Brandenburg's companies benefit: 73 million euros received from the JTF!

Brandenburg's companies benefit: 73 million euros received from the JTF!

What is happening in the state of Brandenburg? There is important news from the economy here that will particularly benefit small and medium-sized companies. For two years now, companies in Brandenburg have been able to benefit from EU funding from the Just Transition Fund (JTF). This initiative was launched to accelerate the EU's climate neutrality by 2050, especially in regions heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Loud rbb24 The Brandenburg Ministry of Economics and the IHK Cottbus have now drawn a positive interim conclusion: Over 1,000 applications have been received so far, with 560 approved and 170 rejected - the rest are still being examined.

The applications are processed by the Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg (ILB), which also provides companies with advice. The JTF thus provides a new perspective and provides the necessary support to economic forces affected by the consequences of the coal phase-out. Mathias Bothe, Managing Director of elmak GmbH, emphasizes that with the funding of 270,000 euros he was able to finance not only new machines, but also scaffolding. This type of support is particularly important for craft businesses, which were often excluded from other funding.

A look at the numbers

What exactly do the resources available look like? Around 238 million euros are planned for business funding from the JTF for the entire funding period. Of this, 170 million euros go to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while 68 million euros are reserved for large companies. The JTF would like to specifically promote the economy that is directly affected by the phase-out of lignite. Another aspect is transformation consulting for SMEs, which aims to realign their business activities and thus leverage development potential outside of the lignite industry.

The funding programs are not only a response to the economic challenges caused by the coal phase-out, but also a step towards a more climate-friendly future. The President of the Cottbus Chamber of Crafts, Corina Reifenstein, emphasizes the importance of this funding for craft businesses and their ability to adapt to new market developments.

What does the future hold?

The JTF will run until 2027 and Brandenburg has the opportunity to allocate around 170 million euros by then. So far, around 73 million euros have already been accessed. In total, the EU is making 2.3 billion euros available to German lignite mining areas by 2027 in order to restructure the region economically and at the same time replace the noise-polluting jobs that will be lost as a result.

A digital customer portal for submitting applications as well as workshops and information events from the ILB round off the offer. This ensures that the companies affected are well informed and supported. This supports the goal of not only managing structural change, but also actively creating opportunities for growth and innovation.

Overall, the Just Transition Fund shows a clear direction: The EU and Brandenburg are committed to the change towards a climate-neutral future and are opening up economic prospects for companies that defy the challenges of the coal phase-out. A new world of possibilities opens up for anyone who wants to participate in this process and drop out. Interested entrepreneurs can find further details about the funding opportunities on the website Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg (ILB).