Bafa innovation funding for heat pump possibly too late - what now?

Hello everyone,

We are installing a brine geothermal heat pump in our newly constructed house and hired a general contractor for the entire project at the end of May. The contract also includes the geothermal system and a guaranteed annual performance factor of 4.5. Currently, the documents are with the building authority and we are waiting.

However, in general, you are mostly on your own regarding compliance with various regulations, and everyone just refers to the subsequent trades and that a lot will be clarified there. I now have the BAFA application for innovation funding for an efficient heat pump in front of me. There is a funding amount of 4,500 EUR. However, the application must be submitted BEFORE the project starts. For general contractor contracts, the contract is considered the project start as soon as a renewable energy concept is named there.

Now the question to you: are the 4,500 EUR already lost? Is it like that or can it still be argued that the contract for the drilling is not yet closed, etc.? I could really lose it if that were the case, but it’s stated everywhere.

Thanks and regards, Redsonic

That is apparently really the case. Interestingly, we received the approval for funding for an air-to-water heat pump without having to provide any contractual documents at all. The application and the calculation of the annual performance factor from the manufacturer of the heat pump were sufficient.

I only know the procedure from theory so far. But from everything officially available to read and what I have already read on the internet, you are out of luck. You have already correctly cited the relevant passages yourself.
Moreover, the conclusion of the contract in May was not yesterday, but months ago.
very annoying!

Just call there on Monday.

I will get on the phone first thing Monday. The problem is simply that no construction company advances payment like that.

But I have already escalated this today with my general contractor. He first reassured me that it will work out. It has worked with 50 construction projects so far. Apparently, Bafa itself has already realized that the requirements are impractical. The decisive factor is the contract between the general contractor and the plumbing company, and that will only be ready after the execution planning.

I now really hope he is right.

PS: Of course, the contract was not signed yesterday, but who expects these requirements when such specific systems are demanded in the application, which obviously only become available in such detail much later in the process.

Hello,

with my colleague it was exactly like with you and he had no chance. You also often read on the internet that it is now too late. Since it affects me the same way, please report here if it does work out and what you did.

Make a contract amendment with your GÜ and remove the trade Heating / Sanitary (?). When the time comes, you will sign a new contract with him.