Grant Programs

Who is eligible?
Eligible applicants include companies, public institutions, universities, research institutions, and other organizations from EU member states. The program is particularly aimed at stakeholders who wish to contribute to the digital transformation of the European economy and society.

Funded activities:

• Cybersecurity and Trust
• Advanced digital skills
• High-Performance Computing (Supercomputing)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Introduction and Wider Use of Digital Technologies in Business, Government, and Society

Funding amount:

• Funding amount: Depends on the nature and scope of the respective project
• Funding rate: Between 50% and 100% of eligible costs

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Germany. Eligibility requires that the business is operating in good standing and is registered in the commercial register (if required).

Eligible services:

• Consulting services on economic, financial, human resources, and organizational topics, with a focus on, among other things, IT security, data protection, information security, and digital business models

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: Up to €2,800 per consultation
• Funding rate: Up to 80% of consulting costs

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Germany that are planning a research- or development-related project in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) are eligible for funding. Collaboration with research institutions is possible but not mandatory.

Funded activities:

• IT Security
• Software-intensive systems and services
• Communication systems and networks
• Electronic systems
• Human-Technology Interaction
• Applications, e.g., in mobility, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, or logistics

Funding amount:

• Grant Amount: The amount of the grant depends on the type and scope of the project
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible costs for industrial research; up to 25% for experimental development

Further information can be found here.

Who is it for?
The funding program is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, public institutions, associations, and universities in Germany that wish to implement digital innovation projects in the areas of technology, applications, and ecosystems.

Eligible projects:

• Research and development projects in digital technologies, such as environmental data technologies, digital sustainability, and intelligent systems for crisis prevention and management.

Funding amount:

• Funding amount: The grant amount depends on the type and scope of the project
• Funding rate:
  - Companies: Grant of up to 50% of eligible costs; SMEs may receive an additional bonus
  - Universities and research institutions: Funding of up to 100%

Duration: 2022 to 2026

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutions in Germany across all industries and technology sectors are eligible for funding.

Funded activities:

• ZIM Individual Projects: Independent research and development (R&D) projects
  conducted by companies
• ZIM Collaborative Projects: Joint R&D initiatives by companies and/or research institutions
• ZIM Innovation Networks: Funding for network management by consortia of at least six partners (companies and research institutions)

Funding Amount:

• Funding amount: Up to €550,000 in eligible costs (individual projects); up to €2.3 million for collaborative projects and networks
• Funding rate: Up to 25–45% for individual projects; up to 30–55% for collaborative projects
  

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees and annual revenue of less than 50 million euros, headquartered in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project must be carried out at a location in NRW.

Eligible projects:

• MID Digitalization: Analysis and implementation of digitalization solutions (e.g., digital products, services, process optimizations)
• MID Analysis: Technology analyses for product or service innovations as well as innovative production processes
• MID Innovation: Research, development, and implementation of innovation projects

Funding Amount:

• Funding amount: MID Digitalization and MID Analysis up to €15,000; MID Innovation up to €40,000
• Funding rate: Maximum funding rate of 50% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees and annual revenue of less than 50 million euros, headquartered in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project must be carried out at a location in NRW.

Eligible projects:

• Focus Area A: Analysis of the current state of IT security, e.g., penetration tests, gap analyses, emergency plan development
• Focus Area B: Training to raise employee awareness of digital security risks and advanced training for IT security officers
• Priority Area C: Purchase of software and hardware for basic IT security, e.g., antivirus software, firewalls, backup systems

Grant Amount:

• Grant amount: Up to €15,000, minimum grant amount €4,000
• Funding rate: Maximum funding rate of 50% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Berlin that wish to engage in technology transfer, knowledge transfer, design transfer, or gamification transfer with scientific and research institutions or design firms are eligible for funding.

Eligible Activities:

• Entry-level option: Funding for expenses related to external scientific research projects as part of the first concrete collaboration between a company and a scientific or research institution
• Standard Option for Technology and Knowledge Transfer: Support for external research and development activities aimed at developing or implementing new or significantly improved products, services, and production processes, including digitization projects
• Standard Option: Design Transfer—Funding for external design initiatives that lead to the market readiness of new or significantly modified products, services, and production processes
• Standard Option: Gamification Transfer: Support for projects involving gamification as well as the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to bring innovative products, services, or production processes to market readiness

Funding amount:

• Funding amount: Up to €7,500 for the entry-level option; up to €15,000 for the standard option for technology and knowledge transfer; up to €45,000 for the standard option for digitization; Maximum of €30,000 for the “
  ” standard option for gamification/VR
• Funding rate: Up to 100% of eligible expenses for the entry-level option; up to 70% for the standard “Technology and Knowledge Transfer” option and the standard “Digitalization” option

Special provisions:
The standard option can be applied for up to three clearly defined projects over three consecutive calendar years, with the exception of digitization, which is funded only once.

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and annual revenue of no more than 10 million euros, based in Bavaria.

Eligible Measures:

• IT security: Implementation or improvement of IT security solutions (e.g., firewalls, backup systems, penetration testing, data protection consulting)
• Digitalization: Optimization of business processes, products, or services, including the implementation of AI, robotics, and IT migration
• External services: Consulting, training, and necessary software and hardware for implementing the aforementioned measures

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: Standard program up to €7,500; Digital Bonus Plus up to €30,000
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses

Duration: July 1, 2024, through December 31, 2027

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Lower Saxony that operate in the commercial sector, the skilled trades, or as independent professionals. Special support is provided to companies making investments in the life sciences or eHealth sectors.

Eligible Activities:

• Investments in innovative projects to introduce or improve hardware, software, and IT security solutions
• Support for digital transformation and increasing competitiveness through the use of modern technologies

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: At least €3,000 and up to €50,000
• Funding rate: Up to 35% of eligible expenses for small businesses, up to 20% for medium-sized businesses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Commercial enterprises based in Thuringia that seek support in digitizing their business processes and services.

Eligible Measures:

• Introduction or improvement of solutions in the areas of data processing, data management, data security, and cybersecurity: Support for investments in IT systems for secure data processing and management
• Digitization and automation of business processes: Support for the implementation of digital solutions to optimize and automate internal processes
• Digitization and automation of products and services: Funding for innovations and the digital transformation of products or services

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: Up to €15,000
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is it for?
Companies in all industries with up to 500 employees, as well as freelancers based in Baden-Württemberg

Eligible initiatives:

• Digital projects aimed at improving products, services, and business processes
• Measures to enhance IT and information security
• Use of artificial intelligence
• Employee training as part of the digitalization project

Funding Amount:

• For eligible expenses between €5,000 and €15,000, the grant amounts to 30% (up to €3,000)

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector, as well as members of the liberal professions, based in Brandenburg.

Eligible activities:

• Consulting projects: External, project-based consulting services for the planning and preparation of digital initiatives, e.g., IT consulting, data protection, information security
• Implementation projects: Implementation of digital initiatives, including costs for personnel, materials, equipment, and consulting
• Training projects: Continuing education for employees on the successful use of digital technologies

Funding amount:

• Funding amount: Consulting and training up to €50,000; implementation up to €250,000
• Funding rate: 50% grant

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Bremen.

Eligible initiatives:

• Consulting projects with qualified digitalization experts for strategic planning and initial implementation steps of digital initiatives
• IT security strategies and cloud solutions
• Concept development and use cases in the field of Industry 4.0 (e.g., networking of systems)
• Identification and utilization of big data potential
• Development of digital business models
• Process consulting and organizational development in the context of digital transformation
• Project and Change Management
• External consulting services, including strategy development and prototyping

Grant Amount:

• Grant amount: Up to €5,000 per project
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector, as well as freelancers and self-employed individuals whose primary source of income is their business, with their headquarters or place of business in Bremen, that have been in operation for at least one year.

Eligible measures:

• Introduction, implementation, and further development of digital platforms
• Measures to improve information security, e.g., cloud technologies, IT/data security concepts
• Training programs to develop employees’ digital skills (provided by external providers with recognized certifications)
  

Funding amount:

• Funding amount: Up to €17,000
• Funding rate: Micro and small businesses / freelancers / self-employed individuals: Grant covering 40% of eligible expenses; Medium-sized businesses: Grant covering 30%

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector and independent professionals based in Hesse.

Eligible activities:

• Purchase of ICT hardware and software for the digitization of products, services, or business processes
• Investments in ICT security solutions
• External services related to the implementation of digital systems (e.g., data migration, porting, system implementation)
• Training on the implemented digital systems provided by external providers

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: At least €4,000, up to €10,000
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector with headquarters or a place of business in Schleswig-Holstein that employ fewer than 50 people and have an annual revenue or total annual assets of no more than 10 million euros.

Eligible measures:

• Module 1 – Consulting: Analysis of existing business workflows and processes to identify innovation potential through digitalization; development of customized solutions and recommendations for action to improve IT security, digital business models, and the digitalization of processes, products, and procedures
• Module 2 – Implementation: Implementation of the solutions developed in Module 1, including the purchase of necessary hardware and software as well as training programs for employees

Funding Amount:

• Grant amount: Maximum grant of €20,000 (Module 1 – Consulting); maximum grant of €200,000 (Module 2 – Implementation)
• Funding rate: Up to 40% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is eligible?
Microenterprises with their headquarters or a place of business in Saxony that wish to implement digitalization measures in their company for the first time. Funding is available to companies with fewer than 10 employees that are self-employed as their primary source of income and meet the requirements of the de minimis rule.

Eligible measures:

• Planning and design of digitalization projects
• Technical implementation of digitization measures
• Purchase of hardware and software
• Training and skill-building programs for employees in the context of digitalization
• Measures to introduce digital processes and technologies to increase competitiveness

Grant Amount:

• Grant amount: Up to €10,000
• Funding rate: Up to 60% of eligible expenses

Further information can be found here.

Who is it for?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with headquarters or a place of business in Saarland that wish to adapt their business and production models to the requirements of digitalization.

Eligible measures:

• Optimization of existing business processes through the use of digital products and services
• Increasing the company’s digital maturity and promoting innovation projects
• Training and continuing education programs for employees to promote digital literacy

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: Basic grant up to €12,500; Plus grant up to €20,000
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses for small businesses; up to 30% of eligible expenses for medium-sized businesses

Further information can be found here.

Who is it for?
This program is intended for companies that require technology-oriented consulting services as well as consulting on the organizational structure of a company-specific quality and innovation management system.

Eligible activities:

• Technology-oriented consulting and consulting on the organizational structure of a quality and innovation management system
• Use of information services and database searches
• Consulting services for the implementation of specialized IT/information technology

Funding amount:

• Grant amount: Up to 500€ per day’s work (day’s work: at least 8 hours of consulting
  , including preparation, follow-up, and report writing)
• Funding rate: Up to 50% of eligible expenses

For more information, click here.

Who is it for?
The funding program is aimed at digitalization projects that contribute to the cross-cutting objectives of the “Saxony-Anhalt Digital 2030” digital strategy.

Eligible initiatives:

• Digital Sovereignty and Data Protection: Projects that contribute to ensuring digital sovereignty and protecting personal and business-related data
• Specialized IT Procedures and Federal Information Management: Support for the modernization of specialized IT procedures or administrative processes
• Open Data & Open Source: Promoting the dissemination and use of open data and open-source software
• Gender Equality: Initiatives to promote gender equality in the digital sphere and to eliminate barriers
• Digital Ethics: Projects addressing ethical issues in the digital environment
• Smart City & Smart Region: Digitalization projects in the areas of Smart City and Smart Region to promote municipal digitalization
• Business and Science: Initiatives that promote collaboration between business and science through digital solutions
• Social Counseling Services: Digitally supported counseling services, particularly in the social sector
• Digital Education Initiatives: Introduction and expansion of digital educational programs to enhance digital literacy
• Sports and Culture: Development of reusable digital solutions in the fields of sports and culture
• Artificial Intelligence: Use of AI in various sectors to promote innovation and efficiency gains

Funding Amount:

• Total budget: 2.5 million euros per year for 2025 and 2026

Further information can be found here.