In the historic center of Potsdam, the Braune bakery has been baking since 1853. The site’s history dates back to 1743, when Prussian King Frederick II granted the baker Johann Gottlieb Klingner the official “baking rights”. The charter still hangs in the bakehouse today.

The bakery is now run by the sixth generation – and, for the first time, officially by a woman. In March 2025, Birgit Gniosdorz took over the business from her father. She is a master pastry chef, not a baker – “I insist on that,” she says with a laugh. After studying biology and earning a master’s degree in ecology, she began a pastry apprenticeship in Berlin at the age of 27. Since the handover, her father has continued to work in the business, now as his daughter’s employee. For the new owner, one thing was clear from the start: she wants to honor the bakery’s traditions while embracing modern approaches.

Wanted: A New Delivery Van – Under 1.60 Meters Wide

When the old delivery vehicle failed Germany’s mandatory vehicle inspection (TÜV) and had to be retired, Gniosdorz quickly decided that its replacement should be an electric vehicle. There was just one condition, imposed by the historic gateway every vehicle has to fit through: a maximum width of 1.60 meters (about 5.2 feet). At a local dealership, she found a small electric van. It is charged with green electricity from a regular household outlet in the garage. “From an environmental perspective, renewable energy is the only sensible choice we can make,” she says, explaining her decision.

The EEN-BB Supports the Application Process

The tip that the purchase might qualify for funding came through her family. The Enterprise Europe Network Berlin-Brandenburg (EEN-BB) had been promoting the call for the EU program EENergy. The call also reached the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, where one of Gniosdorz’s cousins works. She sent her the announcement: “The sample text even said: a baker buys a new electric vehicle.” Gniosdorz forwarded the email to Sven Ellinger at the Potsdam Chamber of Skilled Crafts, who put her in touch with the EEN-BB. There, the project staff in charge supported her with the application work.

In an initial online meeting, the EEN-BB presented the EU call for applications and the process. Gniosdorz then gathered the relevant vehicle data. From this, the EEN colleagues calculated the energy-saving potential and prepared the sustainability check. In a second meeting, they all filled out the application together in the online portal. “My effort came to about two hours of preparation per meeting, plus the meetings themselves – nothing more,” Gniosdorz says.

Strategic EU Support for Greater Energy Efficiency

The Green Deal and the clean energy transition are among the EU’s central goals, and EENergy is one of the flagship programs in this area. Over two years, 9 million euros were awarded to SMEs across Europe in the form of more than 900 grants – up to 10,000 euros each for measures that cut energy costs by at least five percent.

Unlike many funding programs, EENergy uses a two-stage selection process. First, applications are reviewed for eligibility. If the number of eligible applications exceeds the available funds, a lottery decides. Gniosdorz had a strong application – and then some luck: the approval came in May 2025, and the full grant of 10,000 euros followed in February 2026. With purchase costs of just under 14,000 euros, the grant covered a substantial share of the investment.

Quietly Through Potsdam

The electric van has been in daily use since September 2025. It makes deliveries to daycare centers, a retirement home, and a hospital in the city, and brings wedding cakes to celebrations across Potsdam. It has already covered around 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles) this way. 

The example of the Braune bakery shows how the Enterprise Europe Network Berlin-Brandenburg delivers concrete, tangible benefits, especially for small businesses. The advisory service is free of charge; the EEN-BB identifies suitable programs and provides support with the application work. Sometimes a family tip is all it takes – and another electric van rolls through Potsdam’s historic city center.