Young woman wearing protective mask looks at her smartphone

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The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is expanding its funding for the production of masks in Germany. The guidelines entitled ‘Federal funding for production facilities for personal protective equipment and medical products for patient protection and related intermediate products’ has been expanded to include two additional funding modules, and the revised version will be published in the Federal Gazette today. They will enter into force on 1 June.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said: “The funding programme provides important incentives for SMEs to invest in new innovative facilities and products in order to establish competitive production capacities in Germany. We are thus strengthening Europe’s independence from being affected by supply bottlenecks, contributing to the successful fight against pandemics, and at the same time safeguarding value creation and jobs in Germany.”

In the context of the programme, funding is provided for investment in facilities for the production of FFP2/3 masks and medical masks certified in line with European standards. Companies investing in the establishment of new, innovative and forward-looking facilities and products receive funding for up to 50% of their investment for the purchase of facilities and components and development work of their own. To be eligible for this innovation funding, the relevant projects must be completed by 30 June 2021. Funding for up to 30% of the investment costs is granted for investment in facilities that are already available on the market and will go into operation by 31 August 2020.

Applications for funding can be submitted to the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) from 1 June 2020.

The funding guidelines (PDF, 472 KB) (in German), which have been elaborated by the Production Task Force headed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and published today, complement the guidelines on funding for investment in facilities for the production of meltblown non-wovens which entered into force on 1 May. In introducing these new guidelines, the Economic Affairs Ministry is implementing another decision by the Federal Government on the rapid expansion of German and European capacities for the production of protective masks.