Climate Concept

It was a spring morning in 2021, an oat milk latte and a fresh croissant in my hand. There were a few small clouds in the sky with bright sunshine.

I, Anne-Catharina Nasri-Graage, knew: Today would be a joyful day, because I would begin my renovation planning for an artisan bakery. Wonderful: I would finally be able to implement all that we had been conceptually planning for so long. Implement. Halt, da war etwas: ein riesiger Berg an Kosten und den würde ich mit unserer Kundin Frau Wagner jetzt etwas verkleinern: mit Zuschüssen! I picked up the phone and called Mrs. Wagner. Shortly thereafter, we started a video conference in which we discussed all the final details for the renovation of her bakery.

We both picked up the calculator at the same time and added up: 700,000 euros in investment. The breath caught equally on both sides of the line. I could hear that heavy breathing on the phone. My heart was racing, because there was also some good news. I said to Mrs. Wagner: “I’ll write to you about your climate concept and apply for about 154,000 euros in funding from the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) for you.

Her breath caught again. She said, “Ms. Graage, Let’s do that – I’m very happy that you can support us so well and do so much for us.” I added, “But remember – It’s not a given – not until it’s confirmed.” “Yes, I know,” said Ms. Wagner, “but I want to invest our money sustainably now.” Later I said, “Climate concept ready, funding application submitted, all applications uploaded for you“. Ms. Wagner was finally able to sign the first contracts. After only three months, the grant confirmation from BAFA was there. What a blessing, because everything went like a charm. The renovation is now thriving and Mrs. Wagner is looking forward to a great, renovated bakery. These days are fun: You see how things are coming together with our partners and the Klima-Kontor team.