Förderung: Zuschuss für den Ausbau der wirtschaftsnahen Infrastruktur beantragen

Expansion of business-related infrastructure to strengthen the competitiveness of companies, to flank structural problems with regional policy and to support regional activities

What is supported?

Funding is provided for the expansion of business-related infrastructure to strengthen the competitiveness of companies, for regional policy support for structural problems and to support regional activities.

The following measures are taken into account:

• Development, expansion and revitalization of industrial and commercial areas
• Transportation facilities to connect commercial areas
• Public facilities and site development for tourism
• Innovation, research, telematics, technology and start-up centers or parks
• Vocational education and training facilities
• Facilities for the disposal or purification of industrial wastewater and waste
• Port infrastructure facilities
• Research infrastructures and research facilities
• Preparation of integrated regional development concepts by third parties
• Installation of regional management, regional budgets, cooperation networks and innovation clusters
• Planning and consulting services for the preparation and implementation of eligible infrastructure measures
• Energy infrastructures

Who is eligible for funding?

• Preferably municipalities, local authorities and administrative districts, special-purpose associations and other local authorities under public law and associations of municipalities in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that are subject to municipal supervision, as well as other legal entities under public law.
• Legal entities that pursue tax-privileged purposes if the requirements of Sections 51 to 68 of the German Fiscal Code are met and this is recognized by the tax office or other legal entities that are not aimed at making a profit; in these cases, suitable security must be provided for any liability and repayment claims.
• Grants for research infrastructure projects are only awarded to non-profit, non-university research and development institutions that are recognized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Employment as competence centers.
• In the area of cooperation networks and cluster management, associations of at least 3 partners are required, including at least one commercial enterprise and other partners from business-related institutions.

How is funding provided?

The grant for business-related infrastructure measures is generally 60 percent of the eligible expenditure. The grant can amount to up to 90 percent of eligible expenditure if the project fits into a regional development strategy and if at least one of the following conditions is met:

• the funded infrastructure measure is carried out as part of an inter-municipal cooperation or
• the project makes a contribution to the necessary transformation to a climate-neutral and generally sustainable economy
• the project makes a particular contribution to securing skilled workers.

In the case of port infrastructure, additional provisions must be observed when determining the maximum grant rate in addition to the aforementioned specifications.

For the development of commercial and industrial areas, the grant may amount to up to 75 percent of the eligible expenditure. The grant can amount to up to 90 percent of the eligible expenditure if the project fits into a regional development strategy and the following conditions for sustainable industrial and commercial areas are also met:

• The project areas must have been designated as a sustainable industrial or commercial area in the local authority's decision to draw up the development plan,
• for projects with a significant proportion of land in accordance with Section 9 of the Land Use Ordinance, the applicant must demonstrate in a mandatory energy concept that an average proportion of more than 50 percent of heat and electricity is to be supplied via an area network from locally produced renewable energies as defined in Section 3 (21) of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz),
• for projects without a significant proportion of land in accordance with Section 9 of the Land Use Ordinance, the following provisions must be included in the mandatory energy concept in addition to the aforementioned requirements:
  • commercial enterprises to be located must be equipped with roof or façade photovoltaic systems as far as possible,
  • Buildings must achieve above-average energy efficiency through the orientation of the buildings for the active and passive use of solar radiation, through energy-efficient building standards 10 percentage points above the energy-efficient house standards developed by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, digital support measures such as broadband connections, smart grids and intelligent street and path lighting,
  • Ensuring sustainable mobility through connections to local public transport with the aim of cooperation between transport companies and commercial enterprises to coordinate the timing of connections as well as the promotion of e-mobility and the use of alternative fuels,
  • reduced land sealing through space-efficient construction and above-average green planning measures and
  • Ensuring sustainable water management through near-natural rainwater management and measures for efficient water use.

The grant for integrated regional development concepts is up to 75 percent, up to a maximum of EUR 100,000.00, and for planning and consulting services up to 75 percent of the eligible expenditure. Business networks can be funded for a maximum duration of 3 years with a grant of up to 75 percent, up to a maximum of EUR 200,000.00 with at least 3 partners.

In the case of research infrastructure projects, the grant amounts to up to 90 percent of the eligible expenditure, whereby the aid intensity may not exceed 50 percent of the eligible expenditure.

Formal application and

• Land use plan, site plan, development plan for the project (if available); otherwise certificate from the competent authority on the expected compatibility of the project with spatial and regional planning objectives,
• extract from the land register/extract from the register of owners or other suitable proof of the existing ownership structure,
• Building description,
• Investment and financing plan; land acquisition costs must be shown separately,
• If applicable, statement from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce/Chamber of Crafts,
• If applicable, a declaration from the competent authority on the compatibility of the project with environmental protection requirements,
• Declaration of entitlement to deduct input tax,
• Inspection notes from the technical departments,
• If applicable, proof of the exclusion of the intention to make a profit,
• If applicable, proof of tax privileges in accordance with §§ 51 ff. of the German Fiscal Code,
• Information on any existing economic, legal and personnel links between the sponsor, operator and user.

Grants are subject to the following general conditions:

a) The project must be necessary in connection with the creation and safeguarding of commercial jobs.

b) If the applicant (subsequent grant recipient), operator and owner of the infrastructure measure are different, a value absorption provision must be established to ensure that any profits or benefits are absorbed by the grant recipient, operator and owner of the infrastructure and are transferred to the grant provider after deduction of the expenses after the commitment period has expired.

c) Operators and users as well as grant recipients and users of the funded infrastructure facility must not be legally, personally or economically intertwined.

d) Grants can only be awarded for projects whose implementation has not yet begun. In principle, the conclusion of a supply or service contract attributable to the execution of the project is to be regarded as the start of the project. In the case of construction projects, planning, planning-related soil investigation, land acquisition, preparation of the site, early compensatory measures (CEF measures) are not considered the start of the project unless they are the sole purpose of the grant. By way of derogation from No. 1.3 of the VV to Section 44 LHO, an early start of the project may be approved by the granting authority upon written application and with the consent of the ministry responsible for infrastructure. The early start of the project is at the applicant's own risk.

e) The overall financing of the project and the financing of follow-up costs must be secured in accordance with the provisions of the municipal constitution. In the case of grants to municipal bodies, the provisions of Annex 3 of the VV to Section 44 LHO (VV-K) also apply (compatibility of the measure with the financial capacity).

f) Companies in difficulty are excluded from funding, with the exception of aid to deal with the consequences of natural disasters.

In addition, other and specific grant conditions apply.

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Application procedure

A grant will only be awarded upon written formal application. The application documents can be downloaded from the Internet at www.lfi-mv.de. The application for a grant must be sent to the
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Funding Institute
Werkstraße 213, 19061 Schwerin

Approval procedure

The granting authority is the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Funding Institute. Grants are approved by written notification.
In cases of grants for an infrastructure project with an investment volume of EUR 10 million or more, the sustainability and financial viability of the project, also with regard to demographic development, can be specially examined.

Request and disbursement procedure

Grant funds are disbursed in accordance with the reimbursement principle. The grant may only be requested to the extent and not before it is required for payments already made or services already rendered. The request must be accompanied by numerical proof of the requested expenditure together with a corresponding list of receipts.
In justified exceptional cases, the funds will be paid out in advance. By way of derogation from the provisions in section 5.3.1.2 of the VV to § 44 LHO, in justified individual cases the grant notification may stipulate that the time for the immediate use of the grant may be more than three months after disbursement. The reasons for the exception must be documented.
In addition to number 5.3.1 of the VV to § 44 LHO, a list of the associated procurement procedures must be submitted with each request for funds, insofar as compliance with procurement law is mandatory.

Proof of use procedure and performance review

Proof of use of the grant must be provided to the approval authority (proof of use). The complete proof of use must be submitted to the approval authority within six months of the end of the approval period.
The proof of use consists of a factual report, numerical evidence and a list of supporting documents.
In accordance with number 11.8 of the VV to § 44 LHO, the grant recipient must provide the approval authority with proof of compliance with the earmarking every five years until the end of the earmarking period, starting with completion or the start of use, on the form "Verification of fulfillment of the purpose of the grant within the earmarking period" attached to the grant notification.

Regulations to be observed:

The VV to § 44 LHO apply to the approval, disbursement and accounting of the grant as well as to the proof and verification of use and, if necessary, the revocation of the grant notification and the reclaiming of the grant awarded, unless deviations are permitted in this administrative regulation, and the State Administrative Procedure Act. Notwithstanding the VV to § 44 LHO, the use of the forms and samples provided shall be replaced by documents developed by the granting authority.
The grant recipient is fully responsible for ensuring that the project is carried out in accordance with the guidelines and is accordingly liable to the grant provider in the event of any reclaim.

depending on the submission of the necessary documents

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The administrative regulations on Section 44 of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Budget Code apply, unless deviations are permitted in the administrative regulation "Directive on the granting of grants for the expansion of business-related infrastructure (Infrastructure Directive, VV of the Ministry of Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labor of March 6, 2024 - V-250)" and the State Administrative Procedure Act.

The applicant has no legal entitlement to the grant. The granting authority decides on the basis of its dutiful discretion within the scope of the available budget funds.

• Grants can be awarded in particular for investment measures in business-related infrastructure, for research and energy infrastructure to strengthen the competitiveness of companies and to support structural problems in the region.
• The measures should be directly necessary for the development of the regional economy and should take into account the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2040.
• Integrated regional development concepts, planning and consulting services for the preparation or implementation of eligible infrastructure measures as well as cooperation networks, innovation clusters and regional budgets are eligible for funding as so-called non-investment measures.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Development Institute
Werkstraße 213
19061 Schwerin
Phone: 0385 6363-1405 or 1413
E-mail: info@lfi-mv.de

Postal address:
P.O. Box 160255
19092 Schwerin