BAFA Energy Advisory Grants (EBW / EBN / EBM)

BAFA Energy Advisory Grants — EBW / EBN / EBM

Supports businesses in Germany through energy consultations that guide renovation and efficiency.

BAFA's Energy Advisory Grant schemes subsidise professional energy consulting for both residential and non-residential buildings across Germany on a rolling, continuously-open basis. The programmes are intended to lower the financial barrier to high-quality energy advice, ultimately driving uptake of building renovation and energy efficiency measures aligned with Germany's climate targets.

The residential scheme, Energieberatung für Wohngebäude (EBW), covers 50% of net advisory costs — down from the earlier 80% rate — up to a cap of €650 for one- or two-unit residential properties and €850 for buildings with three or more residential units. The consultation must be conducted by an energy efficiency expert registered in the BAFA-accredited directory at energie-effizienz-experten.de, and the output is either an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP) or a basic energy assessment. An additional bonus subsidy is available for HOA (homeowner association) presentations. For non-residential buildings and SMEs, the legacy Energieberatung Mittelstand (EBM) instrument — now part of the broader EBN scheme — subsidised up to 80% of net consulting costs, with caps that vary according to the organisation's annual energy expenditure. The SME threshold follows EU definitions: up to 250 employees and either annual turnover up to €50 million or a balance sheet up to €43 million. Large companies not meeting the SME threshold are subject to mandatory periodic energy audits under Germany's Energiedienstleistungsgesetz (EDL-G), monitored and enforced by BAFA with potential administrative fines up to €50,000 for non-compliance.

For all residential advisory grants, the application must be submitted through the BAFA online portal before the advisory contract is signed — not after the fact. Upon completion, the building owner submits the advisor's invoice and documentation of advice delivered, and BAFA pays the subsidy directly. The programme is continuously open with no annual deadline.