Funding Opportunities

VIP+

The path from research to market can be shortened and accelerated. This is where the BMFTR funding measure “Validation of the Technological and Societal Innovation Potential of Scientific Research – VIP+” comes in.

Wipano - Further Development of Inventions

WIPANO supports the transfer of research results into the economy. The program funds research projects between at least one publicly funded research partner (university, research institution or national laboratory) and an industry partner. The partners work together to align their latest research findings with the current norms and standards. The nature of this unique partnership allows for greater visibility in the industry. Research results are verified to meet industrial standards and regulations, and are made available to other companies and developers. Standards can also help to accelerate the market entry of new technologies, for example, through testing and inspection standards.

IGF - Industrial Collective Research

The IGF bridges the gap between fundamental research and economic application, and provides access to the latest scientific findings. New technologies are being developed for entire industries and, increasingly, across industries to maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized. The research associations affiliated with the AiF assist with industry-driven idea generation, connect experts from business and science, provide assistance with applications for public funding from the BMWE, and coordinate projects. The research associations are well-connected contacts for companies that want to participate in industrial collaborative research.

Helmholtz Enterprise - Field Study Fellowship

The Helmholtz Enterprise Field Study Fellowship enables employees of the HIM and HIJ institutes to explore the market potential of their research at an early stage. The aim is to identify customer and user needs and to better understand the practical benefits of scientific results from the user's perspective. Funding is provided for specified development costs, such as market analyses, interviews with potential users, and the development of initial application ideas. Participants gain valuable entrepreneurial skills and learn to align their research more closely with real-world problems, which provides the basis for possible transfer or start-up projects.

ZIM – Innovation Programme for small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) is a nationwide funding program open to all branches of technology and industry. The aim of ZIM is to strengthen the innovative power and thus the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the long term. It is intended to contribute to economic growth, in particular by tapping into value creation potential and raising the level of application-oriented knowledge.

LOEWE – Promotion of Innovation by the HMWK

With the LOEWE research funding program, the state of Hesse is setting the tone for science policy and strengthening the research landscape in Hesse in the long term. LOEWE funding scheme number 3 subsidizes the joint development of innovations between universities and companies.
LOEWE stands for “Landes-Offensive zur Entwicklung Wissenschaftlich-ökonomischer Exzellenz” (State Initiative for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence). With the LOEWE program, the state government promotes outstanding scientific projects between universities and research institutions in Hesse. The focus is on networking between science, non-university research, and industry.

KMU-innovativ: Joint project funding by the BMFTR

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pioneers of technological progress in many areas. With its KMU-innovativ funding initiative, the BMFTR supports cutting-edge research in German SMEs.
Cutting-edge research offers SME-innovative the opportunity to compete successfully in the market with new products and processes. SMEs are particularly flexible and quick when it comes to tapping into new markets. This is especially true in new fields of research where speed is crucial. In many cases, an important impetus for this comes from small and medium-sized enterprises.

EXIST - Research Transfer

EXIST Research Transfer consists of two funding phases:
In the first funding phase, research results with start-up potential are to be further developed. The aim is to clarify issues related to the implementation of scientific results in technical products and processes, to develop the business idea based on these results into a business plan, and to prepare for the planned start-up launch.
The second funding phase focuses on further development work, the start of business activities, and preparations for external corporate financing.

EXIST - Start-up Grant

The EXIST start-up grant is intended to support founders at universities and research institutions in the phase before and at the beginning of their start-up, particularly in creating a viable business plan and developing marketable products and innovative services.
Funding under the EXIST start-up grant is open to all topics and technologies. The EXIST start-up grant is intended to support innovative and sustainable start-ups with high market relevance and implementation dynamics, whose founding idea originated in the environment of the university or research institution and incorporates the subject-specific expertise and knowledge acquired there. 

Helmholtz Enterprise - Spin-off Program

The Helmholtz Enterprise spin-off program supports HIM and HIJ employees in developing promising research results into viable start-ups. Funding is provided to start-up teams that want to systematically develop their idea and take the step into application and the market. The focus is on building a team, creating a robust business model, and the initial implementation activities at the research center. Funding covers personnel and material resources and can also involve external start-up partners. In addition, the teams receive targeted support from external experts and access to entrepreneurship training and accelerators.

Helmholtz Enterprise - Field Study Fellowship

The Helmholtz Enterprise Field Study Fellowship enables employees of the HIM and HIJ institutes to explore the market potential of their research at an early stage. The aim is to identify customer and user needs and to better understand the practical benefits of scientific results from the user's perspective. Funding is provided for specified development costs, such as market analyses, interviews with potential users, and the development of initial application ideas. Participants gain valuable entrepreneurial skills and learn to align their research more closely with real-world problems, which provides the basis for possible transfer or start-up projects.

Distr@l of the HM for Digital Strategy and Development

Distr@l supports projects that significantly advance the state of digital technology. Distr@l is explicitly open to all topics and focuses on digital application-oriented projects.

Outlines can be submitted on an ongoing basis!

Funding Database

The federal funding database website provides an overview of funding programs offered by the federal government, the states, and the European Union.