© Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

The new version of the Federal funding for energy and resource efficiency in business (EEW) is intended to make the programme easier to use and to adapt it to new circumstances and opportunities. In particular, the application procedure has been simplified. This means that companies will be able to receive their funding award notices and start investing in decarbonisation more quickly.

Unlike in the past, “additional investment costs” will no longer have to be calculated in detail. Instead, the funding can now be granted as a proportion of the entire investment costs. Also, a new, very simple application procedure is introduced for certain installations.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr Robert Habeck said: “In view of the challenges faced by industry as it attempts to attain the climate targets, and also in view of the current difficult economic situation, the continuation and revision of the EEW represents an important step. The new rapid application procedure meets the practical needs of the companies, because time is an important factor here.”

Also part of the new rules: a reduction in interest rates of up to 0.5 percentage points of the interest rate charged for KfW loans (from 18 April), an increase in the maximum funding amount from €15 million to €20 million per project in funding modules 2, 3, 4 (in German only) and in the funding competition, and a change to the funding rates in modules 1 to 4 (in German only).