progres.nrw – Program for Rational Energy Use, Renewable Energies, and Energy Saving – Heat and Cold Networks Program Area

The progres.nrw program targets companies with a registered office or permanent establishment in North Rhine-Westphalia that wish to implement projects in the field of energy-efficient heat and cold networks. The overarching goal is the new construction and expansion as well as the modernization of these networks to increase energy efficiency and contribute to climate protection.

The progres.nrw program – Heat and Cold Networks Program Area – promotes a wide range of measures to improve energy efficiency. This includes the new construction and densification of networks, the integration of heat extraction systems and thermal storage, as well as innovative system components and studies.

Funding is provided as a non-repayable grant. The amount of the grant varies depending on the measure and can be up to 70 percent of the eligible expenditures, with a minimum threshold of 100,000 Euros.

Funding is subject to specific application and approval requirements, as well as the provisions of the De Minimis Regulation or the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). Cumulation rules with other public grants and transparency obligations are also important.

The application must be submitted in writing to the Arnsberg District Government. The approving authority is responsible for the entire procedure from approval to accounting and decides at its dutiful discretion.

The progres.nrw funding program – Heat and Cold Networks Program Area – is based on specific guidelines from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization, and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia from December 9, 2020. It integrates both state law and European aid regulations.