5.800 medium-sized businesses received funding

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and the NRW.Bank have so far supported 5.800 medium-sized companies with the "NRW.Bank.Invest Zukunft" program. Over one billion euros have been disbursed in this process.

Since the launch of the "NRW.Bank.Invest Zukunft" funding program in May of last year, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and NRW.Bank have supported 5.800 medium-sized companies. The program funds projects in the areas of climate protection, environmental protection, mobility, digitalization, efficiency, and the circular economy. Over one billion euros have been made available to the North Rhine-Westphalia economy through this program.

According to NRW.Bank, small businesses benefited most from the funding. More than half of the funding volume went to small businesses, and almost a third to medium-sized businesses. Together, they accounted for around 85 percent of the total volume.

Approximately 45 percent of the loans were granted to companies in the manufacturing sector. Ten percent of the funds went to the construction industry, trade, and the service sector. This was followed by the health and social services sector and the real estate and housing sector.

"We have ignited an investment turbocharger."

Forty percent of the commitments concerned innovation projects, 20 percent measures for energy and resource efficiency. Thirteen percent were for mobility projects and 11,5 percent for digitalization. The remaining 15 percent went to projects in the areas of environmental protection, climate protection, and the circular economy.

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"Without private investment, we cannot master the challenges of our time. But neither can we without government support. That's why we are facilitating investments, accelerating processes, and specifically promoting innovation. With NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft, we have ignited a real investment turbocharger – unique in Germany," says Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur (Greens).

Johanna Antonie Tjaden-Schulte, member of the board of NRW.Bank, explains that the funding program strengthens the competitiveness of businesses and the future of the economic location. "The first year of the NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft program shows that with our funding we are successfully directing capital to where it has an impact: to the companies that are implementing transformation." 

NRW.Bank.Invest Zukunft: Here you will find further information about the funding program.

Examples of eligible projects

Climate protection

• Renewable energy plants for local and decentralized electricity and heat generation in conjunction with other projects funded via NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft, provided that the energy generated is predominantly used for this purpose.
• Storage and flexibility of corresponding technologies (such as battery storage, electrolyzers),
• Hydrogen applications – projects for the use of hydrogen in the production process and the necessary infrastructure for its use or connection,
• CO₂-Management – ​​Investment projects in plants, procedures and processes for the capture of industrial CO₂₂-Quantities whose use/utilization as raw material,
• their storage and associated transport infrastructure, as well as investment in technical facilities for generating negative emissions,
• Electrification and renewable heat – systems for converting electrical energy into process heat or cooling in the production process and associated infrastructure; conversion of electricity into other substances
• Waste heat utilization and supply.

Environmental Protection

• Climate adaptation, climate change preparedness measures,
• Air pollution control, measures to reduce pollutants by at least ten percent through the replacement of mobile machinery and equipment and retrofitting with appropriate pollutant-reducing filter systems 
• Noise abatement measures, reduction of the noise level by at least ten decibels through the retrofitting of existing or investment in new machinery and equipment,
• Water/soil protection measures – measures that lead to a reduction in the pollution of soils and water bodies.

Recycling

• Recycling/processing plants through which a worn/depreciated product can be returned to a comparable use or production process,
• Investments in strengthening material cycles; improving resource efficiency by replacing primary raw materials or inputs with secondary (reused or recovered) raw materials or inputs,
• New facilities and improvements to existing facilities to prevent or reduce the amount of waste generated by the waste recipient or a third party; by preparing it for reuse, by decontamination or by recycling it,
• new plants or modifications to existing plants for the production of circular products, as well as plants that process products or preparatoryly break them down into individual parts/components,
• Material use of biomass, including the processing of biomass for further processing.

Mobility

• Acquisition of electric, fuel cell and hydrogen vehicles,
• Conversion of vehicles to climate-neutral drive systems,
• Investments related to electromobility.

Efficiency

• Energy efficiency gains of 25 percent for new purchases or for refurbished machines and equipment,
• Resource efficiency gain of 20 percent: Material savings in the operational unit or process that is to be improved or changed,
• Resource efficiency gain of 20 percent: Savings in water consumption or reduction in wastewater generation through appropriate measures in the operational unit or process that is to be improved or changed,
• Investment measure based on a funded resource efficiency consultation from the State Office for Nature and Consumer Protection NRW.

Digitalization

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning,
• data-based intelligent systems,
• specific business software,
• networked cyber-physical systems/IoT/Edge Computing,
• Cognitive or networked robotics and autonomous systems,
• advanced cyber defense,
• High-performance, quantum or special-purpose computers,
• Trust and security infrastructures.

Source: NRW.Bank

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