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Funding

Management consulting with a BAFA grant

We are registered and activated with BAFA.

BAFA covers part of the consulting costs for small and medium-sized companies. dxm is registered and activated as a consultancy in the BAFA programme “Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU”. The grant covers consulting only.

Official BAFA programme page

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What is this about?

With BAFA the order matters. You file the application first, wait for the information letter, then sign the contract. If you start earlier, the grant is often gone.

Who can apply

Small and medium-sized enterprises under the EU SME definition. Companies that have existed for no more than one year at the time of application also need an information talk with a regional partner.

What is funded

Economic, financial, people and organisational questions of running the company. For us that means digitalisation, processes, brand, visibility or a first step into AI. Always as a closed consulting assignment with a report. The BAFA grant covers this consulting only. Later technical or operational delivery can be done separately by dxm, but it is not part of the funded consulting.

How the grant works

For companies in NRW: at most 3,500 euros of eligible consulting costs, a 50 percent grant, so at most 1,750 euros per assignment. Consulting may last at most five days or 40 hours in total. You pay the invoice, BAFA then pays the grant. Until the end of 2026 you may use at most five assignments, two per year.

Apply first. Then start the consulting.

Typical situations

What we actually do

Place the project

We check the published funding criteria to see whether the project could fit the programme in principle. Binding review and the funding decision sit with BAFA.

Prepare the documents

We help cut the eligible scope and structure offers and descriptions of work to the published rules. No contract before the information letter.

Do the consulting

The agreed work happens. At most five consulting days or 40 hours, with recommendations you can act on.

Build what follows

Where it makes sense we continue into website, processes, tracking or AI. That is not part of the BAFA-funded consulting and is commissioned separately.

Consulting report

We write the consulting report to the published BAFA requirements. Invoice and the remaining evidence are prepared so you can file them.

Prioritise next steps

A list of what pays for itself and what is worth a further grant or follow-on project.

How we work

  • 01

    Short check

    Against the published criteria we check which topic fits a closed assignment and whether you can still apply this year.

  • 02

    File the application

    Online via the BAFA portal, by you as the company. We start only after the information letter. No consulting contract before that.

  • 03

    Advise and document

    Cover the agreed topics. We write the consulting report to the published BAFA requirements.

  • 04

    Proof and next work

    File the proof of use. In parallel we decide what to build next. Delivery itself is a separate brief.

Before anyone signs anything, tell us what you need. We check the published funding criteria to see whether the project could fit the programme in principle.

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Frequently asked questions

Most BAFA mistakes happen before the first consulting hour.

Who files the application?

The applicant company. dxm is registered and activated as a consultancy in the BAFA programme and helps place the case, shape the scope, prepare the offer and description of work, and answer specialist questions. Company data, declarations and the submission stay with the company. Eligibility and approval are decided by BAFA.

How large is the grant?

For companies in NRW: at most 3,500 euros of eligible consulting costs, a 50 percent grant, so at most 1,750 euros per assignment. Consulting may last at most five days or 40 hours.

Can we start before approval?

No. Even the consulting contract counts as a start. Only the BAFA information letter gives a green light. Starting earlier puts the grant at risk.

What is legally binding?

All information reflects our understanding as of 20 August 2026. Only the current guidelines, calls and rules of the competent funding body are binding. There is no entitlement to funding.

Does BAFA fit your case?

Two sentences on the topic are enough. We check the published funding criteria to see whether the project could fit the programme in principle. Binding review and the funding decision sit with BAFA.

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