Funding programmes

KMU-Instrument (SME Instrument) is aimed specifically at small and medium-sized enterprises that wish to launch an idea with a high degree of innovation on the market.

The funding is open to any topic. Technological as well as non-technological, e.g. social innovations are welcome.

Only SMEs are eligible to apply, whereby joint and individual funding is possible. Subcontracts to higher education institutions can be approved if good reasons are given.

Funding is based on the following three phases: feasibility – from idea to concept (phase 1), implementation – from concept to marketability (phase 2) and market launch – commercialisation (phase 3). Direct funding will only be allocated for phases 1 and 2. In the commercialisation phase, support measures such as training or initiating contacts with investors can be used.

Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis. The next deadlines are 7 May 2019 (Phase 1) and 3 April 2019 (Phase 2). The National Contact Point for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (NCP SME) provides free advice.

Last revised: March 2019

The Interreg A – Cross Border Cooperation programme supports cross-border collaboration between NUTS III regions in the border regions of at least two EU Member States. It promotes the joint coping with cross-border challenges and aims to take up previously unused potential in the border regions.

Special consideration is given to investments in innovation, health care, education, employment and mobility on the labour market. Which topics are given priority and which results in particular are expected will depend on the circumstances and the potential in the respective border regions. Germany participates in a total of 13 cross-border programmes.

Last revised: July 2018

The Interreg B – Transnational Cooperation programme funds cross-sectoral cooperation across EU borders, i.e. territorial integration and the integration of regions. Interreg B consists of a total of 15 collaboration areas or programmes, with Germany being represented in six of these programmes: Alpine Space, Danube Region, Central Europe, North Sea Region, Northwest Europe and Baltic Sea Region. In transnational collaboration projects, decision-makers from municipalities, associations, companies or higher education institutions work together on joint strategies and solutions for their respective core subjects and implement them in pilot projects on site. 

Investments are promoted in areas such as ...

• Innovation, in particular networks consisting of universities, research centres and SMEs.
• Environment, in particular water resources, rivers, lakes, oceans.
• Accessibility, including telecommunications, in particular the full development of networks.
• Sustainable urban development, in particular polycentric development.

Preparation of projects in the transnational collaboration programmes can be funded at a rate between 65% and 90% through the Bavarian Start Transnational! programme. The subject of the funding is the preparation of funding applications up to the submission stage in the transnational programmes Alpine Space Programme, Transnational Danube Programme, Central Europe 2020 and North-West Europe.

Last revised: July 2018

The European Social Fund (ESF) is the European Union’s main instrument for promoting employment in Europe. It improves access to jobs, provides skills and supports social integration. It funds employment projects at local, regional and national level. The ESF funding programmes at federal level are supplemented by ESF support programmes in the federal states that consider labour market characteristics in the region. Bavaria therefore also benefits directly from ESF funding.

Last revised: July 2018

The BMBF‘sSME innovative funding initiative supports industrial research and pre-competitive development projects to strengthen the innovative capacity of SMEs in Germany. Individual projects by SMEs and collaborative projects involving SMEs, which allow higher education institutions and non-university research institutions to participate, are eligible for funding. The benefits of the project must primarily benefit the participating SMEs.

The following areas are eligible for funding.

• Biotechnology
• Electronic systems; electromobility
• Research for civil security
• Medical engineering
• Information and communication technologies
• Materials research
• Human-technology interaction
• Photonics
• Manufacturing technology
• Resource efficiency und climate protection

Each subject area follows its own guidelines.

The deadlines for submitting a project outline are 15 April and 15 October.

The assessment basis for grants to commercial enterprises is the eligible project-related cost, which can generally be partially financed up to 50%. The assessment basis for higher education institutions, research and science institutions and comparable institutions is the eligible project-related expenditure, which can be individually funded up to 100%. In the case of research projects at higher education institutions, a project lump sum of 20% is granted in addition to the eligible expenditure.

Last revised: July 2018

The Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) is a nationwide technology funding programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). It is open to SMEs in any industrial sector and business-related research institutions cooperating with them. Funding is available for R&D activities and services supporting them for the market launch of innovative products, processes or technical services. This includes individual R&D projects, R&D cooperation projects and innovation networks.

ZIM is intended to sustainably support the innovative strength and competitiveness of companies and thus contribute to their growth combined with the creation and safeguarding of jobs.

Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Depending on the origin and size of the company, the funding rate is 25% to 45% for individual projects and 30% to 55% for collaboration projects. Research centres are funded at a rate of 100%. Support for innovation networks decreases over time. Starting out at 90% to 95%, it drops to 30% to 40 % after three to four years. For companies, the eligible costs per project and, in the case of cooperations, per sub-project are limited to 380,000 euros. For research institutions, the eligible costs per sub-project are limited to 190,000 euros. For cooperation networks, the maximum grant for network management is 450,000 euros.

Last revised: April 2020

With the Innovation Forums for SMEsfunding initiative, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research supports the formation of networks between industry, science and other partners that lead to sustainable, strategic alliances. The funding measure is open to all topics and thus stimulates the establishment and expansion of interdisciplinary networks in a wide variety of fields of innovation.

For up to nine months, the alliance partners position themselves in supraregional competition, work on their strategy, organise knowledge transfer and look for potential competitors. The central element is a two-day innovation forum that resembles a specialist convention and brings together all relevant key players.

SMEs, state and non-state higher education institutions, non-university research and educational institutions, associations, clubs and other organisations are eligible to apply if they are dedicated to research and development. The assessment basis for all applicants is the eligible project-related expenditure, which can be funded individually up to 100% with a maximum of 100,000 euros.

An application is possible at any time, deadlines will be announced.
Current deadline: 15 July 2018

Last revised: July 2018

With the High-Tech for the 21st Centuryfunding initiative, the Bavarian Research Foundation aims to enable higher education institutions, non-university research institutions and commercial enterprises to carry out fundamental research and development work in the fields of promising key technologies. The focus is on the areas of ...

• Life sciences
• Information and communication technologies
• Microsystems engineering
• Materials science
• Energy and environment
• Mechatronics
• Nanotechnology
• Process and production engineering

The funding is intended to enable or accelerate the conversion of research and development results from these key technologies into new products, new processes and new technologies. Funding is available for collaborative projects to solve cross-company R&D tasks involving companies and academic partners.

Eligibility to apply: Applications may be submitted by legally independent commercial enterprises, members of the liberal professions, non-university research institutes, universities and colleges/higher education institutions of applied sciences as well as members or institutions of higher education institutions that are entitled to carry out R&D projects and whose registered office, place of business or branch is in Bavaria.

The funding amount for expenses incurred in the project amounts up to 100% for strategically important and exceptional basic research, up to 50% of eligible costs for industrial research, up to 25% of eligible costs for experimental development and up to 50% of eligible costs for feasibility studies. The period of eligibility is up to three years.

Applications may be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Last revised: July 2018

The Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Media, Energy and Technology uses its Information and Communication Technology funding programme (Förderprogramm Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik) to support companies in research and development projects with the goal of improving their implementation in new solutions, products and applications and sustainably strengthening the innovative strength and competitive position of Bavarian companies. The programme supports cooperation between several companies as well as between companies and higher education institutions or research centres, each with its headquarters or branch in Bavaria.

Funding topics are ...

• Hardware and software engineering
• Data and knowledge management
• Human-machine communication
• Real-time systems and embedded systems
• Data networks for intelligent infrastructures (e.g. energy, mobility, etc.)
• Automation and intelligent production
• Communications networks
• Technical IT services
• IT Security

Independent companies and freelancers are eligible to apply, as are universities, higher education institutions and non-university research institutions with their headquarters or branch office in Bavaria.

The aid intensity is up to 50% in the case of industrial research and up to 25% in the case of experimental development. The aid intensity for experimental development projects can be increased by 10 percentage points for SMEs. Higher funding rates may be fixed for higher education institutions.

Project outlines can be submitted on an ongoing basis. Typical project durations range between 1.5 and 3 years.

Last revised: July 2018

With the 'Electronic Systems' funding programme, the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology supports companies in research and development projects with the goal of improving their implementation in new products and sustainably strengthening the innovative strength and competitive position of Bavarian companies. The projects are geared to specific industrial applications. The programme supports cooperation between several companies as well as between companies and higher education institutions or research centres, each with its headquarters or branch in Bavaria.

Funding covers the following topics

• Micro- and nanoelectronics
• Optoelectronics
• Power electronics
• Microsystems
• Mechatronic systems
• Design of complex electronic and IT systems
• Sensors, actuators
• Systems integration
• Measuring and control technology and closed-loop control
• Manufacturing technologies for electronic systems
• Development of electronic devices and assemblies

Cross-cutting issues such as safety, reliability, robustness, quality assurance procedures, functional and operational testing of electronic systems are also covered.

Independent companies and freelancers are eligible to apply, as are universities, higher education institutions and non-university research institutions with their headquarters or branch office in Bavaria, with priority being given to SMEs.

The aid intensity is up to 50% in the case of industrial research and up to 25% in the case of experimental development. The aid intensity for experimental development projects can be increased by 10 percentage points for SMEs. Higher funding rates may be fixed for higher education institutions.

Project outlines can be submitted on an ongoing basis. Typical project durations range between 1.5 and 3 years.

Last revised: April 2018

The funding initiative Digitalbonus.Bayern is a component of the future strategy BAYERN DIGITAL and aims to equip small and medium-sized enterprises for the challenges of the digital world. Funding is provided for the development, introduction or improvement of products, services and processes using ICT hardware, ICT software, the migration and porting of IT systems and IT applications and the introduction or improvement of IT security in companies.

Small and medium-sized commercial enterprises with a branch in Bavaria are eligible to apply.

Funding is provided for expenditures on services provided by external providers – including higher education institutions – for the development, introduction or improvement of products, processes and services, including the hardware and software required to implement the measure.

The amount of funding depends on the variant chosen.

With the Digital Bonus Standard, the subsidy is up to 50% for small companies and up to 30% for medium-sized companies, up to a maximum of €10,000.

For the Digitalbonus Plus, which is granted for measures with special innovation content, the funding amounts up to 50% for small businesses and up to 30% for medium-sized businesses, with maximum funding of €50,000.

The Digitalbonus Plus credit can be granted as a subsidised loan for eligible expenditure from €25,000 up to €2,000,000.

Last revised: July 2018

The Innovation Vouchers funding programme of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Media, Energy and Technology aims to introduce small companies/workshops to collaboration with research centres and other companies/innovation partners through government grants and thus strengthen their innovative resourcefulness for the challenges of the future.

Funding will be provided exclusively for services provided by external development and research centres.. The following activities can be funded: material and design studies, studies and concepts for manufacturing technology, construction services, service engineering, prototype construction and design, product tests for quality assurance.

Applications may be submitted by small companies and craft businesses in the commercial sector or in the liberal professions that have a permanent establishment or branch in Bavaria, as well as start-ups that will set up in Bavaria.

The innovation voucher is available in three versions. The differences result from the amount of funding required and the risk involved in the projects.

The basic funding rate is 40%, but can be increased by 10 percentage points if the company’s (main) location is in a region with a special need for action based on the current regional economic situation, if it has less than ten employees or if a higher education institution or a comparable non-university research institution is commissioned.

Last revised: July 2018

The purpose of the Bavarian programme for the validation of research results and inventions is to validate technological innovations with potential for industrial and social applications. Such projects go beyond the state of the art, have clear unique selling points and a positive continuation prognosis.

All Bavarian state universities are eligible to apply for funding under the programme. Proposals should be made via the technology transfer units.

The maximum funding amount per project is 300,000 euros. The project term should not exceed 18 months. Up to 100% of personnel and material expenses can be reimbursed 100%.

Funding calls are issued repeatedly. Where appropriate, thematic priorities will be set.

Last revised: January 2020

The Zentrum Digitalisierung.Bayern (ZD.B for short) is considered to be the leading digitalisation project of the future-oriented strategy BAYERN DIGITAL of the Bavarian Free State. It supports and initiates projects and collaborations between higher education institutions, non-university research centres, established companies, associations, founders, ministries and public institutions throughout Bavaria. Through its numerous activities, ZD.B also supports and funds the social conversation on digitalisation issues.

The website of the ZD.B contain ongoing invitations to tender and initiatives for business, academia and start-up support.

Last revised: July 2018