Federal government expands STARK program: Direct funding for companies
With the amendment to the STARK funding program (Strengthening the dynamics of transformation and new beginnings in the mining regions and at coal-fired power plant sites), the federal government now directly supports small, medium-sized, and large companies in the production of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, electrolyzers, and other transformation technologies. The funding rate varies between 15 and 40 percent, depending on the location and company size.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Mona Neubaur expressed her delight at the expansion of the program: "I am very pleased that we have succeeded in expanding the federal government's STARK program to include direct funding for manufacturing companies. The state government worked intensively to achieve this."
Submission of project outlines: Companies can submit their project outlines to the project management agency VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, by December 6, 2024.
Implementation in North Rhine-Westphalia: In North Rhine-Westphalia, the STARK program is being implemented in the Rhenish mining region and within the framework of the 5-Locations Program. The federal and state governments are supporting the sustainable transformation of the Rhenish mining region with a total of over €14.8 billion. The state supplements the federal funds with its own budget. To date, 205 projects with a funding volume of €1.88 billion have been approved in the Rhenish mining region. In addition to the structural support funds from the federal and state governments, other funding programs and private investments are also being utilized.
Source: NMWP.NRW
