BAFA eligibility check for SMEs
Check in a few minutes whether your business and a planned management-system consulting project may fit the BAFA funding programme. You receive a non-binding first assessment and clear next steps.
Non-binding pre-check based on the July 2026 rules
A first assessment in five steps
Enter your company details and then answer the relevant funding criteria.
From eligibility check to a controlled BAFA application
After a positive or reviewable pre-check, you can commission Sternberg Consulting directly. Existing details are carried over; you complete only missing information and confirm the power of attorney.
- 01
Capture company data once
The legal name, address, contact, legal form, founding date, business activity, WZ code, VAT status and coordinating body are assembled systematically.
- 02
Review details and provide authorisation
A review table shows all carried-over and completed values. For submission by an authorised representative, the official BAFA power of attorney must be completed, signed and attached.
- 03
Have Sternberg Consulting prepare the application
Once commissioned, the workflow is created in the CRM with BAFA consultant ID 203190, professionally reviewed and coordinated through final approval.
What the BAFA eligibility check reviews
The pre-check combines publicly verifiable company facts with information only the business can answer reliably. Unclear cases are intentionally flagged for manual review.
- 01
SME size
Fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover of no more than EUR 50 million or a balance sheet total of no more than EUR 43 million. Relevant partner and linked enterprises must be included.
- 02
German base and legal independence
The company must be legally independent and have its registered office and business operations in Germany.
- 03
Exclusion criteria
Certain advisory professions, non-profit or publicly linked entities, insolvency cases and specific primary sectors are excluded.
- 04
Funding history and de minimis
A maximum of two consultations per year and five from 2023 through 2026. The rolling de minimis period is also considered.
- 05
Scope and project start
The eligible consulting work needs an individual analysis, identified weaknesses, recommendations and implementation guidance. The agreement and consulting may begin only after the BAFA information letter has been received.
Not only QMS: environment and occupational safety can fit too
BAFA funding is not limited to ISO 9001. Conceptual consulting for ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, ISO 13485 or an integrated management system may also be eligible. The decisive factor is the consulting content. Certification fees, audit-only engagements and an ongoing external QMR role are not eligible.
Rule base: BAFA programme “Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU”, amended guideline dated 12 December 2024 for applications in the guideline period through 31 December 2026. This checker does not replace an approval decision.
Open the official BAFA information ↗