NBank and regional schemes: funding beyond the federal level
Alongside KfW and BAFA there are funds from the state of Lower Saxony and from municipalities. They are smaller, but often combinable – and surprisingly often overlooked.
Funding in Lower Saxony works on three levels
Most building owners only know the federal level: KfW and BAFA. In fact there are three levels in Lower Saxony. The federal government funds new build and refurbishment through the BEG programmes. The state of Lower Saxony funds through its social housing programme, which was restructured on 1 July 2026 and is now run as three separate guidelines: rental housing, Junges Wohnen (housing for young people) and home ownership. The programmes are administered by the Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen (NBank). The third level consists of districts, cities and municipalities plus regional funds – in the Hannover Region, for example, the region's climate programmes and the enercity fund proKlima, whose area covers Hannover, Langenhagen, Laatzen, Hemmingen, Ronnenberg and Seelze. This level changes most often: schemes are launched, topped up or halted once budgets run out. That is why we check during the consultation what is actually open at the time of your project.
Who should look at state and municipal funds
The state home-ownership scheme is aimed at households building or first-time buying owner-occupied property who stay within the Lower Saxony income limits. It is not a scheme for everyone, but for middle-income families it is often the strongest lever available – on top of KfW. Municipal and regional grants, by contrast, are independent of income and relevant for every owner insulating, renewing a roof or adding photovoltaics. Anyone building in the proKlima area or in the Hannover Region should check these pots as a matter of course.
Which of our services are typically affected
State and municipal schemes apply wherever building or refurbishment happens: new build in timber and as a shell-and-core house, storey additions that create extra living space on an existing building, solid construction, roofing combined with thermal upgrading of the roof, and carports with photovoltaics. The combination of roof insulation and photovoltaics in particular is funded in its own right in the Hannover Region – a point regularly overlooked during roof refurbishments. We plan the works so that they match the requirements of the relevant scheme.
What you need to bear in mind
Apply before work starts: state, regional and proKlima schemes follow the same principle as KfW and BAFA – build first and you lose the entitlement.
The state home-ownership scheme is income-related; the Lower Saxony income limits and the size of the household are decisive.
The home-ownership application is not filed with NBank itself but with the housing funding office of your district, city or municipality.
Combining schemes is possible but limited: as a rule the same cost item may not be funded twice. The individual programme terms govern this.
Municipal and regional schemes run on fixed budgets. Once the pot is empty, nothing is approved even if all conditions are met.
For the federal programmes an energy efficiency expert from the federal register remains mandatory – state funds do not replace that evidence.
How we proceed
Clarify project and location
First we look at what is to be built and in which municipality. Whether it is Langenhagen, Hannover or a surrounding district determines which regional pots are available at all.
Check the federal funding first
KfW and BAFA almost always form the foundation. Only once it is clear which federal funding is being targeted can we sensibly judge what the state and the municipality can add on top.
Match state and regional schemes
We go through the currently open schemes of NBank, the Hannover Region and proKlima and flag what fits your project. Binding information comes from the funding bodies themselves.
Have the applications filed
The applications are filed by you, your energy efficiency expert or your financing bank. We supply the technical input: component build-ups, U-values, areas and cost estimates.
Build and document
Once approved, construction starts. We document the works carried out so that proof of use and contractor declarations are accepted without follow-up queries.
Timber construction and state funding
State and municipal schemes are usually neutral on construction method: what counts is the result, not the material. Timber still benefits twice. First, timber frame and panel structures reach the required energy figures with slim build-ups, which matters directly where grants are paid per square metre of insulated area or as an efficiency bonus. Second, prefabrication is predictable: build times and costs can be stated reliably early on, and funding bodies want reliable cost estimates. For storey additions the low dead weight is decisive – often the only way to create fundable living space on an existing building at all.
Services we carry out for this
We carry out the construction work. Evidence and applications go through independent experts.
What we do – and what we do not
We are a building contractor, not a development bank and not a legal or tax adviser. We cannot give you a funding commitment and we will not promise one. What we do: we know the schemes that are regularly relevant for our services in the Hannover Region, point them out early, and supply all technical documents that the application and the proof of use require. Binding information comes from NBank, the responsible housing funding office, the Hannover Region or proKlima – and, for federal funds, from KfW and BAFA.
Source: nbank.deFrequently asked questions about funding
Can I combine NBank funding with KfW loans?
In principle yes – state funds are designed to complement federal funding. There are limits, though: the same cost item may not be funded twice, and individual schemes exclude certain combinations. What is permissible in your case is confirmed bindingly by the relevant funding body.
Where do I apply for the state home-ownership scheme?
Not directly with NBank. The responsible office is the housing funding department of your district, city or municipality, which also issues the forms. NBank stands behind it as the state development bank and handles the loans.
Are there separate grants for roofs and photovoltaics in the Hannover Region?
Yes. The Hannover Region funds the combination of roof insulation and photovoltaics in a dedicated scheme, and within the area of the enercity fund proKlima – which includes Langenhagen – there are grants for measures on the building envelope. Terms and budgets change, so always check before starting.
Why do you not quote concrete funding amounts for my project?
Because they change and depend on income, household size, municipality and the current state of the programme. Figures that are correct today can be wrong in three months. We name the matching schemes and the official sources; the binding amount is set by the funding body.
Do not leave regional funding on the table
Tell us what you are planning and in which municipality. We check which state and regional schemes fit and align the construction work accordingly.
Status: July 2026. State and municipal schemes change constantly. Binding information comes from NBank, the Hannover Region, proKlima and the responsible housing funding office.
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.