The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is a funding instrument of the European Union (EU) that supports EU Member States in the implementation of European asylum, migration and integration policy.

When implementing and executing the objectives, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as national, European and international environmental and climate protection goals, the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination must be taken into account.

The aim of AMIF in Germany is to contribute to an efficient control of migration flows (movements) in line with applicable EU law in the European Union in the area of asylum and migration and in line with the obligations associated with the fundamental rights of the European Union. For this reason, AMIF in Germany funds projects focusing on asylum, legal migration, integration, return and combating irregular migration as well as solidarity between the Member States.

The objectives of AMIF 2021-2027 are:
a. To strengthen and further develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System;
b. To strengthen and further develop legal migration to the Member States in line with their economic and social needs as well as support effective integration and social inclusion of third-country nationals;
c. To combat irregular migration with funding for an effective, safe and dignified return and readmission as well as provide support for the first steps to effective reintegration in third countries;
d. To strengthen solidarity and the fair distribution of responsibility among Member States, in particular with respect to the Member States most affected by the challenges in the areas of migration and asylum through practical collaboration, among other means.

The AMIF Managing Authority awards funds to promote the AMIF funding objectives to project providers in Germany, within the EU and in third countries.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees administers these funds on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Five decentralised Approval Centres are available as local contacts in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Giessen and Munich.

The Approval Centres are available locally to the project providers for consultation and support. They are responsible for reviewing and approving the project applications and monitoring the approved project actions. Training is also offered. Further tasks are information and network events as well as consultation offers for interested project providers.

The Call for Proposals published on 1 August 2022 for the submission of project applications (standing call for proposals) applies to the entire funding period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027.

The legal bases for the 2021-2027 funding period comprise the European Common Provisions Regulation [CPR], the AMIF Regulation) and national legal bases ((National) Programme Germany AMIF 2021-2027, and the funding guidelines).

The (National) Programme Germany comprises the content-related orientation of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF 2021-2017) in Germany). In accordance with the partnership principle, it was coordinated with non-governmental organisations, associations and high-level community organisations, the Federal states and the Federal ministries.

The funding guideline is a national legal basis for project funding by the AMIF Managing Authority. The funds granted by AMIF are awarded in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation, Sections 23, 44 of the Federal Budget Code and the administrative regulations issued in connection therewith, as amended from time to time. The regulations and provisions contained therein are legally binding and must be complied with in order for a funding application to be approved.

The Call for Proposals complements and concretely sets out the legal funding requirements of the Regulation establishing the granting of funds by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2021-2027 (funding guideline). It contains binding requirements and important information on the prerequisites, focal points and target groups of the funding.

The funding manual contains important information on the AMIF funding regulations and is intended to support project providers in the application process and during project execution. The information provided in the funding manual are only recommendations for action.

The AMIF Review Authority was named and established in the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in addition to the AMIF Managing Authority. The tasks of the AMIF Review Authority are to execute system and project reviews as well as to review and confirm the financial reporting of the AMIF (2014-2020) Competent Authority and the AMIF (2021-2027) Managing Authority to the European Commission. The AMIF Review Authority is functionally independent and performs its reviews at the second level using recognised audit standards. The reviews of the AMIF Review Authority are conducted at the Managing Authority and the beneficiary.

The Monitoring Committee is the national forum for dialogue and planning. It is active in the implementation process of the National Programme and reviewing the achievement of objectives during the entire funding period. Different social, political and cultural perspectives as well as existing commonalities create the required diversity to make balanced decisions with the ability to compromise based on partnership. The members are kept continuously informed of current projects, planned developments and changes made to date in the Programme.

A Monitoring Committee was established for the first time in Germany for the 2021-2027 funding period of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). It is responsible for reviewing and executing the AMIF 2021-2027 programme and, in accordance with the partnership principle, ensures that representatives from civil society and the Federal states are consulted and coordinated with for important decisions. The bylaws of the AMIF 2021-2027 Monitoring Committee define the working methods as well as the aims and tasks of the Monitoring Committee.

Further information on AMIF (2021-2027) can be found on the website of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2021-2027.
All documents for AMIF 2021-2027 can be found in the Infothek resource centre of AMIF 2021-2027 website under "Downloads".

The funding is aimed at legal entities under private or public law, partnerships and international organisations.. Legal entities can have their registered offices in Germany or abroad. Projects can be executed by the applicants alone or in collaborative partnerships. Applications can be made by public bodies.
Natural persons are excluded from the AMIF funding.

Yes. Projects that are not or not exclusively executed in Germany can also be funded by the AMIF grant. These could be, for instance, pre-integration projects for the recruitment of skilled workers, re-integration projects in countries of origin, capacity-building projects in transit countries and solidarity measures in EU Member States particularly affected by migration flows.

The application process is an exclusively digital one using the IT System for the Internal Fund (ITSI).

Project applications must be made by 30 June 2027. A project can only receive funding if it ends before project start on 31 December 2029 at the latest. An application should be made at least 6 months before the planned start of the project. Applications for the AMIF funding period 2021 to 2027 can be made by no later than 30 June 2027.

A complete application including all the appendices must contain the following documents:
• Pre-printed application form,
• Overall budget including all the required tabs,
• Proof of legal form (not required for legal entities under public law),
• Proof of representative authority,
• Proof of the solvency of the applicant’s organisation (not required for legal entities under public law),
• Confirmation from the bank to prove that the applicant is the account holder,
• For projects executed in or with third countries or EU Member States, generally: Proof of approval from the third country/EU Member State (national level) in which or with whom the project will be executed,
• For project collaborations: Collaboration and passing on of funds agreement (if already available),
• For co-financing: Co-financing commitment or relevant declaration of intent from the co-financing entity (if already available),
• If applicable, further documents, such as the staff allocation schedule, form for pro rata rental calculation (see the notes in the budget), if already available.

Yes. The minimum funding amount must be at least 100,000 euros for the first and every subsequent full year of the project term. There is no upper limit for the funding.

The contribution from AMIF comprises partial financing up to an amount of 75 percent of eligible overall expenses. For certain actions mentioned in the Call for Proposals, such as targeted actions for vulnerable persons and persons who have applied for international protection, including unaccompanied minors, the AMIF grant can be increased up to 90 percent of eligible overall expenses.
See the example in the funding manual under 10.2 regarding the amount of the AMIF grant and the resulting percentage funded by AMIF.

Yes. Project collaborations have proven themselves in previous funding periods and are expressly desired by the AMIF Managing Authority. They are in particular suited to facilitate cross-regional or national project actions to include smaller providers in the funding, strengthen existing networks and develop new ones.
The AMIF Managing Authority actively supports the formation of project collaborations.
Collaboration partners must be legally registered entities under private or public law, partnerships or international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible as collaboration partners. The applicant and collaboration partner must be at least two separate legal entities.

Yes. An own contribution can be financed with third-party funds, such as from collaboration partners. The own contribution cannot be provided through contributions in kind but must be provided in the form of monetary payments. The provision of an organisation’s own staff therefore cannot be regarded as own funds. It is, however, possible to separate the financial flows and merely coordinate them in terms of amount.
Co-financing is also possible. However, the co-financing entities cannot be collaboration partners. Their role must be restricted to the financing and the share recorded on the income page of the budget.
Co-financing entities can be: Federal government, federal states, municipalities, the EU, other government organisations, non-governmental organisations.

The target group is based on the respective Specific Objective. Target groups as defined in the funding guideline are third country nationals. Third country nationals are natural persons, including stateless natural persons as well as natural persons with indeterminate citizenship who are not EU citizens as defined by Article 20(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (Section 10(1) sentence 5 of the funding guideline (FöRL). Project actions can be funded if they are directly or indirectly aimed at the group of persons mentioned in Section 10 of the funding guideline (Section 9(1) letter c) of the funding guideline). A prerequisite for the funding eligibility of project actions is therefore that project actions are directly or indirectly aimed at the group of persons mentioned in Section 10 of the funding guideline.

The indicators relevant to the project must be determined when the application is submitted. They are included in the grant notification once the application is approved.
The indicators ensure an assessment of the progress made towards achieving the planned objectives stated in the project application.

ITSI is the IT System for the Internal Fund which is used to process the AMIF administration/project funding. ITSI is a web application that is available after successful registration. The use of ITSI is mandatory for applicants.
Besides the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, ITSI is also used by the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police for the administration/project funding of its funds.

For security reasons, registration consists of two steps. Registration is required in both ITSI as well as the Delegated User Administration (Delegierten Benutzerverwaltung, DeBeV) of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The latter allows further ITSI users of one’s own organisation to be created and managed. As a first step, one’s own organisation must be registered in ITSI and the required details must be provided.

A qualified electronic signature (QES) is a certificate regulated under Regulation (EU) no. 910/2014 that replaces the handwritten signature in legal transactions. The QES provides fast communication with legal certainty with the AMIF Managing Authority. In contrast to other electronic signatures (e.g. simple electronic signature or advanced electronic signature), the qualified electronic signature is a type of signature that offers a particularly high level of authenticity. QESs are issued by qualified trust service providers. The qualified trust service providers must be certified by government-accredited bodies.

Further information, questions concerning ITSI and contact options can be found on the website of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2021-2027. ITSI support can be found here.

A disbursement can generally be expected within 14 days after the grant notification has become final/ the financial assistance agreement has become legally binding.
The disbursement is a process that comprises several steps. A further prerequisite for a fund disbursement is that the start of the project is in the past. If a project is about to start, the disbursement is made on the first day of the project. If a disbursement is required as quickly as possible, the request for funds should be made in ITSI immediately after the approval notification has become final. Once the request for funds has been received by the AMIF Managing Authority in ITSI with a qualified electronic signature, it is reviewed in a multi-step process and the disbursement is made via the Federal Treasury (Bundeskasse). All the parties involved endeavour to ensure that the disbursement is made as quickly as possible.

AMIF funds pre-integration actions and integration actions with predominantly community and social aspects.
ESF Plus funds projects in Germany that, for instance, focus on labour market integration, the actual entry into working and professional life or even actions assisting schools.

Union Actions are awards in which the EU Commissions provides funds to applicants within a Call for Proposal with funding conditions that have to be met.
Specific Actions are awards for precisely defined objectives.

Yes. Every project application requires a budget for the entire project term (overall budget). The budget specifies all the project-related expenses and income. The organisation’s own resources, co-financing funds and the AMIF funding amount must be stated on the income side. The AMIF funding amount must additionally be broken down by project years (not calendar years).
The budget must balance. This means that the total expenses must be the same as the total income.

Yes. It is important for the EU Commission that the use and the employment of the funding is carried out properly and proven. For this reason, all the expenses incurred by the project must be proven and also substantiated in writing. In total, at least two reports must be presented. These must consist of a part that describes the content of the project (status) and a part proving the expenses that provides numerical evidence with an attached list of receipts.
The interim proof of employment of funds must, in principle, be submitted to the AMIF Managing Authority one year after the individual project start. The final proof of employment of funds must be submitted to the AMIF Managing Authority within six months after the end of the project stating all the project objectives achieved and overall expenses.

Yes. On-site checks are an explicit component of the administrative and control system of AMIF. They can be carried out during the project term or as a final review of the success of a project.
The one-site checks essentially have three goals:
• To determine the efficient use of the funding and compliance with the funding requirements,
• Technical assessment of the achievement of the objectives in terms of content and time,
• To obtain data for the further development and, if applicable, adaptation of the procedural regulations.
The AMIF Managing Authority carries out two types of on-site checks at project providers. An operational on-site check in which the achievement of project objectives and the implementation of the project are reviewed, and a financial on-site check that additionally includes a review of the expenses and proof of employment of funds and thereby looks at the payment flow. The projects to be checked on-site are selected by means of a risk-based random sampling procedure. On-site checks can also be carried out as the situation may require it.