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Apply for funding for energy consulting for SMEs

If you opt for energy advice for non-residential buildings, you can apply for funding for energy advice.

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Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle - Referat 515

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Frankfurter Straße 29 - 35
65760 Eschborn

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Frankfurter Straße 29 - 35

65760 Eschborn

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www.bafa.de

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Procedure details

An energy consultation can help you to uncover unused savings potential in your company or municipality. This can help you reduce your ongoing operating costs.
You can receive a grant of up to EUR 10,000 for the following measures:

  • expert energy advice to
    • buildings,
    • systems and
    • user behavior

in your company or municipality and to identify specific energy-saving potential.

You will not receive funding

  • for measures prescribed by law,
  • if you have already concluded the contract with the energy consultant before submitting the application and the contract does not contain a reservation clause,
  • if the energy consultation is to be carried out in buildings that are primarily used for residential purposes,
  • if the results of the consultation have no direct impact on energy consumption,
  • if you carry out the consultation yourself in your own company or have it carried out by a partner company.
  • the recipient of the advice is a company whose assets are the subject of insolvency proceedings that have been applied for or opened,
  • the recipient of the consultancy is a company that has received de minimis aid totaling at least EUR 200,000 (EUR 100,000 in the case of companies in the road transport sector) in the current year and in the previous two fiscal years, including the support under these guidelines,
  • the recipient of the consultancy is a company that is otherwise excluded under Article 1 of the de minimis Regulation.

The amount of the grant is calculated as follows:

Module 1 (energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247):

  • If the annual energy costs exceed EUR 10,000 (net), the grant amounts to 80 percent of the eligible consultancy fee, up to a maximum of EUR 6,000.
  • If the annual energy costs do not exceed EUR 10,000 (net), the subsidy amounts to 80 percent of the eligible consultancy fee, up to a maximum of EUR 1,200.

Module 2 (energy consulting in accordance with DIN V 18599):
The amount of funding is 80 percent of the eligible consultancy fee, up to a maximum of EUR 8,000. The exact amount depends on the net floor area of the building in question:

  • Net floor area less than 200 m2: Maximum subsidy of EUR 1,700;
  • Net floor area between 200 m2 and 500 m2: Maximum subsidy of EUR 5,000;
  • Net floor area more than 500 m2: Maximum subsidy of EUR 8,000.

Module 3 (contracting orientation consultation):

  • For annual energy costs of no more than EUR 300,000 (net), the grant amounts to 80 percent of the eligible consultancy fee, up to a maximum of EUR 7,000.
  • If the annual energy costs of the building or building pool in question exceed EUR 300,000 (net), the funding amounts to 80 percent of the eligible consultancy fee, up to a maximum of EUR 10,000.

Eligible costs are

  • Costs for the energy consultation if it is carried out by an energy expert approved by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).

The subsidy is a grant that covers part of the costs. You do not have to repay this grant.
You will only receive the grant once you have completed your energy consultation. To do this, you must prove

  • that you have paid for the energy consultation and
  • submit an energy consultation report.

You must keep all invoices and receipts relating to the eligible costs.
Applications for funding are processed by BAFA.
You are not entitled to the approval of the grant.

Please note
Funding is subject to the availability of the estimated budget funds.
You are also obliged to provide information to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Audit Office at any time for monitoring and control purposes.
In the event of a review by the aforementioned institutions, you must be able to provide evidence of the differentiation in terms of content and costs from any other funding measures.

Applications can be submitted by

  • Local authorities (municipalities, cities, districts);
  • municipal special-purpose associations in accordance with the respective special-purpose association law.
  • Non-profit organizations, religious communities with corporate status as well as their institutions and foundations within the meaning of Section 5 (1) no. 9 of the German Corporation Tax Act;
  • SMEs with registered office and business operations in Germany;
  • Non-SMEs with their registered office and business operations in Germany whose total energy consumption across all energy sources does not exceed 500,000 kilowatt hours per year in accordance with Section 8 (4) EDL-G;
  • freelancers with their registered office and business operations in Germany;

Further requirements:

  • You must plan your measure with an energy efficiency expert. This expert must be approved by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) for federal funding in the Energy Consulting for Non-Residential Buildings, Plants and Systems (EBN) program for the respective module.
  • If your measure is funded in accordance with these guidelines, you may not use public funds from other federal funding programs for similar measures, for example corresponding consulting programs.

  • Required Documents

    You must submit the following with your application

    • completed application form
    • Offer or cost estimate from the consultant (the amount of the planned consultant fee must be clearly stated)
    • Self-commitment or self-declaration by the energy consultant

    Once you have completed your consultation, you must submit the following documents:

    • electronic declaration of use
    • Document: Declarations after implementation
    • Copy of the invoice issued by the energy consultant or his/her employer in the name of the advised company/municipality
    • Energy consulting report
    • Proof of payment documenting the non-cash payment in full of the consultancy costs

You, or energy consultants authorized by you, must submit the application for funding directly online to the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).

  • Find a BAFA-approved expert for energy efficiency. Use the website of the German Energy Agency (dena) for this. Ask this expert to provide you with a cost estimate for the energy consultation.
  • Go to the BAFA website and open the online form.
    • Complete the form,
    • submit the required documents electronically and
    • send it off.
  • After submitting the application form, you have the option of saving the application as a PDF document.
  • After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail within a few minutes with your process number and the link to the upload portal.
  • You can now sign the contract with your energy expert at your own risk and start the consultation.
  • BAFA will check your application. If your application is approved, you or your authorized energy consultant will receive a grant notification by post.
  • Once the energy consultation has been completed, you must provide proof that your grant has been used. To do this, fill in the proof of use form online. Here you also upload the documents required for the proof of use.
  • Once BAFA has checked your proof of use, BAFA will transfer your grant to your account.

- Application:

  • by 31.12.2024
  • before the start of the measure

- Implementation of the consultation: within 12 months of receipt of the grant notification
- Proof of implementation of the advice: within 3 months of the end of the approval period

The processing of where-used lists usually takes around 4 weeks. (1 Woche)

  • Contradiction

Status: 23.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie
Source: Federal Portal