Business support offers a wide range of services such as supporting companies in solving environmental and trade law problems, clarifying construction law issues and supporting companies in improving their location conditions. It offers a one-stop service by bundling and coordinating administrative processes and, if desired, accompanying the company through to the implementation of a measure. Its services also include commercial space marketing and real estate services (see Chapter II.7). 

In 2023, the Economic Development Agency carried out 341 business support measures and consultations for companies based in Bonn. Participation in discussions with chambers or in political committees on current challenges is also an integral part of the work. The range of services is supplemented by subsidy advice, which informs companies about publicly available subsidies for business investments and operating resources. In addition to the business support measures and advice provided in 2023, the business development department also supported a total of 217 relocation and investment projects. It advised and assisted external companies in their search for commercial real estate as part of a potential relocation.

Due to the shortage of commercial space and the lack of available municipal commercial space, the city was unable to sell any commercial properties to companies in 2023. The focus was therefore placed on brokering private sites. However, in order to be able to offer commercial sites to companies wishing to relocate in the future, one focus of the work is on the development and qualification of existing commercial sites. Due to the shortage of commercial space, the economic development department will apply even stricter criteria when allocating land in the future. In addition, allocation criteria that are suitable for achieving the city's goal of climate neutrality by 2035 will play an increasingly important role in the allocation of municipal land.

In 2023, the corporate support department supported companies in the automotive supply, IT, food and leisure sectors in particular as part of approval processes. For example, support was provided for intended uses with relevance to building and planning law, and complex construction projects were also supported with regard to their approvability.

The city of Bonn intends to become climate-neutral by 2035, to switch its energy supply almost entirely to renewable energies and, at the same time, to continuously develop into a city that is adapted to climate change. This also applies to all commercially and industrially used areas in Bonn under the heading of “commercial areas in transition”. Against this backdrop, the pilot project “Climate-friendly industrial estate Beuel-Ost” is intended to serve as a model project that can also be transferred to other industrial estates in Bonn and show what possibilities can be used in an existing industrial estate to unseal and green areas and reduce emissions. The city of Bonn, together with the Essen-based engineering firm GERTEC and WILA - Wissenschaftsladen Bonn, launched this model project in mid-2021. Together with interested local companies, it is continuously identifying how the area can be further developed in a climate-friendly way. Key elements are potential checks and the initiation of measures for a high quality location, an attractive open space structure, efficient energy use and optimized energy generation. After the Beuel-Ost industrial estate, companies in the Bonn-West industrial estate now have the opportunity to obtain advice.

These example projects illustrate the range of services provided by the corporate support team:

• Advising project developers and investors on investment projects
• Supporting the expansion plans of companies in the automotive supply and building cleaning sectors as well as a scientific institution. 
• Advice on funding for companies in the retail and food sectors
• Clarification of issues relating to building regulations and planning law for the subsequent use of space for a manufacturing company, a provider of leisure activities, a dental practice and an IT company.
• Providing advice with regard to the sustainable orientation of manufacturing companies and companies in the construction and waste disposal sectors in terms of mobility, greening company premises and energy generation/supply.
• Supporting companies in the implementation of transportation measures.

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