Funding program for hotels

Digital now!*

Do you want to advance the digitization of your company and act in a future-oriented manner? Check out the information about the “Digital Now” funding program below and prepare your IT department for the future. HotelFriend will be happy to advise you and give practical assistance in developing the digitization plan.

* The offer is only available to hoteliers from Germany.

Apply for funding

The funding program is temporarily suspended. As an alternative, HotelFriend in partnership with AGL has developed an unprecedented leasing product for the digital hotel:

More information here!

Digital now! - Facts and figures

60% of small and medium-sized businesses

rate the importance of digital technologies from important to very important

17 thousand euros on digitization

SMEs spend on average per year

34% of small & medium-sized enterprises

state that they have no digital skills

52% of medium-sized companies

rate themselves as "average" digitized

Source: bmwi.de

Summary: Funding Program

The funding of up to 70% of the expenditure on digitization and up to € 50,000 is possible.

Who is eligible for funding?

There are funding opportunities for medium-sized companies from all industries, including craft businesses and liberal professions. These companies must have between 3 and 499 employees and demonstrate corresponding digitization projects, such as updating software and hardware and/or spending on employee qualification.

How is the funding structured?

The funding is a form of a grant that does not have to be repaid. The grant will be paid out after the successful implementing of digitization measures. All measures should be taken within 12 months after the application. You can submit applications by and including 2023.

What is the purpose of the funding program?

The purpose is to invest in digital technologies and the qualification of employees necessary for handling technology.

These include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence, new hardware (e.g. 3D printing), data protection, IT security, cloud systems, and new, data-driven business models.

What is the purpose of the funding program?

What is the funding amount?

The funding amount starts at € 17,000 and can be as high as € 50,000 per business. The funding rate depends on the number of employees in the company.

Up to 50 employees: 50% can be covered
Up to 250 employees: 45% can be covered
Up to 499 employees: 40% can be covered

From July 1st, 2021, the funding rate will be reduced by 10%, regardless of the number of employees.

HotelFriend Digitalization Package

1. Cloud-based hotel software: every entrepreneur and employee can work with it from their own device, decentralized and remotely.

2. Booking button for your own online presence: Hotels can offer better deals and don't have to pay any commission to online travel agencies.

3. Digital pre-check in: faster, more comfortable and more secure check-in of your guests before they arrive at the hotel.

4. Digital guest directory: all important information about your hotel in one app.

5. Service orders via smartphone: Contactless ordering and payment for services via guests' own mobile devices.

6. HotelFriend Marketplace: companies can use the HotelFriend Marketplace to offer rooms free of commission.

7. Voucher sales: immediate sales generation through voucher sales without commission.

8. Up to € 50,000 grant from the federal government: for joint projects even up to € 100,000.

9. Financing of the co-payment: in monthly installments over up to four years.

Financing through the AGL

Thanks to the solid financing from our partner, AGL Activ Services GmbH, it is possible to obtain financing for your share (subject to a positive credit check by AGL). In addition, the AGL has agreed to provide the federal grant funding to approved projects before the funds are called if HotelFriend is selected as the digitization partner.

Financing example

Suppose that we conclude a hire purchase with the customer. In the example below, we calculated € 50,000 over a period of 48 months.

Assume that 50% of the funding will be paid within five months after installation. We used 16% as the tax rate.

Project scope: 50,000 €
Funding rate: 50% through BMWI
Federal grant: 25,000 €
Own contribution: 25,000 €
Funding period: 48 months

48 x 630 € monthly hire-purchase rate,
instead of € 50,000 as a loan at project start

Thus, the contract begins only after the funding amount has been paid. Besides, the VAT is only due after three months (after the start of the contract), namely the period when the rental buyer receives the VAT back from the tax office and can forward it directly to us. As a consequence, the liquidity burden is only in the amount of the respective rate.

Creation of a digitization plan: 0 €

Go Digital

Funding program for hotels*

The following aspects are important in creating the digitization plan:

Needs analysis

Individual advice on measures

Elaboration of the digitalization plan

Support in all questions concerning funding

0,00

HotelFriend is always by your side,
free of charge, and without obligations!

Request offer

*Please note that the offer is only available to hoteliers from Germany.

How to start the process?

Getting financing is a competitive process that involves numerous and time-intensive steps. HotelFriend will take care to present your application well and guide you through all the actions required to get your hotel business funded. As a starting point, please follow the instructions below:

Submit an application form to get free expert advice from HotelFriend

Prepare all documents with the assistance of our funding professionals

Apply for funding

Wait for approval

Funding Request

Get fast and professional assistance from HotelFriend. Please fill in your contact details below and we will get in touch with you soon.