Our topics

Bureaucratic hurdles are obstacles to successful mid-sized companies. Paralyzing regulations, information requirements and approval procedures should be abolished. Regulatory transparency creates synergies.

The upcoming generation change poses major challenges for SMEs. Every succession plan is different. Personnel selection, financing, investments or sales must be organized professionally.

Topics such as economic protection, cybercrime, as well as structural, technical and organizational security issues are essential for SMEs and should be on every company's agenda.

Digitization is fundamentally changing the way we live and work. Machines communicate with each other, tangible realities merge with virtuality, and processes are automated. Familiar ways of thinking must be re-evaluated.

Commission on Internet and Digital Affairs

The BVMW Commission on the Internet and Digital Affairs is the voice of SMEs in Digital policy. IT service providers, users, consultants and scientists form the team of experts on the digitization of Germany as a business location. The Commission successfully pursues the following objectives:

• Proactively introducing key issues from the perspective of SMEs into public and political opinion formation.
• Statements and counter-positions on draft legislation, proposals, directives and regulations at national and European levels (e.g. data protection, mandatory reporting.) from the point of view of the adopting SMEs
• Expert knowledge and support on digital topics, such as digital corporate culture, IT security or digital working environment.
• Concepts for events on digitisation and digitalization in business and society
• Adaptation of activities and fields of work to new technical developments.

Good and differentiated education is the foundation of a functioning democracy, society and stable economy. Education is more than just imparting knowledge and skills.

Commission for Education

The BVMW's Commission for Education deals with education policy issues that affect small and medium-sized businesses within the framework of life-stage-related education. The Commission’s focus is on continuing education, advanced training and professional reorientation. Of particular importance are aspects that are transforming the world of work as a result of the increasing digitization of society. Added to this is the recruitment of skilled workers through education, which is becoming increasingly important as a result of demographic change.

To provide professional expertise for BVMW members, the commission analyses what is currently happening in the education policy landscape. To represent the interests of BVMW’s members, the commission analyses the situation, develops approaches to solutions, drafts statements, press releases and position papers, and maintains a regular exchange with politicians, government bodies and the public.

Competitive energy costs are growth accelerators. Energy transition, increasing energy efficiency and decentralized power generation can only be successful if government levies on electricity costs fall.

Energy and Sustainable Management Commission

Rising energy prices are placing a considerable burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. For this reason, BVMW established the Energy Commission in 2011. Here, medium-sized entrepreneurs develop solutions to actively shape the energy transition and spread sustainable management as a holistic approach.

The Commission’s work is guided by the following principles:

• Strengthening decentralization – energy generation and distribution should be as decentralized as possible, as centralized as necessary.
• Diversity instead of monocultures – sustainable structures can only be promoted through individual and innovative solutions.
• Sustainability does not mean doing without – energy efficiency measures are more than just a mere cost reduction.
• Sustainable communication – information creates trust.

The Commission's work aims to promote an economically efficient, safe and sustainable energy policy. From this perspective, energy policy strategies and concepts are developed in the Commission. The work covers not only energy management and energy efficiency efforts as a sub-process within companies but also the management of the energy transition as an overall economic challenge.

Solid financing is a prerequisite for the growth and innovative ability of a small or medium-sized company. Banks, private lenders as well as public authorities are needed to position themselves as partners of SMEs.

Taxes and Finances Commission

The Commission supports the Board and management at the federal level, proposes BVMW tax and financial policy positions and advises on their formulation. The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs in tax and financial policy sustainably and expressively. To achieve this goal, the commission members work on the following tasks in particular:

• Identification of topics relevant to medium-sized businesses from the fields of finance and tax law
• Development of technically sound positions and drafting of position papers on topics of fundamental or current importance
• Written comments on draft legislation, government programmes, etc.
• Internal discussion of topics relevant to small and medium-sized enterprises in the context of face-to-face meetings and regular telephone discussions
• Writing articles for the entrepreneur magazine "DER Mittelstand." and the newsletter "MITTELSTAND aktuell" as well as editing specialized publications of the BVMW

The work of the Tax and Finance Commission aims to make BVMW heard as a representative of the entrepreneurial middle class based on a high professional level and practical experience in politics.

Globalization does not stop at small and medium-sized businesses – on the contrary. Cross-border trade in goods, services and capital is intensifying and offers growth opportunities that should be deliberately seized.

Get more about foreign trade!

Foreign Trade Commission

The globalized world offers SMEs opportunities and risks for their business development. To remain fit for the future, one thing is crucial above all else – expertise.

The necessary knowledge is consolidated in BVMW together with our member companies through expert work in the Foreign Trade Commission. The strategic recommendations developed by the Commission form the basis for the association’s international orientation. By involving SME entrepreneurs in the Commission’s work, BVMW positions itself as an international player for German SMEs.

Tasks and objectives of the Foreign Trade Commission

• Bundling the diverse international experience of the association's members
• Exchange of information and strategic recommendations on BVMW’s international orientation
• Promotion of international political contacts
• Representation of interests in Germany and abroad
• Voice of SMEs to foreign decision-makers

Healthcare spending continues to rise. Sickness-related employee absences are placing an increasing burden on companies. Digitizing the healthcare system and investing in prevention would pay off twice: more health, and fewer costs.

The legal situation is constantly changing. New regulations are added to the approximately one hundred and fifty thousand individual regulations each year; the EU alone is the author of approximately 30% of all new regulations. It is important to stay on top of things.

Legal Affairs Commission

BVMW’s Legal Affairs Commission supports the Board, the management and the members at the federal level, proposes BVMW positions and advises on their formulation. The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs sustainably and expressively through the expertise of lawyers. To achieve this goal, the commission members work on the following tasks in particular:

• Development of technically sound positions and drafting of position papers on topics of fundamental or current importance
• Identification of topics relevant to medium-sized businesses from the lawyers’ legal fields
• Written comments on draft legislation, government programmes, etc.
• Internal discussion of topics relevant to small and medium-sized enterprises in the context of face-to-face meetings and regular telephone discussions

Writing articles for the entrepreneur magazine "DER Mittelstand." and the newsletter "MITTELSTAND aktuell" as well as editing specialized publications of the BVMW

Efficient and safe transport routes are one thing. E-mobility, car-sharing concepts and intelligent guidance systems are the other. Both can be achieved with innovative technologies and by reducing the investment backlog.

Mobility and Logistics Commission

Whether logistics by truck, train, ship and plane or with the Cargo-E-Bike for the last mile - committed entrepreneurs from the logistics and mobility industry bring their expertise to the BVMW Commission Mobility and Logistics and actively shape the positioning of the association in these subject areas. The aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of medium-sized logistics companies in a competitive market. The reduction of CO2 emissions and the introduction of new innovative technologies are actively promoted.

Mobile working has become a habit in many companies since the covid pandemic at the latest. But what do employers and employees need to keep in mind? You can find answers to your questions here.

SMEs face the challenge of finding and retaining suitably skilled workers. The economy is on a good course, and competition for the best minds is increasing. The ongoing issue of a skilled-worker shortage must be resolved

Startups and Entrepreneurship Commission

The aim of the Commission is to bundle the professional skills in the field of "Startups and Entrepreneurship " of the members of the BVMW for the purpose of preparing BVMW statements on legislative projects and political concepts, proposals and efforts. Furthermore, the Commission forms competence networks for the implementation of specific projects and initiatives.

The Federal Commission for Startups and Entrepreneurship offers:

- The experts from the Commission help with questions related to start-ups and establishing companies

- The Commission makes founders' voices heard and advocates for better framework conditions for founders

- The Commission networks, cooperates and informs about the start-up movement

99 percent of all companies in Germany belong to the SME sector. This makes the internationally celebrated "German Mittelstand" the guarantor of our prosperity. It provides apprenticeships and is a driver of the economy and employment.

For more information check our website at SME Alliance.

Only when the tax burden and tax bureaucracy are at an acceptable level does a company develop positively. Exemptions, high tax burdens and increasing tax types tie up entrepreneurial resources.

Innovation and Funding Programmes Commission

The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs in innovation and funding policy sustainably and expressively. Specifically, the Innovation and Funding Programmes Commission pools the technical expertise of its members in both areas. It provides management support at the federal level, and develops statements and position papers on innovation policy and the German and European funding landscape.

The Commissions work focuses on the following areas of responsibility:

• Development of proposals for a transformation of the German and European funding system, away from a technology push towards a market pull. It is not the question of what research would like to develop that is relevant, but rather what Germany can use to maintain or expand its prosperity and technological leadership, and what ultimately pays taxes.
• Discussion and evaluation of innovation methods and recommendations for building innovation competencies in SMEs. The economy in general and SMEs, in particular, are facing dramatic change. This requires competencies in complexity, innovation and change management.
• Development of proposals for better consideration of innovative SMEs in the planning and implementation of EU, federal and state funding programmes. Many programmes are designed in such a way that, on the one hand, the participation of SMEs is required, but on the other hand, short application deadlines and too little focus on the commercial exploitability of the results give the impression that genuine participation by SMEs is, in fact, not desired.
• Develop proposals for reducing bureaucracy in funding programmes. The application and processing of funding projects are very complicated and bureaucratic. The agencies that execute the projects do not deal with the project results in any substantive manner, but often carry out very detailed and commercial controlling with sometimes unworldly assumptions.
• Assist in the review and evaluation of funding programmes at the EU, federal, and state levels and develop recommendations to better structure and align programs. The funding landscape is very complex, with hundreds of funding programs at many levels (Europe, various federal ministries, federal states, and in some cases regions or cities), and thus tends to be exclusive to research institutions and corporations that can afford their specialized departments.

The Commission evaluates innovation methods and support programmes and develops positions and proposals for improvement to tailor them even more specifically to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. Subsequently, these positions and proposals are shared via BVMW's political network and exchanged in close cooperation with the responsible ministries, project sponsors and political decision-makers.

Commission for Labour and Social Affairs

Shortage of skilled workers, posting directive, minimum wage, bureaucracy – on these and other topics committed entrepreneurs from various industries contribute their expertise to the BVMW Labour and Social Affairs Commission and actively shape the association’s labour and social policy agenda.

The work of the BVMW’s Commission "Labor and Social Affairs" includes following fields:

1. Overcoming employment barriers and making labour markets more flexible.
2. Reduce bureaucracy in hiring, performing and terminating employment so that job/employee search processes are simplified and expedited.
3. Strategies to overcome the skilled labor shortage.
4. Concepts of support for the disadvantaged, i.e. approaches of traditional social policy. The concepts should serve as incentive mechanisms and avoid quantitative placement requirements.
5. The creation of a cross-societal consensus to preserve the social market economy while at the same time reducing state benefits in the area of “Labour and Social Affairs."
6. Review of the Federal Employment Agency’s scope of competency to return its tasks to its core competencies, including the development of new labour market and placement concepts.
7. Review of different minimum wage concepts and their impact on growth and employment dynamics.
8. Concepts for decentralized profiling of persons who are not employable and their targeted support.
9. Concepts for the degression of labour costs to increase the international competitiveness of German SMEs.
10. Concepts for quality-oriented temporary employment as a bridge to the primary labour market.

Commission for German Armed Forces and Organizations with Security Tasks

SMEs have proven to be reliable partners for the German Armed Forces since 1955. With motivated reservists and high-quality defence technology and civilian goods and services, SMEs make a significant contribution to fulfilling the tasks of the armed forces. SMEs are ready to make their contribution to meeting the increased demands placed on the German Armed Forces as a result of current global political developments.

To this end, we have established the Commission for German Armed Forces and Organizations with Security Tasks, which is dedicated to two key issues: A focal point of the work is first, the client, the German Armed Forces, and thus the procurement of materials and the provision of services by small and medium-sized enterprises, and second, the release of employees for reserve services. The aim is to improve the exchange between the German Armed Forces, Organizations with Security Tasks, politicians and small and medium-sized enterprises in such a way that more companies benefit from the German Armed Forces as a customer and the German Armed Forces can draw on a larger reservoir of reservists.