INQA Coaching vs. BAFA consulting: what fits when?

Zwei Förderwege, ein Ziel: externe Beratung bezahlbar machen. Doch INQA-Coaching und BAFA-Beratung funktionieren sehr unterschiedlich. Ein Vergleich, der die Wahl leichter macht.

The short version

INQA Coaching is a longer, participation-oriented change process (up to 12 consulting days over as much as 7 months, 80% funded) focused on shaping work in the digital transformation. BAFA consulting („Förderung unternehmerischen Know-hows“) is a shorter, classic management consultancy engagement with a capped assessment basis and a regionally tiered grant – well suited to specific, self-contained business questions.

INQA Coaching: a process, not a report

• Scope: up to 12 consulting days within a maximum of 7 months
• Funding: 80% of the fee (max. €1,200 net/day), with a 20% own contribution
• Approach: agile, in iterations, with the involvement of your employees
• Topics: Digitalisation and AI, processes, people, leadership, business models – always tied to the question of how work is shaped well in the process
• Outcome: a binding operational action plan
• Access: via a regional INQA advisory centre (IBS), which assesses your eligibility for funding free of charge

BAFA consulting: targeted and business-focused

• Scope: considerably more compact – typically a small number of consulting days
• Funding: a percentage grant on a capped assessment basis, varying in amount by region
• Approach: classic analysis and recommendation consulting by listed consultants
• Topics: all commercial, financial, personnel and organisational questions of running a company
• Outcome: a consulting report with recommended actions

Which one fits when?

INQA Coaching is the right fit when you want to implement genuine change – digitalisation, getting started with AI, new workflows, leadership structures – and bring your team along with you. The process takes longer, but the solution is developed within your organisation and stays there.

BAFA consulting is the right fit when you need external expertise on a clearly defined business question – such as cost accounting, a marketing concept or corporate planning – and a well-founded report with recommendations is enough.

The two programmes are not fundamentally mutually exclusive; however, the same consulting project may only be funded once.

Not sure which is right for you?

Take the INQA Funding Check – or let’s spend 30 minutes talking through your plans, with no obligation. If INQA isn’t the right fit, we’ll find the right way forward – if necessary without funding.

As of: July 2026. Binding information is provided by the INQA advisory centres and the BAFA; conditions are subject to change.