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  • approx. 70,000 loan applications for approx. €50 billion since 23 March 2020
  • 99% of applications processed already
  • 98.5% of applications for €3 million or less
  • up to 2,000 applications per working day, most of the approved immediately
  • digital application and award process allows for quick processing of large numbers of applications

Since the launch of the KfW coronavirus aid programmes on 23 March 2020, tens of thousands of companies have benefitted from the federal loan support designed to tackle the impact of the pandemic: by the end of June, KfW had received 70,000 loan applications for a total of approx. €50 billion. 99% of these applications have already been processed and a final decision rendered. A total of €33.5 billion has been approved so far, with only applications for large loans remaining yet to be decided. Companies can access the KfW coronavirus aid programmes via their highstreet banks or a banking consortium of which KfW is a member. KfW assumes 80 to 100% of the risk incurred by the banks passing on the loan to make it easier for them to approve the loans. The federation has issued KfW with a state guarantee for that purpose.

98.5% of the 70,000 loan applications were for a volume of €3 million or less, totalling €19.5 billion. These applications are assessed by the highstreet banks acting as intermediaries and are approved immediately by KfW without a separate risk assessment. This has made it possible for small and medium-sized companies, in particular, to access the KfW coronavirus aid programme within a very short time span. Some 350 applicants applying for more than €10 million each account for a high share of the overall application volume (€26 billion).

Said Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier: “In March, the Federal Government put together an unprecedented aid package for German business. 100 days later we can see that the aid is going exactly where it is needed, that is mainly with our small and medium-sized companies. Our large-scale aid packages and the stimulus programme worth €130 billion has meant that we have a chance of getting our economy back on a growth track in the second half of the year. We must continue to implement all our programmes consistently and quickly. Then we will succeed in emerging from this crisis quickly and reinvigorated.”

Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz said: “The KfW coronavirus Immediate Assistance Programmes for companies have become a success story. The Federal Government has quickly and effectively addressed the impact of the pandemic. Many companies have gladly accepted this financial support in these difficult times. My goal and that of the entire Federal Government continues to be to protect the health of our citizens whilst supporting our firms and businesses so that everyone may emerge from this crisis unharmed.”

Said the CEO of KfW, Dr Günther Bräunig: “The KfW coronavirus aid is an unprecedented feat accomplished by the federation, KfW, and the German banking industry. 100 days into the programme I can say that the aid is going where it needs to be. A clear political course, our decade-long cooperation with our financing partners, and our investments in the digital transformation of our promotional business are the pillars upon which rests our action against the coronavirus crisis.”

So far, the highest demand for loans under the programme was registered between the end of April and the middle of May. During that period, more than 30,000 applications reached KfW via the highstreet banks. The number of applications per day (which came on top of KfW’s regular business) peaked at more than 2,000 per working day. The vast bulk of these applications were approved immediately. Handling these large numbers of applications has become possible thanks to a digital application and approval process that has been in place since the end of 2019, connecting KfW and the banks acting as intermediaries.

KfW publishes an overview of the amount and volumes of loan applications it receives, broken down by amount and Land. You will find this information at www.kfw.de/coronaantraege (in German).