Back to overview
Grant

progres.nrw – Program for Rational Energy Use, Renewable Energies, and Energy Saving – Program Area Energy-Efficient Public Buildings

Supports projects aimed at improving energy efficiency and the energy-related renovation of public buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia through both investment and non-investment measures, including the development of energy concepts and structural optimizations.

Discover your potential with AI support

  • Find out if this grant matches your project
  • Develop your application together with AI
  • Get matched with many more suitable grants
Register now Already registered? Sign in

Grant criteria

Application Deadline: Ongoing
Application level: Complex
Region: North Rhine-Westphalia
Funding amount: up to €8 million per application
Funding rate: 80%

Funding objective

The goal of the program is to reduce the primary energy demand of public buildings by at least 50%, to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby make a significant contribution to climate protection. Funding is provided for measures that are both investment-related – such as building envelope, building technology, and systematics – as well as non-investment-related, such as the planning and development of energy concepts.

Eligible expenses

  • Investment costs for building renovation
  • Planning services
  • Energy concepts
  • Environmental measures

Non-eligible expenses

  • Acquisition of real estate
  • pure material purchases
  • cost-incurring officially mandated measures

Eligible to apply

  • Public Institutions

Funding requirements

  • Implementation exclusively in North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Buildings must be used for at least 10 more years
  • Submission of an energy concept
  • Proof of a reduction in primary energy demand by at least 50%
  • No legally required or officially mandated measure

Documents required for application

  1. Application forms
  2. Energy concept
  3. Energy balances
  4. Cost calculation
  5. Proof of continued use (for rental properties)

Evaluation criteria

  • Reduction of primary energy demand
  • Achieving a higher energy standard than legally required
  • Sustainability and climate protection impact

Description

The funding program "progres.nrw – Program for Rational Energy Use, Renewable Energies, and Energy Saving" in the program area of Energy-Efficient Public Buildings offers attractive grants to public institutions, municipalities, municipal companies, and special-purpose associations in North Rhine-Westphalia for the energetic renovation and efficiency improvement of non-residential buildings. The objective of the funding is to reduce the primary energy demand of the renovated buildings by at least 50% compared to the current state, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making a significant contribution to climate protection. Both investment measures – such as improvements to the building envelope, building technology, and building systems technology – as well as non-investment measures, like the creation of comprehensive energy concepts and detailed planning services, are supported. Projects should exceed the legal requirements of the Building Energy Act and achieve a forward-looking energetic standard.

Eligible expenses include costs for investments in structural modernizations, the renewal of windows, exterior doors, insulation measures, as well as the installation of modern heating, ventilation, and domestic hot water systems. Digital planning, specialist planning services, and measures for the introduction of an energy management system also count as eligible investments. Non-investment approaches that can be directly assigned to an investment project are also supported. Funding is provided with a grant rate of up to 80% of eligible expenses, with up to 8 million euros available per application. This financial support serves not only to optimize the energy balance but also to increase the building renovation rate, thereby contributing to long-term ecological, economic, and social sustainability.

Applications are submitted via the EFRE.NRW online portal as soon as budget funds are available. A prerequisite for application is, among other things, that the measure is implemented within North Rhine-Westphalia and that the respective buildings will be used for at least another 10 years. Additionally, a detailed energy concept must be submitted before project implementation, demonstrating the savings potentials and improvements in a comprehensible manner. The funding program targets various actors – from public institutions to municipal enterprises and cooperating bodies planning sustainable modernizations. Through this integrative funding, pioneering standards are to be set to advance climate-friendly building management and future-oriented renovation of public buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Start application →