Since the early nineteen-nineties, the County of Heinsberg has enjoyed almost continuously, and over its complete area, the particular attention of the regional economic promotion funds from the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Federal German government and the European Union.

Even after the new listing of the regional promotion in North Rhine-Westphalia at the turn of the year 2006/2007 parts of the county, as so called D-Promotion areas, belong to the GA promotion scheme joint federation/state task for the „Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure“. These are the cities of Geilenkirchen, Hückelhoven, Übach-Palenberg, Wassenberg and Wegberg, which almost entirely – in Wegberg it only applied to its suburb Wildenrath – belonged to the EU-Objective-2-Promotion-Area (Phase V).

For companies intending to invest in the County of Heinsberg, these classifications result in possible eligibility for two major promotion programmes

  • With the "Regional Business Development Programme NRW" investments creating or securing jobs can be subsidised, given certain circumstances.
  • Alternatively, operational investments made in the EU Objective 2 municipalities can be additionally financed with low-interest subordinated loans from the "Objective-2-Investment Capital" programme until the middle of the year 2008.


Since 1991, structural change in the region has been substantially supported with over € 112 million in subsidies for more than 450 job-creating and job-securing investment measures. These subsidies have resulted in an induced investment volume of approx. € 740 million.

Furthermore, approx. € 117 million in subsidies (induced investment volume: € 182 million) have flowed into county’s the economy-related infrastructure (e.g. development of industrial estates and establishment of founders’ centres).

For the new promotion phase of the North Rhine-Westphalia EU-Objective-2-Promotion (2007-2013) the state government concluded a withdrawl from its micro-geagraphical distinction of promotion areas. As of now enterprises, independent of their business location, shall be able to benefit from relevant promotion offers. The center of the support will now focus on innovation oriented branches and projects.

Further information can be obtained from the web page of the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministery of Business referring to the Objective-2-Programme.

On request, WFG will examine the promotion possibilities for planned investments. (Further details are given in the Services section.)

Regional promotion

Regional promotion

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