BAFA will continue to provide funding for consultancy services in 2021

BAFA will continue to provide funding for consultancy services in 2021

The BAFA’s coronavirus relief measures led to bottlenecks and a temporary halt to accreditation in the middle of the year. Since then, the situation at the BAFA appears to have returned to normal. The BAFA has now announced that it will extend the consultancy funding scheme into 2021. From 1 January 2021, businesses will be able to apply for a grant towards the costs of management consultancy services.

The support programme continues to be aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises. Companies in difficulty (as defined in the BAFA guidelines) may apply for two grants. Provided all conditions are met, the grants do not need to be repaid. It is particularly welcome that it does not matter how many grants for consultancy services the applicant companies have applied for or received up to 31 December 2020. From 1 January, the BAFA count starts again at 0.

Opti.Tax is gearing up for the extension

In order to receive the grant from the BAFA, the consultancy firm must submit a consultancy report in collaboration with the client. Particularly convenient and straightforward This task can be carried out in Opti.Tax. The new requirements for the advisory report, which come into effect in January 2021, will be incorporated into the next release, 20.3. The release is due in two weeks’ time, i.e. in mid-December.

For the time being, it has been announced that the extension of the BAFA funding programme will run until the end of 2022. A full two years are therefore planned. As the past nine months or so have shown, it is impossible to predict or plan for any situation with complete certainty. We must therefore assume that the legislator will continue to make adjustments to the funding programmes, eligibility criteria and measures. hsp ensures that Opti.Tax users are always kept up to date with the latest regulations. At the very least, everyone can rely on that.

What has happened so far: Chronology of the BAFA’s measures

A crisis the likes of which the modern world has never experienced before calls for swift action. The BAFA, too, set up an aid programme in record time, designed to provide straightforward and effective support.  However, following an unexpected rush of applications for coronavirus aid, the BAFA found itself forced to put the programme on hold for the time being. Click here, to find out more about the chronology of the BAFA’s measures.