Fire department; application for state funding for the procurement of fire department vehicles and equipment and the construction of fire stations

The Free State of Bavaria supports Bavarian municipalities in the procurement of fire department vehicles and equipment as well as the construction of fire stations with state grants.

The funding is intended to enable local authorities to make the necessary purchases (vehicles, equipment) for defensive fire protection and technical assistance services in accordance with the Bavarian Fire Service Act (BayFwG) and to accommodate them in fire stations. For this purpose, fixed amounts for the vehicle types and equipment designated as eligible for funding are defined in the relevant funding guidelines for the fire department.

When funding the construction of fire stations, the first two parking spaces are now subsidized with an increased fixed amount. From the third parking space onwards, the amount of the fixed amount granted for each parking space increases as the number of required parking spaces increases.

As of 01.01.2025, funding has also been added for the general refurbishment of fire stations, i.e. the fundamental overhaul of fire stations with the aim of bringing them up to the same structural standard as a new building.

The state grants for municipal fire departments are financed exclusively from Bavaria's share of the national fire protection tax.

Funding for the fire department is provided without legal entitlement within the scope of available budget funds.

The Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, Sport and Integration announced an increase in certain fixed funding amounts on December 23, 2024. These are relevant for the funding of corresponding measures started from 01.01.2025 (start of measures = first contract award). For all measures started before 01.01.2025, Annexes 1 and 2 continue to apply in the respective version of the announcement that was valid at the time of the start of the measure.

• Expert opinion of the responsible district or city fire chief or head of the professional fire brigade
• for construction measures (including general renovations): Overview, site and construction plans
• Further documents if necessary (see funding program, no. 7.1.1)

The eligibility requirements are set out in the relevant grant guidelines and the general budgetary provisions, in particular the administrative regulations for grants from the Free State of Bavaria to municipal bodies under Article 44 of the Bavarian Budget Code.

In particular, measures will only be funded if they are suitable for the fulfillment of mandatory municipal tasks in defensive fire protection and in technical assistance services in order to maintain or improve the performance of the fire department. The measures applied for funding must also be necessary and economical

A local authority can submit a corresponding funding application (see under "Online procedure") to the government responsible for it (= responsible funding authority). The funding application must be accompanied by a technical statement from the responsible district or city fire chief or head of the professional fire department.

If necessary, technical advice is provided to the municipalities by the locally responsible city and district fire councils as well as by the specialist advisors for fire and disaster protection at the governments.

Funding can only be provided for projects that have not yet begun. In the case of procurements, the start of the project is generally deemed to be the conclusion of a supply or service contract; in the case of construction measures, this is the award of the first construction contract.