NRW Engagement Award 2026: Innovative ways out of loneliness

"Meet. Move. Connect. – together out of loneliness": This is the motto of the NRW Engagement Prize 2026. Twelve projects have now been nominated as "Engagement of the Month".

Non-profit initiatives, associations, organizations, foundations, non-profit limited liability companies, and public institutions from North Rhine-Westphalia could apply for the NRW Engagement Prize 2026 until the end of September 2025. The motto is: " Meet. Move. Connect. – Together out of loneliness ." The NRW State Secretary for Volunteering, Andrea Milz, launched this prize, which aims to recognize and promote exemplary civic engagement projects.

Applicant organizations must have been in existence for at least one year and their commitment must be long-term. The project must be community-oriented and primarily supported by unpaid civic engagement. Transferability to other regions is desirable.

Awards and recognition

Twelve projects have now been nominated as "Engagement of the Month." Each monthly award comes with a prize of €1.000. All twelve projects qualify for the selection process for the NRW Engagement Prize 2026.

The nominated projects

• "First Generation", First Generation Aachen eV, Aachen
• "House for All", Family Alliance Altenberge eV, Altenberge 
• "Voluntary work in offender support", Caritas Association Wuppertal/Solingen eV, Wuppertal 
• "Grandparents by choice", DRK Youth Welfare and Family Support in Lippe gGmbH – Family Service SPROSS, Lemgo 
• "listening outside", Dialog.Kultur.Dialog gGmbH, Düsseldorf 
• "Multi-generational sports field Würgendorf", Förderverein Mehrgenerationen Sportplatz Würgendorf eV, Burbach 
• "The running moms", Initiative The running moms, Hamm 
• "Cycling without age in Neukirchen-Vluyn", Tuwas Genossenschaft eG, Moers
• "United Bochum – For Community", Vereint Bochum eV, Bochum
• "Our cemetery meeting", Hellweg-Region Citizens' Foundation, Soest
• "Active Seniors Siegburg – mutual help in old age", Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe eV, Sankt Augustin
• "Friedrichsfeld in our hearts – Together against loneliness", Friends of the Friedrichsfeld Library Association, Voerde

The award ceremony will take place at the end of 2026. All nominated projects will be invited to the event. The winners will be announced on the day of the ceremony. Four projects of equal merit will each receive a prize of €5.000.

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Social relevance of loneliness

Loneliness affects people regardless of age or life circumstances . It is not an individual failing, but a societal phenomenon that should be taken seriously. With the NRW Engagement Prize 2026, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is highlighting projects that develop innovative concepts for overcoming loneliness and creating opportunities for social interaction.

The first step towards overcoming loneliness is connection . Contact, mutual recognition, and sharing common moments are key. Change becomes possible through movement – ​​both literally and figuratively. Structures that open up and initiatives that emerge promote the active overcoming of isolation. Connection is a central key to belonging, reliability, and participation . Social connectedness contributes to resilience, solidarity, and democratic stability.

Selection criteria and jury

Selection is based on the criteria of innovation, long-term viability, and networking . The jury comprises representatives from the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia , the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation for Nature Conservation, Heritage and Cultural Preservation , as well as other stakeholders from the third sector. Regional representation within North Rhine-Westphalia is desirable.

The selection of the winners of the NRW Engagement Prize 2026 will involve both an online vote and the jury, as well as the NRW Foundation and Minister-President Hendrik Wüst.

special rates

The NRW Foundation awards a special prize to initiatives in the fields of nature conservation, local heritage, and cultural preservation that have developed effective and transferable approaches to combat loneliness. In addition, Minister-President Wüst will present a special prize under the motto "You + Us = One. North Rhine-Westphalia against loneliness" to a particularly dedicated initiative in this area.

Source: engagiert-in-nrw.de

Further information is available at www.engagiert-in-nrw.de.

Living alone promotes loneliness – a challenge for trades and small and medium-sized enterprisesDer laut destiny-Investigation "Single-person households in Germany 2024" live in Germany around 17 million people Living alone in a household, they are particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness because they have fewer regular social interactions in their daily lives. This is reported by [sources/experts]. 25,8 percent of single-person households, frequently feeling lonely, while this value is higher in the general population aged ten and over. 16,3 percent is particularly affected. Young people living alone under 30 years of age are especially affected (35,9 percent), while only 17,6 percent Loneliness is reported by those over 65. This issue is gaining importance for trades and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as social isolation can affect employee satisfaction, the working atmosphere, and ultimately the performance of SMEs.

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