the study trip:

• Between 2 and 5 working days
• Between 3 and 15 persons
• Specialist programme within a framework of a study trip

Application Procedure

• Application by ONE person on behalf of the group
• Please apply at least six weeks before the start of the journey
• Please take care of any visa, accommodation and travel costs on your own
• BII may just approve one grant per individual person per year

What information is required in the Online application form?

• Complete list of participants and employing institutions
• Scheduled programme of the trip through Germany
• Confirmation / invitation letters from institutions to be visited in Germany
• Letter of motivation for the planned trip
• Details about your schedule and financial planning of the trip

Financial Support

• Per diem rate of 100 EUR funding for the duration of the trip per group member
• Maximum funding for a group would be 6000 EUR
• Travel, insurance and visa costs are self-funded
• Payment not in advance, but upon arrival in Germany

Obligations

If you receive a grant it obliges you to submit a written report about the study trip, documentation of participation of all group members and submit the report within six weeks after return. The grant may be reclaimed or an applicant excluded from further funding, if the grant has not been used properly or a written report has not been submitted.