Residents in Berlin can now take advantage of the local government’s new pilot subsidy to cover the cost of electronic repairs worth up to 200 euros. Here’s how you can benefit.

Berlin’s new electronics repairs subsidy

Berliners can now apply to have the city foot part of the bill to repair their broken hoovers, guitar effect pedals, cameras, mobile phones and faulty smoothie makers, among hundreds of other electrical appliances.

In an effort to save waste and encourage repairs, the local government will provide Berliners with a one-off payment of up to 200 euros to cover the cost of repairs. 

The repair must cost at least 75 euros including VAT and the subsidy can cover 50 percent of the repair bill and 100 percent of the new parts that a repair shop uses to make the repair. The subsidy is available regardless of whether the broken electronics are within or out of their warranty period.

Locals can apply for the repairBONUS subsidy until December 31, 2024 and it is available for repairs made between September 17 and December 31, 2024. However, with a similar scheme already having proven successful in Saxony and Thuringia, it may be that the pilot is continued into 2025.

How to apply for the Berlin repairBONUS

The new repairBONUS is available to residents registered in Berlin, but not to local businesses or Vereine.

The system is supported by so-called “repair cafes” of the Reparatur-Initiative, with funding from the Berlin senate. Using the repami repair cafe website you can find which locations are involved in the new scheme, and via this PDF published by the city you can see which electronic devices are covered.

Once you find a suitable repair cafe and you have had your device fixed, you can take your bill from the repair cafe and submit a subsidy application via the IBB Business Team website.

Applications can be made by anyone over the age of 18, and the person who makes the application must be the same person who received the bill and will receive the subsidy.

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