Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure DE-2020-13/363 – Updated – measures in Germany
Country | Germany , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 23 March 2020 – 30 June 2022 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Access to finance |
Author | Sandra Vogel (IW) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 07 April 2020 (updated 27 February 2023) |
Providing financial support to medium-sized and large companies for investments and working capital. Improved conditions for receiving loans are based on the European Union's 'Temporary Framework for State aid measures' to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak. Also, this measure is part of the support package to stabilise the German economy and help out firms during the COVID-19 crisis. The package was adopted by the Federal Government at the end of March 2020.
If medium-sized or large companies seek syndicate financing for their investments or working capital, KfW bank will bear up to 80% of the risk, but no more than 50% of the total debt. The risk share amounts to at least €25 million. However, it is limited to a certain extent, i.e. 25% of the annual turnover in 2019 or double the wage costs in 2019 or it is not higher than the financing requirements for the next 12 months. This measure is part of the support package to stabilise the German economy and help out firms during the COVID-19 crisis. The package was adopted by the Federal Government at the end of March 2020 and includes several measures easing access to loans and financial assistance for companies of different sizes.
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
01 February 2022 |
The deadline for fund application expired at the end of April 2022. However, applications can still be granted until 30 June 2022 when the programme will be closed. |
17 December 2021 |
In mid-December 2021, the deadline for applying for funds was prologned until the end of April 2022. |
25 March 2021 |
On 25 March 2021, the KfW stated in a press release that all its special programmes were prolonged until the end of 2021 (including direct participation for syndicate financing). |
08 January 2021 |
On 6 November 2020, the KfW bank announced that its special programmes were prolonged until 30 June 2021 (including direct participation for syndicate financing). |
As of 11 August 2020, the KfW received 81,359 loan applications (for all its programmes). 99.8% of these applications were not higher than €3 million. Overall, 99.7% of all applications have been processed. The KfW has granted a total sum of €42.6 billion.
According to the KfW press release from 6 November 2020, the bank received 95,000 applications for all its additional COVID-19 related programmes, 99% of the application had been finalised by the bank. Around 97% of the applicants were small and medium-sized companies. Granted sums amounted to a volume of nearly €46 billion.
At the beginning of February 2021, the KfW had already announced that for it had granted €8.4 billion for syndicate financing in 2020.
In March 2021, the bank also stated that around €49 billion were spent in 2020 to provide financial assistance to companies suffering from the negative impact of lockdowns (figure refers to all pandemic related programmes under its umbrella).
The 2021 first quarter report from 17 May 2021 shows that KfW has provided €56 billion in funds related to COVID-19 special programmes such as this one.
On 11 August 2021, the KfW stated that the bank granted €58.6 billion in funds related to COVID-19 related special programmes between the beginning of the crisis and 31 July 2021. Compared to the previous-year period (€33.8 billion) the overall volume of aid programmes related to COVID-19 in the first half of 2021 has decreased to €6.5 billion. This decrease is attributed to the end of the lockdown and to the nationwide ease of restrictions in the second quarter of 2021. Mostly SMEs used the funds. In addition, the ZIA statistics show that €8.59 billion were granted for the syndicate financing programme as of 9 September 2021.
On 3 November 2021, the KfW stated that the demand for grants from COVID-19 related aid programmes continued to decrease. In the first three quarters of 2021, the bank provided grants worth €8.4 billion in this context.
On 11 May 2022, the KfW announced that demand for grants from COVID-19 related aid programmes kept decreasing. During the first three quarters of 2022, the bank provided €1.6 billion.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers |
SMEs
Larger corporations |
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Company / Companies |
National funds
|
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:
German social partners are usually consulted by the Federal Government on broader measures, though no formal tripartite social dialogue structure exists in Germany at the federal level.
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 support of the KfW administered measures targeting companies.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Direct participation for syndicate financing, measure DE-2020-13/363 (measures in Germany), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/DE-2020-13_363.html
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