Bundesministerin Katherina Reiche (CDU) plans to outsource core tasks of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy to external advisors. The Spiegel reports that the cost could be at least roughly €2 million per year, arguing that ministry staff are unlikely to fulfil these missions on their own.
The call for a “framework agreement for strategic top‑management consulting” for the Ministry was released on 31 March, with a very short application window of just 14 days. According to the description, the winning firm will perform more than traditional consulting work; it will also support the ministry on priority issues such as raw‑material security, future technologies, sovereignty, foreign‑trade security, and industrial transformation.
The consultants are expected to produce rapid analyses and discussion papers on current policy questions, provide on‑demand advice, and deliver concise briefs, recommendations, and presentation materials. The ministry also wants extensive written outputs-strategic foundations, handbooks, and documentation.
A ministry employee told the Spiegel that these assignments “touch the heart of administration” and represent “original core ministerial duties”. Delegating entire work packages to extremely expensive outside consultants is not only “questionable” but also a sign of “lack of confidence in internal expertise”. A former senior official echoed that Reiche’s intention to offload classic core duties is highly unusual and a “vote of mistrust against the ministry”.
When asked, a spokesman said the move is intended to make the ministry “better and more agile” in the face of multiple crises, and that it has no connection to the many vacancies that media had recently highlighted. He added that the services listed cannot be performed by Ministry staff.
The Ministry estimates a need for 9 000 consultancy hours annually, with 60 - 75 % of those to be carried out by partners or senior associates from the chosen agency. Using industry‑standard rates of €200-€600 per hour, calculations by the Spiegel put the minimum cost at about €2 million. The contract will last two years, with an option to extend for an additional two.
