Background information

The goal of the measure is to provide liquidity to companies to cushion the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is part of a broader package adopted by the Federal Government at the end of March 2020. The rescue package also includes changes in tax law, all of them directed at easing tax burdens for companies plus further measures facilitating easier acces to loans for companies of different sizes, start-up support or financial help for solo- or micro entrepreneurs as well as eased up rules for short-time work.

Content of measure

The German Federal Government set up the economic stabilisation fund and raises additional funds on the capital market, in order to provide a framework that guarantees companies‘ liquidity and solvency. Three instruments are under the umbrella of the Economic Stabilisation fund:

1. The governemnt provides a guarantee framework worth €400 billion, in order to support companies, if they need to re-fiannce themselves on the capital market;
2. The Federal Government provides a credit authorisation worth €100 billion to stabilise the equity base of businesses.
3. The Federal Government authorises the KfW special programmes, i.e. taking out loans worth another €100 billion.

The single measures of the KfW special programmes are describes in additional entries in this database. All these instruments are targeted at companies in the real economy that either provide a balance sheet total of more than €43 million or have more than €50 million in sales revenue or employ more than 249 employees annually (average figures). If smaller companies are important for Germany’s critical infrastructure, they can also be taken into account when granting these measures.

Use of measure

No information currently available. However, the KfW issued a press release with the overall usage of the COVID-19 related measures administered by the bank. According to the press release, the KfW received over 70,000 loan applications (worth €50 billion) since 23 March 2020. 98.5% of these application were not higher than €3 million.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

German social partners are usually consulted by the Federal Government on broader measures, though no formal tripartite social dialogue structure exsits in Germany at the federal level.

Views and reactions

The Confederation of German Employers' Association (BDA) and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) jointly welcomed the crisis package adopted by the Federal Government in spring 2020. Social partners highlighted in the press release to be in suuport of the KfW administered measures targeting companies.

Sources

• 13 March 2020: DGB and BDA: The social partners share responsibility in the corona crisis over differencesSocial partners neglect differences (DGB und BDA: Die Sozialpartner stellen gemeinsame Verantwortung in der Coronakrise über Differenzen) (www.dgb.de)
• 23 March 2020: Rescue package for companies (www.bundesregierung.de)
• 30 June 2020: 100 days of KfW Corona aid: tens of thousands of companies benefit from federal support in the fight against the consequences of the pandemic (100 Tage KfW-Corona-Hilfe: Zehntausende Unternehmen profitieren von Unterstützung des Bundes im Kampf gegen Folgen der Pandemie) (www.kfw.de)
• 11 August 2020: First half 2O20: KfW grants double (www.kfw.de)