The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) supports measures to increase energy efficiency in companies.
The funding is open to all technologies; funding is provided in particular for:

• Process and procedure conversions to efficient technologies and energy optimisation of production processes,
• waste heat utilisation,
• measures on systems for heat supply, cooling and ventilation, if these are used directly for production processes,
• energy-efficient provision of process heating or cooling,
• avoidance of energy losses in the production process.

You will not receive any subsidies

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

If you want to optimise plants and processes in terms of energy, then you can get a loan of up to EUR 25 million.

The amount of the subsidy for the repayment of the loan depends on the size of your company and the energy saved:

• 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,
  • up to EUR 700 for each tonne of carbon dioxide saved per year.
• 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,
  • maximum of EUR 500 for each tonne of carbon dioxide saved annually.

Eligible costs are:

• All costs for the implementation of the measure,
• ancillary costs for planning and installation,
• costs for the preparation of an energy saving concept and the monitoring of the implementation by an external energy consultant.

You can receive a maximum of EUR 10 million in repayment subsidies.
You will only receive the repayment subsidy once you have completed your measure. To do this, you must prove

• that you have spent the money from the loan on the measure,
• that the measure technically fulfils its purpose.

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

The applications for the subsidy are processed by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).
You have no claim to the approval of the funding.

Reference to further funding opportunities of the programme:
You can also apply for a direct grant from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) via the funding programme "Bundesförderung für Energieeffizienz in der Wirtschaft" (Federal funding for energy efficiency in the economy) (apply for a grant for energy optimisation of systems and processes).