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Apply for a grant for high-efficiency equipment or aggregates

If you invest in high-efficiency equipment and gensets, you can apply for a grant under certain conditions.

Forms

  • Elektronisches Antragsportal

Responsible for you

Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle

Street address

Frankfurter Straße 29 - 35
65760 Eschborn

Postal address

Frankfurter Straße 29 - 35

65760 Eschborn

Website

www.bafa.de

Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) promotes measures to increase energy efficiency in companies.
You can receive funding for the following measures:

  • electric motors and drives,
  • pumps for industrial and commercial use
  • fans,
  • Compressed air systems and their higher-level control
  • Systems for waste heat utilisation or heat recovery from waste water,
  • Insulation of industrial plants and plant components,
  • frequency converters.

You will not receive any subsidies:

  • for measures prescribed by law,
  • if you have already started the measure before submitting the application.

The amount of the grant depends on the size of your company:

  • small and medium-sized enterprises (up to 249 employees and annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million): up to 40 percent of the eligible costs,
  • large companies (250 and more employees and annual turnover more than EUR 50 million or balance sheet total higher than EUR 43 million): up to 30 percent of eligible costs.

Eligible costs are:

  • All costs for the implementation of the measure. The maximum grant is EUR 200,000.
  • Incidental costs for planning and installation. The maximum limit is 30 percent of the investment costs.

You will only receive the grant once you have completed your measure. To do this, you must prove

  • that you have spent the money on the measure and
  • that the measure technically fulfils its purpose.

You must keep all invoices and receipts relating to the eligible costs.

Applications for funding are processed by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).

You are not entitled to the grant.

Reference to further funding opportunities of the programme:
You can also apply for a loan (apply for a loan with a repayment subsidy for high-efficiency systems or aggregates) via the "Federal support for energy efficiency in the economy" funding programme.

Applications may be submitted by

  • domestic and foreign commercial enterprises that are majority privately owned
  • municipal enterprises
  • freelance professionals
  • contractors who implement energy efficiency measures

Further requirements:

  • Your company must have its registered office or a branch in Germany
  • the subsidised measure must be implemented in Germany and operated for at least 3 years
  • Your measure must meet minimum technical requirements
  • Your measure must cost at least EUR 2,000 net, including ancillary costs

  • Required Documents

    When submitting your application, you must submit:

    • Product data sheet, material data sheet or manufacturer's certificate of the system or unit to prove the high efficiency; if the efficiency is not evident from this, you must submit a manufacturer's declaration:
      • Proof of eligibility - Manufacturer's Declaration of Compressors form.
      • Proof of eligibility - Manufacturer's declaration form for fans
      • Proof of eligibility - Manufacturer's declaration form for heat exchangers in compressed air systems

    • depending on the grant variant:
      • "De minimis" declaration

    or

    • General block exemption procedure (AGVO): Reference offer for measure

    You will find further details on the required documents in the electronic application form or in the general leaflet on how to apply.

    If you have completed your measure, then you must submit the following documents:

    • Specialist contractor declaration
    • Invoices for the measure

You must submit the application for funding directly online to the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).

  • Fill out the electronic application form. Upload the required documents in the upload area and submit the complete application.
  • You will directly receive an e-mail that your application has been received by BAFA.
  • BAFA will check your application and decide on the funding.
  • You will then receive notification by post from BAFA as to whether your grant is approved.
  • You begin with the implementation of the measure. Note: If you do not wish to wait for the decision on the grant, you can start implementing the measure as soon as you have submitted your application, at your own financial risk.
  • Once you have completed the measure, you must provide proof that it has been carried out. To do this, you fill out a proof online on the BAFA website. You still need to upload the following documents in the upload area:
    • A confirmation from the manufacturer or supplier that your measure fulfils the technical performance (specialist contractor declaration),
    • the invoices for the measure.
  • Submit the complete proof.
  • Once BAFA has checked your proof, you will receive your grant.

Note:
It is best to seek advice from an energy efficiency expert before submitting your application for funding.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for additional subsidies for this from BAFA in the programme "Bundesförderung für Energieberatung im Mittelstand".

  • none

  • Application:
    • until 31.12.2022
    • before the start of the measure
  • Implementation of the measure: as a rule within 24 months of the decision granting the funding
  • Proof of implementation of the measure: within 3 months after the end of the approval period.

  • Processing of the application: 3 to 6 weeks

Notice:
Once you have submitted your application, you can start the measure at your own financial risk.

Status: 09.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie
Source: Federal Portal