The focus of the award, which is endowed with 50,000 euros, is on neighborhood projects at state and national level that are committed to open, solidary and democratic coexistence.

Diverse project funding

This has been a particularly important topic for the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie for years, as it supported 53 neighborhood projects with around 6 million euros last year alone through its Deutsches Hilfswerk foundation.

"The prize fits in perfectly with our mission to promote solidarity," explains Christian Kipper, Managing Director of Deutsche Fernsehlotterie and Stiftung Deutsches Hilfswerk. "Together with our partners, we have been supporting numerous neighborhood and district projects for over 60 years with a wide range of project funding. They all have the clear goal of improving the living conditions of children, families and young people in need, senior citizens, sick people and people with disabilities."

Social commitment in the district and neighborhood

This includes the "Dörpkieker" project in Uecker-Randow, in which the Volkssolidarität village coaches fight against the isolation of senior citizens due to demographic change in the east of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Committed neighbourhood associations, district centers and non-profit organizations and social enterprises have until 24 August 2017 to apply with their project at www.nachbarschaftspreis.de/mitmachen. On September 13, the best projects will be chosen at a ceremony in Berlin and rewarded with prize money of 50,000 euros.