BAFA consulting subsidy: roadmap through guideline expiration

The current BAFA consulting subsidy guideline applies at most to applications submitted by December 31, 2026, and no successor program has been announced to date (the classification is in Is AI consulting subsidized?). What follows from this for your own planning is nowhere stated: whether a consultation must be completed by New Year's Eve, how many applications are even possible in the remaining time, and what happens to a project that runs across the year change.

Does December 31, 2026 apply to the application or to the consultation?

The deadline applies to the application. Section 8 of the guideline stipulates that the guideline applies "at most to applications submitted by December 31, 2026", and this sentence says nothing about the timing of the consultation (Source: BAFA funding guideline, version of December 12, 2024).

The timeframe for the consultation itself is stated elsewhere. According to Section 7.2.3, the documentation for proof of use must be available after completion of the consultation, but no later than six months after receipt of the notification letter. This six-month period runs independently of the calendar year.

A calculation example based on these two rules: If someone applies on December 15, 2026 and receives the notification letter on January 20, 2027, they can start earliest on January 20 and must have submitted the complete proof of use by July 20, 2027. Both dates fall after the application deadline ends and are still compliant.

How many subsidized consultations are still possible by end of 2026?

At most two. Section 5.2 of the guideline allows no more than two consultations per year per applicant and a maximum of five within the entire guideline duration, where only self-contained consultations count.

Two windows require two substantively separate projects, not a divided one. Each consultation is subject to the same framework:

• Duration: at most five consultation days, which do not have to be consecutive. Report preparation and travel time fall outside this framework (Section 2.1).
• Eligible costs: maximum 3,500 euros, excluding VAT, including expenses and travel costs (Section 5.2).
• Subsidy new federal states: 80 percent of eligible consultation costs, maximum 2,800 euros (including the Lüneburg and Trier regions, excluding Berlin and the Leipzig region).
• Subsidy old federal states: 50 percent of eligible consultation costs, maximum 1,750 euros (including Berlin and the Leipzig region).

What must happen in 2026, and what can roll over into 2027?

In 2026, exactly one step must occur: the application. Everything else can run across the year change, as long as the sequence and six-month deadline are maintained.

• Required by December 31, 2026: the application, submitted through the BAFA application platform and directed through one of the administrative offices (Section 7.2.1).
• Required before consultation begins: the notification letter from the administrative office. Starting before receiving it means losing the subsidy for this consultation, and consultation begins with the conclusion of the consultation agreement (Section 7.2.2).
• Can fall in 2027: the consultation itself, the consultation report signed by both parties, the invoice, the payment, and the proof of use.
• Almost certainly falls in 2027: the payout. Approval and payout occur only after final review of all application and proof of use documents (Section 7.2.5).

In what order should businesses proceed now?

The sequence is the real bottleneck, not the date. These six steps can be planned backward from today:

1. Identify consultation needs and divide into independent, self-contained projects. Two applications in the same year require two independent topics.
2. Select a consulting firm registered with BAFA. Registration is a prerequisite, and it requires that the company's primary business purpose is directed toward paid management consulting (Section 4.2.1).
3. Submit the application online before any contract is signed.
4. Wait for the notification letter and only then start.
5. Conduct the consultation within at most five consultation days and have the consultation report signed.
6. Submit the proof of use completely, no later than six months after the notification letter.

The buffer in the fourth quarter of 2026 is tighter than the calendar suggests: a second attempt after a formal error is no longer possible after December 31, 2026. Which errors occur most frequently is explained in Why BAFA applications fail; the complete procedure is described in BAFA application step by step.

What applies to BAFA consulting subsidy if no successor program comes?

Then after December 31, 2026, the opportunity to submit new applications ends, while already-submitted applications continue under this guideline's rules. There is no entitlement to funding: the granting authority decides according to proper discretion within the framework of budget funds (Section 5.2).

One reason for the uncertainty lies in the financing. The program is funded from the European Social Fund Plus, based on the federal program for the funding period 2021 to 2027 (Section 1.2). A successor guideline therefore also depends on the design of the next EU funding period and not solely on a national decision. As of August 2026, the BAFA program page contains no announcement of a successor arrangement.

Those who don't want to be left without a subsidy in the transition should also check which state and federal programs continue beyond 2026. An overview is available in Funding programs for digitalization in northern Germany; the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern program in detail in AI funding MV.

Disclaimer

NordFlux is not listed in the BAFA consultant directory and does not provide consulting services subsidized under this guideline. Consultation by us is not eligible under this program. This article classifies the guideline deadlines and is neither an offer for subsidized consulting nor legal or subsidy advice. Binding are only the guideline text and the information from the responsible administrative office. Our services for process automation are therefore calculated without subsidy assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

Must the subsidized consultation be completed by December 31, 2026?

No. Section 8 of the guideline ties the deadline to the application: The guideline applies at most to applications submitted by December 31, 2026. The consultation itself is governed by the six-month deadline from the notification letter and can thus extend into 2027.

Can I still submit an application in December 2026?

Yes, as long as the application is received through the BAFA application platform by December 31, 2026 inclusive. However, advance notice is sensible: after the cutoff date, a formally defective application cannot be replaced by a new one.

How many applications are still possible in 2026?

At most two in the calendar year and a maximum of five within the entire guideline duration, each for self-contained consultations (Section 5.2). Previously used quotas from prior years count toward the limit of five.

Is there a successor program starting in 2027?

None has been announced to date. As of August 2026, the BAFA lists no successor arrangement on its program page. The program is funded from ESF Plus in the funding period 2021 to 2027, so any continuation also depends on the European framework. Those planning should not count on successor funding.

Who may provide the subsidized consultation at all?

Only a consulting firm registered with BAFA whose primary business purpose is directed toward paid management consulting (Section 4.2.1). NordFlux does not meet this requirement and is not listed in the directory.