BMWi
Overview of BMWi research funding
The main objectives of the BMWi are to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to promote new market-oriented technologies and innovations to maintain the competitiveness of the German economy. To support continuous and effective knowledge and technology transfer, the BMWi also promotes cooperation between industry (especially SMEs) and universities and research institutions.
- Industrial Cooperative Research
- ZIM - Central Innovation Programme for SMEs
- ZIM - Cooperation projects within the framework of IraSME
- 7th Energy Research Programme
Project management agencies of the BMWi include AiF Projekt GmbH and VDI/VDE-IT.
Industrial collective research
Under this programme, the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) funds system-relevant, broad-based projects (lead technologies for SMEs) and, with the PLUS funding variant, larger IGF projects with several sub-projects that build a bridge between basic research and applied research. The CORNET programme funds European industry-wide project consortia consisting of business associations and research institutions from at least two participating countries or regions. A new call for proposals has been published for this programme. The current call for proposals ended on 30 March 2022 (12 noon). International project consortia could submit applications until then.
Eligible for funding are scientific and technical research projects without thematic restriction to specific technology fields or sectors in the categories of basic research, industrial research, experimental development or feasibility studies. In addition, the research projects must have a cross-company orientation, be expected to yield new findings, especially in the area of the development and use of modern technologies, and be able to bring economic benefits to the SME group in particular. To this end, the applications for the research projects must contain proposals for transfer to industry and statements on feasibility. In the context of the IGF, SMEs are defined as companies whose annual turnover (including affiliated companies) does not exceed €125 million.
Eligible to apply are legally independent research associations that are full members of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF). (AiF), which, according to the statutes of the AiF, must pursue exclusively and directly non-profit purposes, which are in principle open to all interested parties and, insofar as they are economically active, fulfil the requirements for non-profit research organisations within the meaning of the Transparency Directive Act.
ZIM - Central Innovation Programme for SMEs
The ZIM programme funds research projects for the development of innovative products, processes or technical services without restriction to specific technologies of cooperations between small and medium-sized enterprises and the university, entry projects for the preparation of cooperations as well as R&D contracts. The university can act as an applicant within the framework of cooperations with these companies. The sub-projects of the research institutions can be funded with up to 100 percent if the right to publish the results of the sub-project remains with the university, otherwise funding is provided at the level of the cooperating company. The maximum grant per research institution and sub-project is 220,000 euros.
On the other hand, the development of innovative cooperation networks with at least 6 companies is funded without restriction to specific fields of technology and sectors. The object of the funding is management and organisational services for the development of the network concept and the establishment of the network in phase 1 and for the subsequent organised implementation of the network concept in phase 2. The funding of a network in phase 2 is generally limited to 3 years. Potential applicants: Enterprises of all legal forms with business operations in Germany that meet the criteria of the EU definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
SMEs can apply for supplementary services for market introduction in addition to the funded project.
Cooperation projects and networks may also involve partners from abroad; however, they do not receive funding under this guideline.
For questions regarding ZIM, please contact EURONORM GmbH for individual projects, AiF Projekt GmbH for cooperation projects and VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH for innovation networks: Contact ZIM.
Due to the increased number of applications, there will be a suspension of application acceptance from 07 October 2021 on. Applications with international partners within the framework of bilateral and multilateral calls for proposals as well as applications for services for market introduction are excluded. A decision on the resumption will be made on the basis of the funds available in the future.
OVGU guidelines for calculating the costs of project personnel
ZIM - Cooperation projects within the framework of IraSME
German SMEs and research institutions also have the opportunity to work with foreign project partners to jointly develop new products, processes or services.
- IraSME is a network of ministries and funding agencies for joint support of transnational projects of companies in national/regional funding programmes.
- Network coordination funded by the BMWi, carried out by AiF Projekt GmbH (project management agency of the BMWi).
- Partners in the current call: Austria, Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia regions), Brazil, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia and Turkey
- Two annual call rounds with deadlines at the end of March and September
- Applications can be submitted until 28 September 2022 within the framework of the 30th call for proposals in the IraSME network.
- Information on webinars and networking events can be found here
The 30th call for proposals of the IraSME network is only valid if ZIM resumes processing the applications. This will be decided by the financial resources available for 2022 and subsequent years. more
7th Energy Research Programme
Within the framework of the 7th Energy Research Programme, the Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and Energy, for Education and Research, and for Food and Agriculture are funding projects that contribute to achieving the Federal Government's energy policy goals. The programme defines priorities for research funding and innovation policy in the energy sector and also sets new accents compared to the previous energy research programme.
The submission of outlines and applications is basically possible at any time and without exclusion deadlines. The programme is valid until 31.12.2022.
Information on the website of the project management organisation
