The federal government is increasing funding for the Efficiency House 55 subsidy program.

Planning security for families wanting to build: Due to high demand, the federal government is providing additional funding for the Efficiency House 55 Plus subsidy program so that it can continue until the end of the year. The construction industry is advocating for its continuation until summer 2027.

(Photo: © andreypopov/123RF.com)

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Bureaucratic madness in the skilled trades - special topics

Too much bureaucracy? New federal reporting portal

1 January 2026

Bureaucracy is paralyzing the economy. Citizens also suffer from overly complicated forms. Suggestions for reducing bureaucracy can now be submitted to the federal government's "EinfachMachen" (Simply Do It) bureaucracy reporting portal.

This article is part of the special feature on bureaucratic madness in the skilled trades.

Citizens, businesses, associations, and public authorities can submit suggestions for reducing bureaucracy to the federal government's new "EinfachMachen" (Just Do It) reporting portal . They can describe their experiences with cumbersome forms or overly lengthy application processes and simultaneously offer suggestions for improvement . "This is an opportunity that has never existed in this form at the federal level before," according to the federal government, which has made reducing bureaucracy and modernizing the state one of its central goals.

What can be reported?

Examples of things that can be reported include:

forms that are difficult to understand or complex,
long processing times,
unclear or contradictory information,
duplicate application procedures,
Insufficient digital offerings.

The reporting portal will initially launch as a beta version and is to be gradually expanded throughout the new year. The analysis will be increasingly automated with AI support – while adhering to all data protection and security standards. No feedback will be provided.

Users of the portal are asked not to enter any sensitive or personal information. It is also pointed out that the aim is not to resolve individual cases, but rather to reduce bureaucracy in general. There are multiple-choice questions (for example, "Type of effort") and fields for free text.

Source: Federal Government

DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!

Text: Kirsten Freund / handwerksblatt.de

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