Press releases

Since 2021, the City of Aachen has been providing grants to revitalize and enhance the appeal of the downtown area and local town centers. To date, these grants have made it possible to implement more than 130 initiatives.

Despite the tight budget situation and the current budget freeze, the City of Aachen is sending a clear signal about the future of the downtown area and neighborhood centers: Effective immediately, associations, advertising groups, street associations, interest groups, and other consortia comprising at least three businesses from the retail, hospitality, and skilled trades sectors, as well as property owners, can apply to the city’s City Management office for the ninth round of the “Oecher Perlen – Fund for a Livable City Center” with the city’s City Management office.

In this way, the city continues to support creative projects that enhance the appeal of its shopping streets and create additional reasons for people to visit. Given the current budget situation, the maximum grant amount per project has been adjusted to 7,500 euros. The goal is to fund as many projects as possible despite the reduced overall budget.

Support is provided, for example, for joint design initiatives, free events, or shared (temporary) use of store spaces and storefronts. Under the motto “Between the World Equestrian Games and the Christmas Market—Autumnal Atmosphere in Aachen’s Shopping Streets,” the initiative is seeking new ideas that will enhance the downtown area and neighborhoods, attract visitors and encourage them to linger, and strengthen cooperation among local businesses. The projects should go beyond regular business operations, foster collaboration, and provide sustainable momentum for local retail, restaurants, and small businesses.

“With the ‘Oecher Perlen,’ we want to support dedicated stakeholders in implementing joint projects to create a vibrant downtown and attractive neighborhood centers. New event formats provide opportunities to visit Aachen and shop or dine locally. The fund has now become an established and widely used tool that has yielded numerous successful initiatives in recent years,” says Dieter M. Begaß, Head of the Department of Economy, Science, Digital City, and Europe.

Applications can be submitted immediately through the City of Aachen’s service portal. The application deadline is September 13, 2026. A municipal selection committee will determine the eligibility of the submitted projects shortly after the applications are received. Following a positive decision, the project initiators will have six months to implement their projects.

Info

Application Deadline: September 13,
2026Grant Amount: up to 7,500 euros per
projectApplication Submission: digitally via the City of
Aachen’s service portalTarget Group: Associations representing retailers, restaurants, tradespeople, and property owners; interest groups, street associations, advertising associations, and trade associations

For more information and insights into projects that have already received funding:

https://www.aachen.de/wirtschaft-wissenschaft/wirtschaftsstandort/einzelhandel-gastronomie/