Agency for Business and Economic Development (AWE)

AWE is the central contact point for German and European companies that want to invest or engage in developing and emerging countries. It provides guidance on project planning and helps to find financing and funding instruments. The AWE is a project financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is supported by the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH.

Companies and associations turn to AWE's Business & Human Rights Helpdesk (https://wirtschaft-entwicklung.de/en/helpdesk-on-business-human-rights/) with questions on the implementation of human rights due diligence processes. Since its establishment in 2016, AWE has processed 10,366 inquiries from companies and associations (as of March 2023).