The De-minimis funding program no longer exists under that name. The initiative needed a new, more descriptive title and was renamed Environmental Protection and Safety (US). Well, if it works, there must be reasons behind the change. Does this renaming cost money? I’m not entirely sure, but I can imagine it does.
The reason for—or rather, the current reason—is that the name De-minimis did not allow any inference about the goals or content of the funding program. To improve public perception, a name change was decided upon. Hence, the entire program is now called Environmental Protection and Safety (US).
The service portal has not yet been fully updated to reflect this new name; therefore, it may still occur that the abbreviation DM appears instead of US under various entries. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even one year after the renaming of BAG to BALM, not all vehicles have been rebranded yet—some are still circulating with the old “BAG” markings.
What Changes
Apart from the name and the funding method, nothing else has changed. Although BGL had requested an increase in subsidy amounts from the De-minimis program, this was not implemented. The rules remain unchanged: €2,000 per vehicle or a total annual sum of €33,000. This means that a fleet with 16.5 pulling units will still receive funding for all vehicles. Anything larger falls outside the scope.
Windhund Procedure
With the 2024 funding period (the application period begins on February 5, 2024, and ends on May 31, 2024), the so-called “Windhund procedure” has been reintroduced. This means: when the pot is empty, it’s empty—or whoever applies first gets funded first.
What Is Funded
A list of eligible “measures” can be found on the BALM website . Listing everything here would exceed the scope of this document.
There is also a comprehensive explanation of the new funding program, which clarifies who qualifies for subsidies and who does not. As with De-minimis, companies that own trailers but lack their own prime movers will again receive no funding. At minimum, you must own a prime mover in which you are registered as the holder; only then can you also receive funding for leased or rented vehicles.
