Klimafreundlicher Neubau (KFN) – KfW 297 and 298
The federal promotional loan for homes built well beyond the statutory new-build standard. We explain which funding level is realistic for your timber project and in what order the steps have to happen.
What this programme is about
Klimafreundlicher Neubau (KFN, climate-friendly new construction) is the federal programme for building or first-purchasing residential buildings whose energy performance is far better than the legal minimum. It is not a grant: you receive a reduced-interest loan through your financing bank, applied for under number 297 if you are a private individual moving in yourself, or 298 for everyone else. The programme does not prescribe a construction method — it prescribes verified results: an Effizienzhaus performance level, climate-friendly heat generation and, in the higher levels, a life-cycle assessment of the whole building. This is where timber construction is genuinely strong. Holzrahmenbau and Holztafelbau (timber frame and timber panel construction) reach high insulation values with slim wall cross-sections, and timber as a renewable material is favourable in the life-cycle calculation. If you are planning a new build or an Ausbauhaus, factor the funding in from the very first sketch — not once the contracts are already signed.
Who can apply
Loan 297 is for private individuals who will live in the funded dwelling themselves. Loan 298 covers everyone else: landlords, housing companies, cooperatives, sole traders, freelancers and public-law entities. If you build an apartment block, live in one unit and rent out the rest, both loans can run side by side. Unlike Wohneigentum für Familien, KFN has no income ceiling — your household income is irrelevant here. Funding is granted per dwelling unit, which is why the programme also works economically for multi-family buildings rather than only for detached houses.
What is funded
The programme covers the construction and the first purchase of residential buildings and owner-occupied apartments. Eligible costs include the building works and associated construction costs and, in line with the programme rules, the fees of the energy efficiency expert for planning and construction supervision. Land purchase costs are not eligible. The loan amount depends on the level achieved: up to €100,000 per dwelling for Effizienzhaus 55 and for Klimafreundliches Wohngebäude, and up to €150,000 per dwelling for Klimafreundliches Wohngebäude with QNG. There is no repayment grant — the entire benefit sits in the interest rate.
Requirements at a glance
The building reaches at least Effizienzhaus level 55. The Klimafreundliches Wohngebäude levels require Effizienzhaus level 40.
Heat is generated without oil or gas. In the Klimafreundliches Wohngebäude levels, biomass is excluded as a heat generator as well.
The Klimafreundliches Wohngebäude levels require a life-cycle assessment (Ökobilanz) of the building, and its limits must be met.
The highest level additionally requires the state sustainability certificate QNG-PLUS or QNG-PREMIUM, issued by an accredited certification body.
An energy efficiency expert from the official federal expert list must be involved. Only they issue the pre-application and post-completion confirmations.
The loan is applied for through a financing institution and must be applied for before work starts — meaning before any supply or works contract is signed.
How the process runs
Initial consultation and target level
We work out with you which Effizienzhaus level suits your plot, your design and your budget, and whether the QNG level is realistic. The result is a solid basis for further planning and for the conversation with your bank.
Bring in the energy efficiency expert
You commission an expert from the official federal list. They calculate the building, agree wall build-ups, building services and the airtightness concept with us, and issue the Bestätigung zum Antrag (BzA), the confirmation needed for the application.
Apply before work begins
With the BzA you apply for the loan through your financing institution. Only afterwards may supply and works contracts be signed. Anyone who signs earlier loses eligibility — there is no exception and no way to repair this later.
Build to the verified design
We construct the timber building to the agreed design: wall and roof build-up, insulation layers, the airtight layer and all junction details. The work is documented so the expert can inspect and confirm what was actually built.
Confirmation and proof of use
After completion the energy efficiency expert checks the execution and issues the post-completion confirmation. You then submit the proof of use to KfW within the deadline — only at that point is the funding finally secured.
Why timber construction fits this programme
KFN levels are neutral about construction methods: what counts are calculated values, not materials. Timber frame and panel construction, though, works in your favour. Insulation sits in the bays between the studs, so the load-bearing structure and the insulation layer share the same depth; service voids and extra insulation can be added without the wall thickness ballooning. For the levels with a life-cycle assessment, timber as a renewable material enters the calculation with low manufacturing-related emissions. QNG adds proof that the timber comes from sustainable forestry — routine for a contractor with documented supply chains. The figures for your building are calculated by the energy efficiency expert.
Services we carry out for this
We carry out the construction work. Evidence and applications go through independent experts.
Our role — and the expert's role
MAIER & PARTNER INNOVATIVBAU is your timber construction contractor, not an energy consultancy. The application, the calculations and the verifications belong with an independent energy efficiency expert from the official federal list; only they may issue the pre-application and post-completion confirmations. Our job is compliant execution: we plan and build wall, floor and roof assemblies so the agreed performance values are achievable, install the airtight layer properly, document the work and hand the construction records to the expert. What we cannot do is guarantee that funding will be approved.
Programme details at KfWFrequently asked questions about funding
Does KfW 297/298 include a repayment grant (Tilgungszuschuss)?
No. This programme works purely through interest reduction; there is no repayment grant. The benefit accrues over the term of the loan compared with ordinary construction financing. The effective annual rate that applies on the day of your commitment depends on the term and the fixed-interest period — your financing institution and KfW will quote the current conditions.
What is the difference between loans 297 and 298?
The funding conditions are identical; only the eligible applicants differ. Loan 297 is for private individuals who will occupy the funded dwelling themselves. Loan 298 applies to everyone else: landlords, housing companies, cooperatives, freelancers and legal entities. In an apartment building where you occupy one unit, both applications can be made in parallel.
How much longer will the Effizienzhaus 55 level be available?
The Effizienzhaus 55 level was reintroduced for a limited period with its own budget for interest subsidy. According to the current programme information it ends on 31 December 2026 at the latest, based on when the application reaches KfW — and earlier if the federal funds run out first. There is no legal entitlement to funding.
Does the new Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz change the funding rules?
Building law and funding law are two different things. The Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz changes the statutory minimum requirements, while KfW funding conditions continue to apply independently: if you use KFN funds, you must meet the programme's Effizienzhaus level and its rules on heat generation. What counts is the programme information valid on the date of your application.
Set up your funded new build properly
Talk to us before any contract is signed. We look at your design, assess which Effizienzhaus levels are achievable and coordinate the sequence with your energy efficiency expert.
Status: July 2026. Funding conditions can change at short notice — the binding reference is always the current KfW programme information.
All information on funding programmes is provided to the best of our knowledge, without guarantee and without any claim to completeness. It does not replace legal, tax or energy consulting. Terms and budgets change constantly; only KfW, BAFA, NBank and the responsible funding bodies are binding. Applications must generally be filed before work begins.