Before consultation begins:
- Before submitting an application, start-ups and companies in difficulty must have a free information meeting with a regional contact person about the funding requirements. Existing companies are free to make use of an information meeting. The choice of regional contact person is left to the respective company. It must be a national contact person registered with a control center or a registered regional contact person
- There must be no more than 3 months between the information meeting and the application.
- Applications for a grant towards the costs of a planned consultation can only be submitted online via the BAFA application platform. The applicant and recipient of the grant is the company receiving the advice.
- The control center involved checks the formal funding requirements in advance and informs the company of the result, the conditions of the funding and the submission deadlines for the proof of use. It then forwards the documents to BAFA for a decision.
- Consultation can only begin after receipt of this non-binding prospect of funding, otherwise no subsidy can be granted. Retroactive funding is excluded. The conclusion of a contract for the measure to be provided also counts as the start of the consultation.
After completion of the consultation:
- No later than 6 months after receipt of the information letter, the following documents must be submitted in full to the control center using the electronic procedure:
- Proof of use form completed and signed in person by the applicant
- EU SME and de minimis declaration form completed and signed by the applicant
- Confirmation letter from the regional contact person regarding the information meeting (only for start-ups and companies in difficulty)
- Consultancy report
- Invoice from the consulting firm
- Account statement from the applicant confirming payment of the consultancy costs
Registration for submission of the proof of use:
- To register, you will need your process number and your zip code. You will find the process number on the letter (top right under "My sign") informing you that you may start the consultation.
- You only enter the 7 numbers but not the abbreviation "UBF". The subject area is "Management consultancy where-used list".
- Then fill in all the fields, click "Next" to go to page 2 and upload the EU SME and de minimis declaration, if necessary (only for start-ups and companies in difficulty) the confirmation letter, the consultancy report, the consultancy invoice and your bank statement.
- Once you have uploaded these documents, click on the "Go to overview" button and check your details and the uploaded documents.
- You now have another opportunity to make corrections ("Correct entry").
- Otherwise, you can send your documents by clicking on the "Send" button.
- You will then receive an e-mail with a link to your pre-filled where-used list form. You must print out this form, sign it and upload and send it via the "Upload area". Only once you have signed the form is your where-used list created in due time and form.
If you wish to submit additional documents (e.g. due to a hearing), these must also be uploaded via the "Upload area".
Approval and payment of the grant
- The control center then checks the documents submitted for compliance with the framework directive, carries out the necessary clarifications of the facts and forwards them to BAFA for a decision with a vote.
- The grant is approved and paid out after the final review of the application and proof of use documents by BAFA.
- All documents must be received by the control center in full and on time and must meet all the eligibility requirements set out in this framework guideline at the time of the decision by BAFA.
- The grant is awarded as de minimis aid.
