Overview
- The federal government, together with the Deutscher Schwimm-Verband and the DLRG, publicly launched the model project "Deutschland lernt Schwimmen" on Wednesday and set aside €20 million over four years with €5 million available each year.
- Non-public applicants such as clubs, day-care centers and swim schools can apply now for operational funding, with an application deadline of January 31, 2027.
- The current call finances two pillars: local networking and coordination to increase course places and access, and operational costs such as bus transport to pools and hiring paid swim coordinators to support volunteers.
- A third pillar to expand qualification and train more instructors is part of the plan but is not covered by this funding round and will be developed in a later phase.
- The program responds to urgent safety and access problems in Germany, where about 40% of primary-school children cannot swim safely, 20% cannot swim at all, and the DLRG reported 320 drowning deaths through September concentrated in lakes and rivers, with the initiative intended to reach low-income, rural and special-needs children.