Apply for BAFA consulting funding: requirements, application and process

You apply for the BAFA consulting grant yourself as a company – online via the BAFA application platform and before the consulting begins. After the information letter from the coordinating office, a consultant registered with BAFA carries out the consulting; afterwards, you pay the invoice and submit the proof of use. The grant amounts to 80 % in the new federal states as well as the Lüneburg and Trier regions and 50 % in the rest of Germany, each based on consulting costs of up to €3,500. Applications can be submitted until 31.12.2026possible.

Requirements at a glance

• legally independent company in the commercial sector or a liberal profession
• registered office and business operations in Germany
• SME: fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover of no more than €50 million or a balance sheet total of no more than €43 million
• consulting by a consultant registered with BAFA
• Consulting on economic, financial, personnel or organizational matters of corporate management

Excluded are, among others, management consultancies, tax advisors, auditors, lawyers, notaries, non-profit organizations, and companies with public-sector ownership. New companies in their first year after formation must first attend a free information meeting with a regional contact person.

The process in seven steps

1. Define the topic and consultant

Clarify what the issue is and choose a consultant registered with BAFA who has relevant experience – see Selecting the right BAFA consultant. Which topics are funded is shown by Which consulting services does BAFA fund?.

2. Submit online application

The application is submitted via the BAFA application platform and addressed to one of the lead offices, such as DIHK Service GmbH or the Central Association of German Crafts. No additional documents are required for the application itself.

3. Wait for the information letter

The coordinating office checks the formal requirements and informs you that you may begin. Beforehand neither the consulting may begin nor may a consulting agreement be signed.

4. Carry out the consulting

A maximum of five consulting days, which do not have to be consecutive. At the end, there is a written consulting report with analysis and recommendations for action, which both parties sign.

5. Pay the invoice in full

The invoice must bepaid in full by bank transfer, including value-added tax. Cash payment or offsetting excludes the grant.

6. Submit proof of use

No later thansix months after the information letter: Form, SME and de minimis declaration, declaration on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, consulting report, invoice and bank statement showing payment. Details: BAFA proof of use.

7. Disbursement

The coordinating office and BAFA review the documents; afterwards, the grant is transferred to your company.

How high is the grant?

• 80 %, up to €2,800: new federal states as well as the Lüneburg and Trier regions
• 50 %, up to €1,750: old federal states, Berlin and the Leipzig region
• Assessment basis: no more than €3,500 net per consultation
• Up to five subsidized consultations in total, no more than two per year

A calculation example is provided in BAFA funding: costs in the calculation example.

Deadline: applications until 31.12.2026

The guideline applies only to applications submitted by 31 December 2026. The consulting may still take place after that. As of October 2026, no successor program has been announced – more in BAFA deadline 31.12.2026. For projects starting in 2027, the INQA-Coaching.

Typical mistakes in the application

• Consulting contract signed before the information letter
• Consultant not registered with BAFA
• Mainly tax, legal, or funding advisory topics
• Consulting as a workshop with several companies
• Invoice paid in cash or only partially paid

Support from bettersorted

bettersorted is a BAFA-registered consultant with a focus on digitalization and AI. We support you in preparing the application, carry out the consulting, and review the documents for the proof of use together with you. Whether you are eligible to apply is shown by the Funding Check; all details are provided on the page BAFA consulting grant.

Frequently asked questions

Who submits the application for the BAFA consulting grant?

The company receiving the consulting, online via the BAFA application platform. The consultant can support the process, but is not the applicant.

When may the BAFA-funded consulting begin?

Only after receipt of the information letter from the central office. A consulting contract signed beforehand also counts as the start and excludes funding.

How high is the BAFA funding?

80% of consulting costs in the new federal states as well as the Lüneburg and Trier regions, 50% in the rest of Germany, each based on a maximum of €3,500 net.

Which documents do I need for the application?

No additional documents are required for the online application itself. The supporting documents – report, invoice, bank statement and declarations – are submitted later with the proof of use.

By when can I apply for BAFA funding?

Until 31 December 2026. The date of application submission is decisive.

As of October 2026. Only the currently valid version of the funding guideline is decisive.