Regional Economic Development Program – Commercial Economy Including Tourism Industry – Consulting
Funding of external consulting services for SMEs in the commercial and tourism sectors in North Rhine-Westphalia. Grants of up to 25% for Phase 1, up to 50% for Phase 2, and up to 70% for workforce initiatives. Application must be submitted to NRW.BANK before the start of the measure.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Support for comprehensive business management, organizational, and technical consulting services conducted by qualified external consultants, which are of particular importance for small and medium-sized enterprises in the commercial or tourism sectors.
Eligible expenses
- External consulting services
- Man-days of 8 hours
Non-eligible expenses
- Internal consulting services
- Routine tax and legal advice
- Advertising
Eligible to apply
- Companies
Funding requirements
- SMEs according to the EU definition
- Headquarters or place of business in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Company older than five years
- Consulting subject of particular importance
- Full self-financing of the project secured
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Documents required for application
- Application form
- Consultant qualification certificate
- Proof of SME status
- Financing plan
- Activity report and consulting report
Evaluation criteria
- Fulfillment of the SME definition
- Consulting subject of particular importance
- Proof of own contribution
- Qualification of the consultant
- Submission of activity report and consulting report
Description
The Regional Economic Development Program (RWP) – Consulting enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial and tourism sectors in North Rhine-Westphalia to utilize external, qualified consulting services for strategic realignment and strengthening of their competitiveness. Both business management, organizational, and technical analyses and recommendations are funded, provided they are carried out by consultants with at least two years of experience. In the first phase (feasibility study), up to 5 working days of 8 hours each are subsidized at 25% of the consulting costs; in the second phase (implementation consulting), up to 10 additional working days at 50%. For employee initiatives in company takeovers, the funding rate increases up to 70%. One working day is set at a maximum of €1,000 (plus VAT); the total funding amount is regulated according to the EU General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) or De minimis Regulation. Measures must be applied for at NRW.BANK before commencement and completed within three months.
Eligible for funding are SMEs as defined by the EU with headquarters or a branch in NRW, which have been operational for at least five years. Applications must be submitted before concluding a consulting contract; retroactive funding is excluded. Requirements include, among others, securing overall financing, a significant consulting subject of particular importance, as well as independent certifications of SME status, qualification of the consulting firm, and planned measures. Upon completion of the consulting, a proof of activity and a written consulting report must be submitted. The program runs until December 31, 2027; application documents can be requested and submitted directly via the NRW.BANK customer portal.
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