The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is looking for a sponsorer as sole shareholder for an independent competence centre for the Nature Conservation and Energy Transition (KNE gGmbH). The bidder must offer reasonable guarantees that all relevant groups of players in the energy transition will be accepted as a carrier of the KNE. The starting point is the coalition agreement agreed by the CDU, CSU and SPD on 16 December 2013: “We want to make the energy networks in a nature-friendly manner and at the same time create the necessary procedures and appropriate structures for this purpose. For this reason, a competence center “Nature Conservation and Energy Transition” will be set up to contribute to an objective of the debates and to the prevention of conflicts on the ground. “The competence center was created in 2016 on the initiative of the BMU. The KNE supports the environmentally compatible expansion of renewable energies. It contributes to the prevention and resolution of conflicts with nature conservation by providing specialist information, conducting conflict consultations on site, and initiating and moderating dialogue processes. The KNE is a competent partner for all stakeholder groups. It is neutral towards conflicts and parties to the conflict and contributes to the fair conduct of conflicts. In all its activities, it respects and respects the responsibility of the federal government, state and local authorities.

The services to be provided by the contractor (AN) are divided into the following types of services:

— Acquisition of all shareholder shares in KNE gGmbH,

— taking over the duties of a sole shareholder,

— ensuring the neutral work of the KNE,

— Cost accounting.