Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings – Municipalities – Grant
Funding program for municipalities to improve the energy performance of residential and non-residential buildings through renovation, expert planning, construction supervision, and sustainability certification.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action supports municipalities in measures for the energy-efficient renovation and modernization of existing buildings. Funding is provided both for the initial acquisition of renovated properties and for the renovation itself, including energy-related specialist planning, construction management, and certification according to efficiency house/efficiency building standards, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the long term.
Eligible expenses
- Costs for renovation and initial purchase of existing buildings
- Costs for energy-related specialist planning
- Costs for construction supervision
- Costs for sustainability certification
- Necessary surrounding measures
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
Funding requirements
- Investment projects must be carried out in the Federal Republic of Germany
- Minimum usage duration of the funded facilities of at least 10 years
- Compliance with the technical minimum requirements according to the funding guidelines
- Information to the building owners if the applicant is not the owner themselves
Documents required for application
- Application for grant approval
- Proof of impact (e.g., 2021 flood)
- Power of attorney and signature specimen sheet
- Proof of identification
- Additional confirmation of the building structure
Evaluation criteria
- Achieving high energy efficiency
- Meeting a defined efficiency house or efficiency building standard
- Possession of a valid sustainability certification
- Economic viability and sustainability of the measure
Description
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action supports municipal measures with this grant program aimed at significantly improving the energy performance of residential and non-residential buildings. The funding is explicitly directed at municipal authorities and their legally dependent enterprises and promotes comprehensive renovation measures. In addition to the initial acquisition financing of renovated existing properties, energy-related specialist planning, construction supervision, and sustainability certification can also be utilized. With a grant rate of 20 to 35 percent of eligible investment costs, investments in measures that reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the long term are supported.
The funding program combines several areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energies, smart cities, housing construction, modernization, climate protection, digitalization, infrastructure, and urban development, thus forming a forward-looking foundation for the municipal energy transition. The measure includes not only the renovation or initial acquisition of existing buildings but also necessary surrounding measures considered an integral part. All technical minimum requirements according to the funding guidelines must be met, and a minimum usage period of ten years for the funded installations must be ensured. Furthermore, early information of the building owners is an important prerequisite for the application, provided the applicants are not the owners themselves.
With funding amounts of up to €5 million per project or €75,000 per residential unit, this financing option offers an attractive opportunity for modernizing the municipal real estate stock. The funding not only advances energy renovations but also strengthens the economic viability and sustainability of the investment projects. Municipal actors and their partners thus receive a financial boost to retrofit existing buildings in a future-oriented manner and contribute to achieving national climate targets. The continuous development and ongoing availability of funding opportunities underscore the strategic importance of this measure for a sustainable and energy-efficient infrastructure in Germany.