Tip: Activate javascript to be able to use all functions of our website
Approach and corporate governance
Access to promotional products through your regular bank
In Germany, KfW supports private individuals, businesses and public organisations with promotional loans and grants. Because we do not run any branches of our own, the following solution is used for many of our projects: applicants do not apply directly to us for a loan but to one of our financing partners. These include Sparkasse savings banks, Volks- and Raffeisenbank cooperative banks, and local commercial banks, who then pass on applications to us.
However, we accept applications for some promotional measures directly, such as grants or the Baukindergeld scheme.
A strategic focus on sustainability
The focus on sustainability has always been one of KfW's key features – in business, in its operations and in its role as an employer. When it comes to taking responsibility for social issues and the environment, our aim is to take a leading role on the market. That is why sustainability is a central component of our corporate strategy. What’s more, we have added sustainability ratings as a target variable in our strategic objectives. The “Roadmap Sustainable Finance” project helps us to steer our business in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Responsible funding
As a national promotional bank, KfW is able to fund itself for very good conditions on the capital market and then pass these loans on to private customers, businesses, non-profit organisations and local authorities at an affordable rate. This is partly due to the guarantee from the German Federal Government for our transactions, but also due to the good reputation that we have established in our more than 60 years of respectable, reliable work on the capital markets.
Corporate governance and supervision
The executive bodies of KfW consist of the Executive Board and the Board of Supervisory Directors. The Executive Board has six members and is chaired by CEO Stefan Wintels since 2021. The Federal Minister of Finance and the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection alternate on a yearly basis as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board of Supervisory Directors.
