Investment booster is making an impact: more than one billion euros for companies in NRW

NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft programme marks its first anniversary supporting companies investing in their future.

So far, 5,800 small and medium-sized enterprises have been given the green light and received funding through the NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft programme. Since the promotional programme was launched in May 2025, more than one billion euros have been invested in sustainability, digitalisation and innovation projects in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Johanna Antonie Tjaden-Schulte, member of the Managing Board of NRW.BANK: “Companies in North Rhine-Westphalia are using the promotional funds to invest in new technologies, modern processes and sustainable business models. In doing so, they are strengthening our competitiveness and NRW’s future as a business location. The first year of NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft shows that this promotional programme is successfully channelling capital to where it can make a difference: to the companies driving the transformation.”

Economics and Climate Action Minister Mona Neubaur: “The challenges of our time can’t be overcome without private investment. But they also can’t be tackled without public support. That’s why we are facilitating investment, accelerating processes and promoting targeted innovation. NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft is giving investment a real boost – this programme is unique in Germany. Companies benefit from it directly. It’s fast, straightforward and effective. That’s how progress made in NRW works.”

Broad impact on SMEs

The NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft programme is particularly popular with small and medium-sized enterprises. In the first year, small businesses accounted for more than half of the volume of new commitments, and medium-sized enterprises for just under a third. Together, they received around 85 percent of the total volume.

At more than 45 percent, the largest share of the committed loans went to manufacturing companies. Businesses from a wide range of sectors received the remaining funds provided by the promotional programme. Companies in the service sector accounted for 10 percent of the volume of new commitments. The construction and retail sectors reached a similar level, followed by health care and social services and the property and housing sector.

40 percent of the commitments related to innovation projects and 20 percent to measures to improve energy and resource efficiency. Mobility and digitalisation projects accounted for 13.5 and 11.5 percent, respectively. The remaining 15 percent was invested in environmental protection, climate protection and circular economy measures.

For more information on this promotional programme, visit:www.nrwbank.de/investzukunft

Media contact:

Caroline Fischer, Press Officer of NRW.BANK

Phone: +49 211 91741-1847, e-mail: presse@nrwbank.de

Charlotte Schröder, Press Officer of MWIKE

Phone: +49 211 61772-143, e-mail: presse@mwike.nrw.de

NRW.BANK – the promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia

NRW.BANK is the promotional bank of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). In close partnership with its owner, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Bank helps to strengthen SMEs and start-ups, create affordable housing and improve public infrastructure. NRW.BANK offers people, enterprises and local authorities in NRW tailor-made financing solutions and advisory services. It cooperates with its financing partners, in particular all banks and savings banks, on a competition-neutral basis. In order to accelerate the transformation processes, the Bank provides effective promotional impulses – for a sustainable, climate-neutral and digital North Rhine-Westphalia.