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Following the decision to extend Bridging Assistance III Plus until the end of the year, companies hit by the COVID-19 pandemic can from today submit funding applications for the period October to December 2021. Applications are to be filed via a scrutinising third party at www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-unternehmen.de. The application deadline has been extended until 31 December 2021. The exact requirements for funding have been published on the website in the form of FAQs.

Over the course of the summer, the German economy as a whole has recovered remarkably well, but there are still sectors suffering from COVID-19-related restrictions. The companies concerned continue to be eligible for the extended Bridging Assistance III Plus.

Bridging Assistance III Plus, as extended until the end of the year, is virtually unchanged compared with Bridging Assistance III Plus for the period July to September. Eligibility for the extended Bridging Assistance III Plus scheme continues to apply to companies whose turnover fell by at least 30% due to COVID-19. In addition, businesses eligible to apply for Bridging Assistance III in June 2021 that were also affected by the floods in July are able to apply.

Companies which have already received Bridging Assistance III Plus for the period July to September 2021 and need further support can submit a request to change their initial application to include the period October to December 2021. All enterprises which have not yet applied for Bridging Assistance III Plus can now submit an initial application for the whole funding period covering July to December 2021. In the case of first-time applications, companies can also receive advance payments of up to €100,000 per month to ensure that the aid can take effect quickly.


The New Start Assistance Plus for own-account workers has also been extended. Own-account workers who continue to suffer losses in turnover due to the COVID-19 pandemic can receive up to €4,500 in support for the period from October to December. The application process for New Start Assistance Plus for the 4th quarter is expected to be open from mid-October. Details on how to apply will be published soon at www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-unternehmen.de.