The white paper was originally conceived in early 2024 to show municipalities and transport companies alternative funding options after the discontinuation of federal funding for buses with alternative drives.

With the third call for proposals for the federal program, which was unexpectedly launched at the beginning of July 2025, this initially seems unnecessary. However, appearances are deceiving: The submission deadline is very short – the call ends on August 31 – and is initially aimed only at public sector entities, with private entities joining later. Moreover, the rapid processing time cannot and will not fit into the timeline of many municipalities and transport companies' procurement strategies.

This whitepaper provides suitable alternatives precisely for such stakeholders! Several German states still offer their own funding programs for the procurement and operation of zero-emission buses, which in the best-case scenario are even more suitable.

Our white paper “Alternatives to federal funding for buses with alternative drives” provides a compact overview of current funding opportunities and shows how you can convert your bus fleet economically and sustainably.