Corona - Information and contacts for companies
The current situation surrounding the corona pandemic continues to develop very dynamically and presents us all with major challenges. We have compiled the most important information for companies, self-employed persons and freelancers in connection with the corona virus, which we are constantly updating and expanding.
Guideline "Federal funding of production facilities for protective equipment and medical devices used for patient protection and their preliminary products".
It is no longer possible to apply for funding for plants for the production of filter fleece using the meltblown process and for plants available at short notice for the production of protective masks.
Bridging assistance (‘Überbrückungshilfe’) for small and medium-sized enterprises
Application for 1st phase has expired!
The bridging aid is to be granted across all sectors to small and medium-sized enterprises that have had to permanently cease all or a substantial part of their business activities as a result of the Corona crisis.
The State of NRW will also increase federal aid for affected freelancers and self-employed persons with the 'NRW Überbrückungshilfe Plus'. If they receive the bridging subsidy from the federal government, they can also apply for a one-off payment of 1,000 euros per month (supported months June to August 2020). However, this only applies for a maximum of three months. The same conditions apply as for federal funds.
After the first phase, a second phase of the bridging assistance (supported months September to December 2020) has started at the beginning of October.
For whom:
An overview of the eligible costs can be viewed here.
Type of funding:
The bridging allowance reimburses a share of
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
The 2nd phase of the bridging assistance covers the funding months September to December 2020. Applications for this period can be submitted at this time. The application period ends on 31st January 2021.
Brief description: The 2nd phase of the bridging assistance is a cross-sector grant program with a duration of four months (September to December 2020), which aims to mitigate declining sales during the corona crisis. The program is supplemented by NRW Überbrückungshilfe Plus for solo self-employed persons, freelancers and owners of sole proprietorships and partnerships with a maximum of 50 employees working for the company in North Rhine-Westphalia.
For whom: Small and medium-sized companies are eligible to apply:
Scope:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
According to current plans, the Bridging Assistance II, which runs until December 31, 2020, is to be extended and expanded until June 2021. Improvements are planned, for example, in the recognition of expenses for modernization measures, maintenance or depreciation costs. Up to now, a maximum of EUR 50,000 per month could be reimbursed as operating costs; in the future this will be up to EUR 200,000.
In addition, the Bridging Aid III is intended to bring about significant improvements for solo self-employed persons.
For whom:
Essentially nothing has changed in the companies eligible to apply. Nevertheless, from now on also solo self-employed persons are entitled to apply, who otherwise cannot claim or assert fixed costs within the framework of the bridging assistance II. However, at least 51 percent of their income in the reference period (year 2019) must have come from self-employment.
Further information on the assistance can also be found in the press release of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Financial assistance for companies, self-employed persons and freelancers
Brief description: Support for investments and operating resources for larger projects in the fields of innovation and digitization of commercial enterprises.
For whom:
Funding type: Loan
Scope:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: Subsidized loan for purchases (investments) and running costs (operating resources). The loan is 100% secured by a guarantee of the Federal Government. This significantly increases your chance of receiving a loan commitment.
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure: The application is made at your own bank or Sparkasse.
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: Financing of investments and operating resources of medium-sized and large commercial enterprises, sole traders and freelancers.
For whom:
Funding type: Loans
Scope: Assumption of a partial risk of the bank by KfW when applying for loans for investments and working capital.
Application procedure: Application must be submitted to the house bank or another financing partner before the start of the project.
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Brief description: Low-interest loans with flexible terms in the event of liquidity bottlenecks and for financing working capital and investments.
For whom:
Type of funding:
Scope:
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Brief description: In the case of growth projects to be financed in North Rhine-Westphalia, companies can obtain a loan of up to EUR 10 million with the NRW.BANK Mittelstandskredit under certain conditions. From now on, this loan will also be available for coping with the economic consequences of the Corona crisis.
For whom:
Type of funding: Loans
Scope:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description:
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
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Aid for the month of December (a total of 17 billion €) is being discussed/prepared.
Brief description:
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
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Brief description: The Federal Republic of Germany provides these guarantees to cover the foreign trade risk in order to protect German exporters in their foreign business. Further information can be found on the homepage of the BMWi.
For whom:
Application procedure:
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Brief description: By means of partial refinancing via funds provided by KfW-Bank and NRW.BANK free of liability, the Kapitalbeteiligungsgesellschaft (KBG) can provide equity capital in the form of typical silent partnerships to established SMEs in NRW, thereby strengthening their equity base. "Start-up" companies can apply for funds from NRW.BANK (see also KfW-Corona-aid: Equity Finance for Start-ups and Small Companies).
For whom:
Medium-sized companies (according to SME criteria) based in NRW that
Scope:
Application procedure: Informally to KBG NRW (commitment required by 31.12.2020) with standard banking documents (funds must be called up by 31.12.2022 at the latest)
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Brief description: Mezzanine capital is a hybrid of equity and debt capital. The company receives economic equity. The "Mikromezzaninfonds Deutschland" can enter into silent partnerships (max. EUR 75,000) without the involvement of the principal bank and without collateral and contributes to strengthening the economic equity base.
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure
The application must be made using the KBG NRW application form.
Links / Hotlines
Brief description: The tax authorities grant a flat-rate loss carryback from 2020 for the subsequent reduction of advance payments for 2019.
For whom:
Application procedure:
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Brief description: The tax authorities are accommodating companies affected by the crisis by granting interest-free tax deferrals (income tax, corporation tax and turnover tax) and reducing advance payments (income tax, corporation tax and trade tax) on request and are using their discretionary powers to the greatest possible extent in favor of taxpayers.
For whom:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: Anyone who has been severely affected by the Corona pandemic and is expecting substantial losses can now receive repayments from 2019 using a simplified, flat-rate loss carryback procedure. Under this procedure, the income for 2019 previously set for the advance payment will be reduced by a flat rate of 15% and any resulting differences will be paid out.
For whom:
Application procedure:
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Brief description: In the event of general operational difficulties (loss of orders, supply problems, etc.) and officially ordered closures of operations, companies have the option of applying for short-time work compensation (KUG).
For whom:
Application procedure:
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Addition:
Brief description: The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control extends BAFA support for entrepreneurial know-how.
Important note: The BAFA received more applications for the attractive support module for companies affected by corona than budget funds available.
Due to the great demand, the funds earmarked for this special support module have already been exhausted, and no additional funds can be made available. Funding from the special corona module has therefore been discontinued prematurely. Therefore, for the time being, only applications that have already been granted can be approved and the funding paid out to the consultant. The prerequisites for this are also that you have submitted a proof of use eligible for funding and that sufficient budget funds are available.
The other modules for the promotion of entrepreneurial know-how allow for further subsidized consultations at favorable conditions. You can find more information here.
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
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The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection has initially suspended the obligation for companies to file for insolvency until 30.09.2020. The regular three-week period of the Insolvency Ordinance has thus been suspended for the time being. The hitherto temporary legal regulation is to be promptly extended until December 31, 2020, with restrictions as to content.
Please note: Currently, fraudsters are trying to obtain sensitive data with fake websites. For this reason, please make sure that the address line of your browser contains one of the two addresses ifsg-online.de or ifsg-antrag.de. Similar addresses or addresses with other endings are not offered by the Federal Ministry of the Interior or the federal states. Under no circumstances should you enter your data there.
Brief description: If you are unable to work due to the care of your children because of a school or daycare closure and therefore have a loss of earnings, you can receive compensation.
For whom:
Scope & requirements:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: You can receive compensation if you have lost your earnings due to quarantine or a ban on work. The ban on activity or quarantine must be ordered by the public health department or another competent authority.
For whom:
Scope & conditions:
Application procedure:
Responsible in North Rhine-Westphalia are the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (administrative districts of Cologne and Düsseldorf)
and the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (administrative districts of Arnsberg, Detmold and Münster)
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Brief description: The go-digital funding program supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and craft enterprises that want to optimize their business processes using digital solutions. New: Companies can now have home office workplaces subsidized.
For whom:
Application procedure:
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: In the period from 01.04.2020 to 30.06.2020, the tenant cannot be terminated by the landlord for his commercial premises, even if the rent is not paid despite the due date. However, the non-payment must necessarily be caused by the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic.
For whom:
Links / Hotlines:
Support for founders and startups
Already announced by the Federal Government at the beginning of April, the package of measures for start-ups has now been launched together with KfW and KfW Capital.
The financial assistance will build on existing structures and is intended purely for startups, but not for investors. The aid program is based on two so-called pillars.
Brief description:
For whom:
Application procedure: The public funding is requested by the private venture capital funds and not by the start-ups, and the funds must therefore be subject to prior due diligence. Further information on the application procedure can be found here.
Brief description:
For whom:
Scope & conditions:
Application procedure:
The application must be submitted in good time on the form provided for this purpose plus the annexes via startup-akut@nrwbank.de to
NRW.BANK
Bereich Eigenkapitalfinanzierungen
Abteilung 101-68001
Kavalleriestraße 22
40213 Düsseldorf
The funds are granted directly to the applicant by NRW.BANK.
Brief description: Investments by the NRW.BANK in corporations in the startup phase (up to 18 or 36 months after the foundation).
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
NRW.BANK
Bereich Eigenkapitalfinanzierungen
Abteilung 101-68100
Kavalleriestraße 22
40213 Düsseldorf
Links / Hotlines:
Brief description: The NRW.BANK.Venture Fund promotes innovative companies as a co-investor in North Rhine-Westphalia in attractive future industries.
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
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Brief description: Convertible loan from the NRW.BANK to corporations in the seed or startup phase due to the corona crisis.
For whom:
Scope:
Application procedure:
NRW.BANK
Bereich Eigenkapitalfinanzierungen
Abteilung 101-68100
Kavalleriestraße 22
40213 Düsseldorf
Links / Hotlines:
All scholarships that expire between 01 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 can now be extended by three months without bureaucracy. For this purpose, Projektträger Jülich will contact all scholarship holders. Further information is available at: www.gruenderstipendium.nrw
In order to provide greater support for spin-offs from universities, the funding period for projects that expire between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 is expanded by three months. For the application round ending on April 30, 2020, the documents can also be submitted later so that the respective project start is not delayed despite the closure of many colleges and universities. Further information is available at: www.wirtschaft.nrw/start-transfer
Financial aid for particularly affected sectors
Companies in the hotel and catering trade receive sector-specific information from DEHOGA.
The Competence Center Creative Industries CREATIVE. NRW provides information on support measures for the cultural and creative industries.
The special support program of the Ministry of Culture and Science, which was launched on the 20th of March as a bridging aid in the amount of EUR 5 million, has now been exhausted. A follow-up solution is currently being worked on. Support continues to be available through federal and state programs.”
The federal and state sponsors have developed a joint aid program for projects that are generally funded jointly with measures in the areas of production, distribution and cinema.
The German Travel Association has published extensive information on its homepage about the economic impact on the travel industry.
Other useful links
Information page (FAQ) of the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here you will find ongoing information on the COVID 19 pandemic in a total of 12 languages:
NRW hotline for the state government's aid package: ZENIT takes over the central NRW hotline for the "Unternehmen-Soforthilfe NRW" rescue package The hotline can be reached on weekdays between 8:00 and 18:00 hrs on the telephone number 0208 30004-39
You will find current information from the Federal Employment Agency for companies on the short-time working allowance under the following link:
Further up-to-date information from the NRW Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency can be found at the following path:
You will find current information and contact persons for companies under the following link:
Decrees to combat the corona pandemic: The relevant decrees to combat the corona pandemic can be found on the homepage of the NRW Health Ministry in chronological order.
Current case numbers for NRW can be found here:
Important questions and answers about the corona virus are prepared for the following topics in the FAQ list on the national portal.
Basic information, situation in North Rhine-Westphalia, companies, employees, child care, schools, universities, hospitals / nursing and old people's homes, justice, cultural institutions, consumers:
Contact persons/hotlines, current news, collected information etc. are compiled on the Corona site of the country:
The Chambers of Industry and Commerce in North Rhine-Westphalia have compiled helpful links and tips for companies:
The Landes-Gewerbeförderungsstelle des nordrhein-westfälischen Handwerks (LGH) summarises on its Corona service page mainly information for handicraft enterprises in form of a link list. The offer is updated several times a day. The range of information is supplemented by a service hotline for the NRW craft organizations and an overview of the service hotlines of the NRW Chambers of Trade for their member companies:
Unternehmer NRW provides the most important information on current developments from the perspective of labor law and economic policy:
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Regional Associations of the Rhineland (LVR) and Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) are responsible, depending on the location of the permanent establishment, for compensation in the event of a ban on work and loss of earnings as well as school and kindergarten closure in connection with the Infection Protection Act:
What employees need to know: Labor law, home office, short-time working allowance.
14 questions and answers for employees. Additional information in case of dismissal and unemployment but also on company pandemic planning can be found here:
Municipal online platform for the coronavirus launched: On the initiative of the KGSt and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, a separate section on the corona virus has been set up on the DStGB's "Network of Municipalities" exchange platform:
Database that supports from the finding of subsidies to the preparation of documents for banks:
Digital solution for the intuitive application for short-time work benefits. With simple and understandable questions, the newly developed chatbot fills out the form for notification of short-time work for the Federal Employment Agency with the employer and assists with the rest of the process.
The Federal Association of German Startups has presented a 4-step plan to protect German startups in the corona crisis:
Here you will find ongoing information on the COVID 19 pandemic in a total of 12 languages.